I spotted them on my first run here. I actually thought someone was raising ducks in the development.
In the beginning, they seemed wary of me which should have raised a red flag they were not domesticated creatures. When I ran past them the first few times on the trails, they seemed to cautiously retreat to the trees.
I didn’t think about it then but now, I remember the rangers in Africa telling us about the wildlife and their charging distance.
You have to keep a certain distance between yourself and the wildlife or they will charge at you. Breaching that distance intrudes upon their personal space and territory. This intrusion will be interpreted as an attack and they will be compelled to defend themselves.
On a walking safari in Botswana, we saw a herd of elephants in the distance. We were not walking towards them but walking on the same fields with them somehow agitated them. They suddenly gave off an angry sound.
That was the ominous warning that got us scrambling to walk in another direction. As we walked farther and farther away from them, the elephants calmed down.
So, did the ducks scare me? Not really. Though, they were plenty. At least 30 on their first appearance. But probably more. I had never seen them before. But I had never ventured into the trails, either.
I did not approach or try to pet them. I knew better. All those trips to Africa got me safari-trained.
When I excitedly told my siblings about them, they laughed and told me I was probably hallucinating. No one was raising ducks in the development. They told me they needed proof of life.
To my dismay, I found no sign of them in my succeeding runs. I began to wonder if I had hallucinated. After all.
In my earnest search for the ducks, I began to notice a pond beyond the trees where I saw the ducks retreat when they first saw me running through the trails. When I told my sibs about the pond, my brother said there was now a possibility that I was not hallucinating. After all.
Obviously, these ducks were wildlife. No one was raising them.
To my delight, I, eventually, saw them again. I provided proof of life via videos and photos. It was then when my sister identified them as Canadian Geese.
They’re all over North America and can be found close to water, feeding typically in open grassy areas. They’re rarely aggressive to people unless nesting their young. And they’re one of the most intelligent birds having great memory of people, animals and situations.
In the succeeding runs, they no longer retreated when I ran past them. They must have recognized me then and knew I posed no threat. Just when we were starting to grow on one another, things had to end. And that’s why you have to bolt your heart shut. Sometimes.
They came to see me on my last run. I will hold on to the memories till I see them again.