PROSKIW: Nature should inspire curiosity, not fear | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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PROSKIW: Nature should inspire curiosity, not fear

Have you ever been baited into an animal story, something you thought could be interesting or fascinating or even cute and cuddly only to find the creature paid the ultimate price for our ignorance? I hate those stories.

I concede the cougar found inside a woman’s home chewing on a dog toy had to be killed. The malnourished cat wasn’t smart enough to fear humans and further conflict was inevitable. Last week however, a swarm of thousands of bees was removed from a West Kelowna parking lot because they were blocking the entrance of a shopping mall.

In this case, thankfully, it worked out all right. The understandably concerned manager didn't just destroy them, he called in the services of a beekeeper and the ‘prime swarm’ was simply moved. A bee expert told me the swarm was no threat. Saving them was necessary if we want more bees. And of course we do.

I certainly don’t blame anyone for dealing with a pest problem, but I wish our connection to nature was stronger, our education broader so we meet such events with natural curiosity and not with fear. 

It’s human to fear the unknown. It helped our species advance so well we think we no longer need nature. It's become something to fear and avoid.

A prime swarm is a rare event and it’s an opportunity to safely observe a large number of bees doing what only bees can do. Maybe with a little more education, the crowd of people would get bigger, not smaller, as curious bio-nerds like myself clamour for a closer look.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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