Disappearing Animals

Thoughts about shifting baseline syndrome, and a poem

A collage I made on the theme of disappearing birds. The original photo showed a Razorbill.

I was thinking about shifting baseline syndrome recently, prompted by this article about the loss of birdsong in the Guardian. Shifting baseline syndrome is where we forget (or never knew) the former richness of nature and become used to the level of nature we see around us and then use that as the measure of what things should be. (My partner, who works for a nature conservation organisation sees this a lot with his younger colleagues). I thought about writing a long, considered article about this (which I may yet do one day) but for now, here’s a poem I wrote about the loss of nature, which was originally published in the Orbis literary journal.

The Animals Decide to Become Invisible 

Tigers went first, they were tired 
of being accused over every cow
that went missing so faded away 
to sunset stripes that shimmered 
then were gone.

Lions, jaguars, leopards and cheetahs 
vanished, chasing their fast fading prey, 
their roars and growls hung
in the air for a while
then silence.

Polar bears slid over ice into virtual dens,
burrowing into new dimensions 
where they met penguins 
and walruses slipping equally fast 
out of sight. 

Fish, frogs and snakes buried themselves 
in mud, wriggled for a time 
then went still, while the birds 
spiralled away 
into cloud. 

Finally, domestic cats prowled  
down their secret highways
curious to know where the mice
had gone, miaows echoing
in our memories. 

Leaving only pet dogs, 
too obedient to leave our sides 
but wondering what had happened 
to all the smells 
they used to love.

Richard, over at Whilst Out Walking, recently wrote about shifting baseline syndrome, after reading the same Guardian article I’d read.

We are losing our birds - listen.