In praise of the Charles River coyote
A coyote is winning acclaim for its daring escape from the freezing waters of the Charles yesterday. According to the Globe’s report, the animal was trapped on ice in the river near Cambridge when, spooked by rescuers, it jumped into the water, swam to land, and took off.
Coyotes rarely get — or, to be honest, deserve — our respect, but this one is filling a badly needed role in Massachusetts, which until now has been badly outclassed by hero animals in other states.
For instance, out west there is Molly B., the plucky beef cow who is back in the limelight. The cow, who rose to fame in 2006 when she swam across the Missouri River to escape a slaughterhouse, recently faced another brief but harrowing obstacle after the rescue organization that harbored her went bankrupt. Her fans were beside themselves until another sanctuary adopted her.
The coyote’s exploits also raise a related question: what exactly does an animal have to do to earn the right to be a state symbol? (An especially intrepid turtle that crossed Storrow Drive last summer also seems worthy of recognition for its bravery.)
In fact, there is precedent for honoring especially deserving animals. The state’s equine, the Morgan horse, recognizes a West Springfield stallion born in 1789 that was known for outworking and outrunning any opponent, setting an inspiring example for other horses (and establishing a new breed).
Still, to proclaim all of its descendants the state's official horses simply by virtue of their lineage seem to run counter to the Commonwealth's proud anti-royalist traditions. Perhaps, as we look for something worth celebrating amid a miserable winter, it’s time to honor an especially, ahem, wily new role model.
Globe file photo: Weeble, a coyote in Ipswich, Mass.
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