Pain........REMORSE?

Why do wildlife not feel remorse like we humans do?  Or do they?

On my web page and in one of the MOM series blogs is a picture of a Black Bear on a rock.  For a couple of years my relationship with this bear become somewhat intimate.  Not in the human sense.  She was almost accepting of me and some other photographers.  Even when nursing with an eye on me she allowed the swift clicking of my camera shutter.  As usual my very long lens gave me significant distance from her.  She taught me that she loved to eat the dandelions.  For hours she would eat and rest for short periods.  If I kept my motions to almost nothing she would close an eye.  For moments.  I worried at times that my presence (at least 90 yards away) was bothering her.  Overtime the realization was that she just always was wary about noises and movements all around her.  I really looked forward each day to searching for her.  Spending hours pre sun to post sunset inthralled with her.

This day was different.  Most of the day was searching, waiting, listening and watching for this beautiful black bear.  A great commotion was playing out some distance from my position.  I was not sure what it was.  Except I knew it was animals fighting.  For fear of approaching to close I stayed where I was.  The moaning, growling and what sounded like wines lasted for a long time.  Maybe as long as 30 minutes.  It would crescendo then stop.  Periods of silence would make me wonder even more what had happened.  Then the silence did not end.    My comfort level with approaching the area was very low.  It could have been a quarter of a mile away or a much greater distance.   It was not safe to venture that direction.

Back at my car I was still wondering what had happened.  It takes some time to unload my gear.  This late in the day I start by unpacking my backpack.  The accessories I carry in my photo vest get returned to their cases.  My attention was not on my surroundings.  Down the road about 1000 feet is a pond that wildlife frequents morning and night.  As I glanced at the pond I noticed a cinnamon black bear coming down off the mountain.  Incredible!  I have only a few photographs of a cinnamon bear.  As fast as possible I gathered everything up and ran down the road.  Of course I crossed the street so the bear was not totally freaked about this "keystone cop" running at him  The mountain sheltered my approach.  A beautiful animal.  Not everyone gets this opportunity.  It seemed as though he was limping and moving slower than normal.  Is there a normal speed for a bear?  Anyway, something was different.  My first look through the lens revealed the answer.  The bear had been in a fight.  One eye was damaged.  Several patches of hair was missing from his back and sides.  Blood was in his fur.  His forehead was matted with blood.  He approached the pond as seen in the photo above and just stared at his reflection in the water for quite a while.  
THEN HE DRANK...................It seemed as though drinking was difficult.  Every time he would lift his head a large sum of water would run out of his mouth.  I'm not an expert but it looked unusual. As though he was having trouble drinking.
AFTER drinking he waded into the water and DROPPED down!  As he rolled to one side he looked over at me with what seemed like no concern that I was there.  His eye looked terrible.  Was he enjoying the water?  It was probably cool and by the color may have had some soothing chemicals in it.  The bath lasted for a while.
WHEN out of the water his limp was more pronounced than before.  The typical full body shake to discharge water from the body did not happen.....
HE went directly to this spot where it appeared animals had been rolling and disturbing the ground.  The bear laid out flat.  Soon he gyrated back and forth. Rubbing his underside.  Especially his face.  What was he doing.? Is this the local pharmacy?  Chemicals in the soils mixed with the pond water ensuring pain relief?  I am not sure.  Not sure anyone would know.  

The next day I spoke to the park Ranger.  He said the black bear had not been seen that day.  He felt that the cinnamon had fought and killed the black bear.  For the next several days no one saw the black bear.  A year later the same ranger told me that in fact the black bear had been killed.  Obviously they had no proof that the cinnamon had killed her.  The worst part of the event is that she had cubs.  The cubs were never seen again also.  A sad time for this photographer.  But life goes on.  I hope to see the cinnamon this year.  Maybe he has fathered with another bear.  Let's hope so.