When you get roses, you must expect thorns … so, despite the bouquets of nice words tossed this way, there has been criticism among the kudos. A disgruntled reader, irritated by my stand against the caribou transplant project, called the NEWS to protest the “cutesy” manner in which I write about wildlings and the photo which serves as a logo for this column. If the fellow was turned off by my wrinkles, I could understand … even sympathize with him … but that wasn’t the issue. He believes the photo, which shows me “cuddling” a young raccoon, will give youngsters the wrong impression and encourage them to pick up raccoons … thus risking the chance of getting badly bitten or of contracting some disease such as rabies. And, would you believe the grumblings are coming from the same individual who … about five years ago … came here to make video tapes of me “cuddling” raccoons and other wildlings? He was thoroughly delighted with the action and planned to take the tapes into schools … to be viewed by children!

At the risk of being repetitious, after working with … and “living in” with … wildlings for more than 50 years, I’ve witnessed things to which few have been privy … and learned much from those years of experience … and am still learning! One of the most important things I’ve discovered is … love is almost as nourishing as food in the development of wildlings. Love is just as essential to their all-around health as it is to human beings. Beasts and birds all show affection for their young … either with actions or in the “soft and special” sounds with which they communicate.

Although there are wildlife rehabbers who don’t believe in handling or petting their temporary charges … and some even tease them so they won’t trust humans … I still cuddle, snuggle, stroke and croon to them. They revel in it … soaking it up like the warmth from their heating pads. Such displays of affection from humans will neither dull nor destroy their wild instinct … it’s too deeply inbred. That instinct would diminish in a second generation of captive wildlings … and would be just about wiped out in a third generation. This has been proven in a study with tigers. But if the wildlings are to be released in late summer, early autumn … or held over for spring release … there is a change. They begin to shy away from humans … whom they’ve tolerated only because they needed them. They become uneasy … independent … even irritable or downright belligerent. If they could vocalize, they might start singing that old ballad, “Please Release Me (Let Me Go).”

Of course, there are always exceptions … such as “dropouts” … “ding-a-lings” … and other befuddled ones. Oscar, the bear, is a prime example … but when you consider the fact that he has been the only “dud” among the 10 bear cubs brought in for rehabilitation … those odds aren’t bad!

Speaking of Oscar … he just received an early Easter gift from some Massachusetts admirers. It’s an 11-inch pacifier with yellow plastic handle and shield … and, on the end, a half-pound of milk chocolate. He’s had a hard rubber pacifier kicking around his pen for nearly two years and it’s still in pretty fair shape … considering the sucking and chewing it has endured. Since the new pacifier is made of breakable plastic … and countless calories … I’ll hold onto it while Oscar gets in only a few licks at a time!