Zion of the water bead
Deep with the first dead lies London’s daughter,
Robed in the long friends,
The grains beyond age, the dark veins of her mother,
Secret by the unmourning water
Of the riding Thames.
After the first death, there is no other.
Dylan Thomas: On the Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London
I wondered yesterday, when I learned of this kits’ death after walking in the door at 8:00 pm, if I would be less affected by this loss. After all I hadn’t seen it, and it hadn’t visibly suffered. I have been guardian of three beaver deaths from our colony, and two from neighboring colonies, so maybe I would place this in the larger context of life, death and survival of the fit and lucky.
Still, I found myself wondering, “which one” of our kits did we lose? Was it the one who comes out first each night and always eats where he can’t be seen? Was it the one who loves blackberries? Was it the one with Mom in the superbowl video? Was it the one who eats bravely under the lamplight so you get a great view? Was it the one that gave a massive closeup shot on the bank this night?
I dreamed last night I was picking through the shallow creek and finding the other kits who had also died.
I guess we can assume the death is still affecting.
UPDATE ON DEATH:
The Kit was found at the primary dam, near the cove where the beavers eat. The restaurant Bertola’s got a report from a customer of the kit and tried to contact us but didn’t know how. Called animal control and was transferred to Lindsay. The woman who took the call happened to be a friend of Cheryl Reynolds and she was contacted. She went out and retrieved the beaver. It weighed in at 29.6lbs at Lindsay, and the new vet there took it up with her to UCDavis for necropsy.
We will make sure that our contact info is at Luigi’s and Bertolas for future reference. You can always email us at mtzbeavers@gmail.com.
