The Heart of the Matter - Silver Fox with Poppies

Lonely and vulnerable she sits on the side of the road as humans mill around her jostling for the best views. They entice her with food. They beckon her closer. They want her to pose for perfect photos. They demand entertainment.

Their voices down out the sounds of oncoming traffic. Their cars disorient and corner her. Their smells and sounds and imposing energies disrupt the finely-tuned fox senses she has developed as a wild animal roaming this region. Still she approaches, lured by the promise of a full belly, curious enough to let her guard down.

The poppies grow up and around her and one day will grow through her when her trust in the apparent kindness of humanity leaves her smeared under a tire or standing at the wrong end of a weapon wielded by the very hand that once fed her.

What a shame it is to be part of a species who expects that wildlife respect them without giving wildlife that same respect in return. We take, we extract, we demand. And for what? For photos. For a story. For reasons that mean little to us but leave wildlife overwhelmingly vulnerable to harm.

I find so many moments of love, awe, and joy when I encounter wildlife. It makes my life worth living. But I never expect it. Knowing I'm not owed these moments makes them all the more special when they happen.

To orchestrate an encounter by baiting, trapping, or cornering wildlife cheapens the experience for you and leaves the animal you claim to love incredibly vulnerable to harm.

We can do so much fucking better when it comes to how disposable we see and treat our wild kin.

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Fine art reproduction printed in-house with professional-grade inks on archival, cruelty-free cotton paper. Open Edition and signed by the artist. Ships flat in a rigid kraft mailer with sturdy acid-free backing board for easy framing.

Species featured are a Silver Fox with California Poppies