Something life transforming happened to Chloe Dalton one day, when she went for a walk in the countryside in England. She
came across a baby hare, a leveret. She thought the leveret’s mother was close
by, so she did not disturb her. A few hours later, however, she checked on her;
the baby hare was still there, lying still on the grass.
Chloe
Knew that the baby hare was at risk. Something may have happened to her mother.
She may have been killed. Foxes and stoats lurked around. The leveret was a potential
prey to several creatures. Chloe knew that the baby hare would not survive
without her mother, so she did what any caring person would have done. She
decided to rescue her.
There was not much information out there on
how to feed a leveret. She asked wildlife and conservation experts for advice.
She searched for scientific literature, but even literary references were more
helpful in this case. Her sister, who owned a small farm, did not know anything
about hares, but she gave her powdered milk used for kittens and a two-ounce
bottle suitable for puppies, kittens, bunnies and hedgehogs.
The
new experience of taking care of a leveret that belonged to the wild had begun
and Chole did not feel prepared for it.
I was a bit frustrated to read about a couple
of clumsy actions toward the leveret that clearly showed that Chloe had little
knowledge or intuition about the natural world. As I read the book, I could see
that Chole Dalton was a city person and her misconceptions and prejudices were
evident in the ways she viewed situations. However, the experience of raising
the hare opened her up to a deeper connection with the natural world.
The
adventure of raising a hare
Raising Hare shares interesting
literary references and information about hares. It is about the adventure of
raising a hare from the wild. Despite the fact that she refused to nourish a
sense of attachment to the hare, the bond took place. It was built on trust and
care as a result of their atypical relationship. Did Chloe Dalton-the city
person- learn that love happens too in the wild? Why do human beings feel a
sense of superiority? I feel that her sense of superiority got in the way of
understanding the hare a couple of times, but the hare was also a source of
wisdom, and Chloe learned to appreciate that.
“She has taught me patience. And as someone
who has made their living through words, she has made me consider the dignity
and persuasiveness of silence. She showed me a different life, and the richness
of it.”
I
enjoyed learning about how the hare transformed Chloe Dalton’s life. The hare
changed her habits and some of her behaviors. The hare awakened a kind of
awareness that led her to live her life differently, in a more meaningful,
mindful way, a kind of simplicity that she had lacked before she met the hare.
“For
months, I had risen at dawn to make bottles of milk or lay out food for the
leveret. I had tiptoed around my house in the daytime so that it could sleep,
and changed my own sleeping patterns, going to bed with nightfall. I had
imposed on family and visitors the requirement to talk quietly and not frighten
the young hare. I had avoided switching on lights at dusk, so as not to
interfere with the leveret’s rhythms, and I had stopped using them in the
garden, conscious for the first time of their disruptive effect on the vision
of nocturnal animals. I had not worn perfume for months, imagining it to be
caustic and disorienting to a hare’s sensitive nose, and no longer turned on
the television for the evening news, to avoid subjecting the leveret to loud
and discordant noises.”
Freedom, love, risks
At some point the leveret grew and became a
hare who searched for her freedom beyond the walls of Chloe Dalton’s garden. Freedom
comes with a whole set of new risks, but the love and care of a mother are never
forgotten. They are treated with respect and trust. The hare left… but she also
returned to her “human mother”. The hare
without a name came back home and shared her joy with her human mother… I will
not add more. Read it and let the wondrous experience touch your heart and open
up your senses to the sweetness of empathy.
It is sad that Chloe Dalton did not name the
hare. The hare deserved a name, just like anybody else does, but Chloe was
stuck in her own prejudices. Oh, well. Mothers do not have to be perfect to be
good mothers after all. Dear Chole Dalton: Being wild does not mean not having
an identity. The hare has one too.
The
book contains delightful drawings of hares. You will fall in love with them. I
can’t get enough of these drawings.
I don’t have hares in my backyard, but I love
watching the behaviors of the rabbits. Every moment is an opportunity to feel
thankful in the garden.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you read
my posts on the following books:
Addendum: if you find an animal in the wild that needs help, be mindful of their needs and do your best to help by seeking expert advice. Wildlife rehabilitation centers can be helpful. Here's some information on what to do and what not to do:
https://www.humaneworld.org/en/resources/how-help-orphaned-or-injured-baby
