Susan Eirich, one of the founders of the Earthfire Institute, introduces us to the rich and sacred trust between humans and animals. She and her partner are profoundly committed to and passionate about maintaining the 40-acre wildlife sanctuary and retreat center, which facilitates interactions between animals and humans.

The importance of this relationship is often overlooked in city life and modern culture. Insights and personal experiences with animals are invaluable. They have a transformative effect on our way of being, seeing, living, and understanding. Susan Eirich shares her mission with us and communicates the joy of living amongst the wonderful beings at the sanctuary.

Click here to listen to the interview

In Buddhist teaching, once one is enlightened one lives in the moment without preconceptions – thus each time you meet a being, of any life form, you meet it with new eyes rather than through a lens of hearsay. What we each see is based on a great deal of our own conditioning. The Rinpoche noted that “we tend to think that what we don’t see does not exist – but this doesn’t follow – lack of perception is not a proof of non–existence”. And that applies to animals as individual beings with a soul.

Chokyi Nyima emphasized how with trust, love, and respect, we can turn this earth into heaven. He talked about how we need to think more broadly – that a shortage of trees for example does not just hurt humans – it hurts birds and animals and insects — it hurts every living thing. That we are interdependent also makes it important that we respect and care for all conscious beings — and Buddhists consider all animals conscious. He noted that we make laws to protect big and rare animals because we esteem them for being big or rare – but that it legal to kill others for fun. “That is not right. Not fair. We need to be fair. We need to help as much as we can and live as naturally as we can.”

He commented that we should not be breeding animals for pets, for human pleasure. If we do, however, we should put ourselves in their place and feel what they feel – their needs for protection, comfort, medicine. He was very moved and touched by the love and care shown between the humans and animals here at Earthfire; that they were “treated as family even though they were not actually our brothers, sisters, mothers or fathers”.

He noted that animals and humans are intelligent beings and that we can teach each other. According to Buddha, we all, humans and animals, have a basic good and loving nature and we are all capable of becoming enlightened beings in the Buddhist sense. And that with trust, love and respect, we would not hurt one another.

As the Rinpoche was talking about how we should be more attuned to nature, he looked out the door of the yurt and pointed towards the Tetons. At that same instant, Bluebell walked into his view. He cried out joyfully – “Look – a bison!” It was as if she had manifested herself for him. As if she wanted to be included and give her input into this honoring of the natural world.

When we look for Bluebell the buffalo in the pasture, we know exactly where to find her. Out of 20 acres of freedom and grass, she is lying right up against the fencing that separates her from Ramble the grizzly bear, perhaps 12 feet away.  It makes you think . . .

Buffalo are intensely social creatures with all that that implies. They are oriented and responsive to one another; they crave one another’s company and are continually together in a herd. When we say an animal is social, I wonder if we feel what that fully means.  Chickens are social – ours are often found lying close to one another, or taking dust baths practically on top of one another. Apes are social, wolves and dogs are social, humans are social. We need one another. We are all made to be with one another and lapse into depression when we are alone.  It is a biologically-based thing, hard-wired into our nature and theirs. It is something we have in common. The sensations a lone social animal has are very probably the same sensations we have, being animals too.  An ache, a hunger, and feelings of not knowing exactly what to do with ourselves.

There is quite a variety of ways we adapt to loneliness and deal with it and so it is with buffalo.

We had the pleasure and honor of taking care of two baby buffalo that grew into fine young girls, Bluebell and Rosebud. Rosebud bonded intensely to Josie the Buffalo Goat who helped feed her excellent goat’s milk as she grew. They were always together as a unit. When Josie suddenly died, Rosebud went into a depression. She developed pneumonia and nothing we did could save her. Bluebell was herself, brokenhearted, trying to groom the still form of Rosebud; to lift her, to bring her back to life. For a long time she mourned and we worried that we might lose her too.  But something interesting happened.  Somehow the tragedy softened her; opened her to other possibilities. She began to look to people. She who was dominant and even mildly threatening became softer and softer. Last time I wrote about Bluebell I recounted how she would always be at the base of the yurt when we have meetings. That trend has unmistakably deepened.  During a program last June she stood for half an hour while 6 women systematically groomed and plucked her winter’s fur until she was smooth and shining.  She remembers that and now comes to greet all humans who visit, and allows herself (actually kind of asks) to be touched, admired, groomed.  Bluebell is nine – yet she learned, and adapted and changed.  She has matured with a wider acceptance of other beings. It is not just buffalo that are worthy of her attention and interaction; not just buffalo who can give.

Going back to Bluebell and Ramble the grizzly . . . twelve thousand years ago megafauna such as the giant short-faced bear, giant sloth, mammoths and other huge animals roamed the continent. More than 50 species were driven to extinction during what is called the “Pleistocene Overkill,” a combination of human hunting and climate change. There are only a few species left from that great extinction – and two of them are the grizzly bear and the bison.  If one thinks about more subtle connections between living beings, as one does if one has the time or inclination or exposure, you can’t help thinking – do they recognize one another in some way?  Do they share a deep loneliness? A sense of being the last of their kind from another time, remnants of a once vast community, hunted still to a miniscule number?

There is help on the horizon for Bluebell.  A visitor deeply moved by her has made a commitment to help us find a baby buffalo for her when they are born in the spring (thank you Joan!) Or maybe two.  Bluebell will have her herd again.

Click here to view the embedded video.

At the end of the day they were treated to visits to the animals. Some comments:  “…for the first time you helped me realize that each wild animals has their own personalities.”   “We had an amazing experience at Earthfire. Your philosophy on animals and that you believe that animals are more than just wild and aggressive made me open my eyes to the fact that all animals want compassion and to be given a chance.  To know that the two of you started this amazing ranch from scratch is inspiring and gives me and hopefully others, encouragement to follow our dreams.”

In the case of Uinta, we didn’t get him early, and he was by nature an especially fearful wolf. He was presented to us as a high content wolf hybrid but his behavior was all wolf. He was unbonded, untrusting, and unhandlable.

 Seeing him day after day, in fear; unable to run free because we were unable to get him to the Garden was a constant ache for us. Unwilling to see him consigned to a life in his enclosure, we decided to try something radical. We would tranquilize him, always a risk in a panicky animal - their fear pumps the adrenalin counteracting the drug if one gives too much trying to overcome it and they could die. Once down, we would put a short chain around his neck. That would give him a chance to get used to it and adjust himself to the feel, the drag, the sound of it, thus reducing some of the overwhelming stimuli when it came time to move him. Then when appropriate, we would clip on a longer chain with which we could walk him to the Garden.

We consulted with our vet for the best medication and dosage given the situation and his temperament and used a tranquilizer gun to give the medication. Finally we were able to fasten the chain.

 He woke up and predictably panicked but as he wasn’t restricted by it, over the days we could see him adapting to it and easing. When the time felt right we entered and fastened a long chain to the short one. Enough for one day. We took it off and let him digest what happened – that in fact he lived and was unharmed. After several days of this we brought out his companion, Cucumber the self-styled House Wolf (see story). He adores her and we hoped her total trust in us would give him courage. I stood outside the enclosure with Cucumber while Jean put on the long chain and went out the gate. Utter panic. Four paws pushing frantically back against the gate and a tug of the chain. Suddenly, a great leap through and he was out! And – wonder of wonders - relatively calm. He sort of walked, with fits and starts and startled leaps, following Cucumber as she happily trotted towards the Garden. Then another gate. Cucumber jumped through and waited on the other side eager to be let free, but she had a job to do - she needed to stay near to let Uinta know it wasn’t a trap. More chaos, panic, Jean entering the gate with a leaping twisting panicked wolf behind him saying NEVER!! Then with a great leap he was in! And immediately in a state of wonder. It was as if he had suddenly entered another planet - one with soft, moist green grass; trees waving gently in the breeze, and freedom to run. There was such a look of amazement and joy on his face that I spontaneously started to cry. It was unbelievably poignant and beautiful. Cucumber raced around the Garden and he, despite the macho animal he was, looked to her for guidance in this new world as he explored, bit by wondering bit, getting into it more and more.

The next day there was a profound change in him. There was a light in his eye that was dramatically noticeable. There was a spring in his step and he was warmer towards us. I would like to report that it has gotten easier with time but it is sporadic. Some days it is relatively ok, and other days we have to leave it. But once out, he walks as if he had always walked on a leash, and once through the Garden gate there is sheer beauty and graceful running and unbounded joy. We will stick with it until the whole process is pleasurable for him. We will share the video with you when we get there.

This was a beautiful experience.  I feel changed fundamentally, and I am not sure how or when this occurred.  It feels like an unfolding or a softening with each experience being with wild animals.  Pimpernel, the coyote, the talkative Mr. Goose, Teton Totem and Mr. Pinkerton and Windwalker all helped me unpack my preconceptions and fears about being present with wild animals, and I feel like this has enriched my life and the way of being in the world in ways I can’t predict.  Suffice it to say the experience at Earthfire is still unfolding within me.

Learn from animals.  Take care of the earth.  We are all one.

Earthfire provides a unique place to gain an understanding of the individual nature of animals and what exceptional spirits they can be.

Everyone at Earthfire, human animal and wild animal, have provided such a beautiful and wonderful journey!  Congratulations and thank you!  Even the food was great.

Thanks to everyone who participated and helped put this event on; Penelope Smith for the retreat, Miso Hungry for the food, Anthony Birkholz for filming, Jean Simpson for the animal handling.

Penelope Smith and Mr. Pinkerton at the workshop

Our interspecies communication workshop with Penelope Smith  was wildly successful. The trouble with telepathic interspecies communication, as per Amanda our web person who is very practical, is that it is hard to believe some of the things people say the animals say. She has summed up one of the reasons this work is controversial for so many people – that when we go to the more diffuse, non-verbal, more feeling levels in our brain, we are vulnerable to confusing our own feelings and wishes with what we are receiving from outside. We do receive things from the outside all the time. We receive on many channels, only some of them conscious, but we can only hear them if we tune into them. Just like a radio dial - the signals are here but we can’t hear them unless we tune to that channel. For all intents and purposes they don’t exist for us.What Penelope teaches in her interspecies communication workshops is to quiet down, go deep, search for and tune oneself to other channels, and begin to learn to make that very distinction, by feel.

What comes from outside; what comes from inside. I invite her here because it is so important to her to be as ethical and accurate as possible. She also says the proof is in the pudding – if the animals respond or not in actuality. Do they heal; quiet down, stop the problem behavior. Is the reading of their physical ailment borne out by a vet. That balance between seeking to explore beyond accepted reality while keeping ones feet on the ground is very precious and a wonderful thing to strive for as we try to understand the world around us. Though I myself do not receive telepathic messages that I know of, I do believe that it is possible that some people do and it is a worthwhile avenue to explore with the animals – and to explore without prejudice the nature of the universe in which we live.

For comments from retreat participants, go to the Earthfire experience

Click here to view the embedded video.