Where’s Wendell?

Wendell disappeared on October 28^th – the night of the freak snow storm in Ottawa. A tree fell and broke part of his fenced enclosure and he skedaddled. Wendell was born in captivity and has lived in a private zoo all his life. His disappearance continues to cause quite a stir. He’s in the papers every night. Hundreds of volunteers have been out searching for him.

There have been more Wendell sightings in the last week than there have been Elvis sightings in the last 30 years. And, at 20 kilograms, one meter high, Wendell is a lot smaller than Elvis.

They figure he’ll be okay for food since there are lots of alfalfa fields and apple orchards around, along with plenty of fresh water. But they are worried about him getting hit by a car or eaten by wolves.

I ran away from home once, too. There you are living your life according to someone else’s schedule and interests. You have some idea about the world outside of your enclosure and dream about what that world might be like.

Then one day you see your opportunity and seize it. If Wendell is anything like I was, he’s probably feeling a little rough by now, but still a bit giddy with excitement about being free and independent.

He’ll start planning for the long-term once the initial thrill of being on the lam wears off. He’ll do a bit of research and plot out his next move carefully.

He’s knows he’s got to keep out of sight for a while since everyone is still out hunting him down. If they find him -BAM – he’s back inside; and this time they’ll make sure he never gets away.

So, if I know Wendell, he’s laying low in some sweet little spot, close to plenty of alfalfa and apples and maybe a little babbling brook. And then, before the next cold snap he’ll stow away on a boat to Australia where he can roam wild with his own kind. And live happily ever after.

Go Wendell. Go!

FRIDAY’S WENDELL UPDATE:Although he’s been seen, he keeps eluding his would-be captors. Seems he’s heading toward Ottawa. And then, I think he’ll be off to the airport.