At What Cost Are We Willing to Make the Kill: Hunters Accidentally Kill Sacred Moose.

"Weaker animals in the wild, we hear, will only die miserable deaths by starvation and exposure without sport hunters to control their population. Yet it's the bigger, stronger animals they're killing and wounding--the very opposite of natural selection--often with bows and pistols that only compound and prolong the victim's suffering.”  ― Matthew Scully

I read a story today, one in which a group of hunters mistakenly killed a sacred white moose. A most majestic creature, it roamed the forests surrounding the Mi'kmaq indigenous community for many years, greatly revered and untouched by the impulse of human hands.

For those who are not yet aware, animals born with this rare form of albinism are considered to be most sacred - representing the spirits of ancestors past, and there to offer their guidance and protection.


Said Mi'kmaq hunter Danny Paul,

"We know the significance and we've been teaching that to the non-native population for almost 500 years — about the importance that this and other white animals played in our lives. We are not to harm them in any way, shape, or form because they could be one of our ancestors coming to remind us of something significant that's going to happen within our communities. It was so disrespectful having seen it put on the social media, and it's been an outcry and our people are outraged."

There is a code amongst hunters, one that defines the responsibility of man against nature - and to the extent best able.

Sadly, these three hunters were unaware of the spiritual significance of this beautiful creature - sparking a outrage throughout the Nova Scotia community.

And though, I do understand there is a place for hunting in the world of others (though, I do not personally support it) - I wonder, at what cost are we willing to make that kill?