Lucia Iandolo
Nature is chaotic, hindering humanity whether intentional or not. Upstate New York is no exception. As a resident of upstate New York my entire life, I concur that nature is anything but predictable. Therefore, something as precious as animal life or as delicate as a plant must be handled with care. The Ithaca College campus is home to prime examples of New York wildlife: squirrels, chirping birds, rabbits, beautiful plants, geese and, of course, deer. It surprised me that some students had never seen a deer or squirrel in real life, up close. Therefore when it comes to student-wildlife interactions I believe that students should continue to, if they don’t already, handle local wildlife with care.
Living on a farm throughout my youth taught me the importance of nature. It can be tempting for students, especially those from farther away, to engage with wildlife on campus. However, I believe that intentionally engaging wildlife should be avoided. Seeing animals for the first time is exciting, but it’s best to enjoy them from a distance because of several dangers such as Lyme disease, rabies and potential violence. From a traumatic experience in my youth involving a rabid animal, I know that nature is wonderful to enjoy from afar, not up close. Nature is beautiful, therefore we should not interfere with it, in order to keep it pristine. These animals have existed without human intervention in the past, and should continue to do so now. If disturbed, wild animals may become frightened which could make them aggressive. While the deer roaming campus seem cute, a doe or buck protecting their fawn could feel threatened if they think someone could pose harm. This is the way of nature. Parents protect their young.
As a boy, I have fallen victim to some of nature’s less fine things once or twice. As I have learned, deer are frequent carriers of ticks, which can cause Lyme disease in humans, if bitten. Students from other states, or even countries may not be familiar with local threats like this. Wildlife can be cute, but these animals are not pets. Although a rabid animal may seem fictitious to some students, something seen on television or in literature like “Old Yeller,” they are real and can be unstable. Understandably students not used to a more rural environment may not know the signs of a rabid animal. It may seem unlikely that such a beast can be encountered, however nature follows no pattern. I have personally seen rabid animals near my home, local road and at the park. This is another reason why wildlife should be enjoyed from afar but not tampered with. Rabies causes animals to act in ways that they usually wouldn’t, like going near humans. Therefore, it is important to respect them by keeping your distance. Student-wildlife interactions must be built on respect. Generally, if you leave an animal alone, it will do the same.
While students should generally avoid interfering with wildlife there are ways they can contribute to keeping nature beautiful. One way students can respect wildlife is by picking up trash and avoiding littering. This keeps campus clean, and also creates a healthier environment for wildlife to flourish in. While avoiding sick animals is important there are ways that they can be helped. A rabid animal is a situation that is out of your control; it can be very tempting to jump in and help the animal, but in this case, alerting campus authorities of the issue is the best possible course of action.
Wildlife is a precious thing and Ithaca College is fortunate to be nestled in the heart of it. So, to maintain the balance and respect nature, students should enjoy wildlife from afar, help keep it clean and intervene only when necessary by finding the proper people to handle the situation. It is through these actions that students can enjoy a healthy relationship with nature and keep campus a wonderful place for students, plants and animals to live.