The Bear necessities

In the midst of all the political gloom, my spirits were lifted this week by the charming story of 3 year old Casey Hathaway, who wandered away from his great-grandmother’s garden in rural North Carolina and disappeared in the nearby woods. Two days of freezing weather later he was found, only a little the worse for wear, and reported that he had been looked after by a friendly bear.

Of course, experts on ursine behaviour have poured cold water on the idea that a bear would act in such a way, suggesting that young Casey’s furry companion was but a figment of his imagination. The idea that benign natural guardians are out there in the dark forests, ready to look after us when civilisation finally collapses, is one I find enormously comforting though, so I think I’ll go on believing…