American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 291 Magical Fate

That was on Lin Yu'an's way to the December quarantine zone. They passed through a more secluded, less-traveled passage leading to the central logistics area.

At the end of the passageway was a row of metal buildings that looked quite different from the main research area and resembled temporary warehouses.

On one of the heavy iron gates hung a nearly faded warning sign: "Law Enforcement Temporary Supervision of Supplies - Unauthorized Personnel Strictly Prohibited from Entry."

A strong, slightly pungent odor, completely different from that of Arctic animals, emanated from the crack in the door.

"What's in there?" Lin Yu'an asked curiously.

McCormick paused, a complex expression of sympathy and helplessness crossing his face.

“A legacy issue from our center,” she sighed and said softly, “a poor little thing that everyone is almost forgetting.”

Seeing the confusion in Lin Yu'an's eyes, she explained this little-known past.

“A month ago, the Fish and Wildlife Service shut down an illegal tiger farm in the Matanusca Valley.”

"Can you believe it? In Alaska, someone actually keeps more than a dozen Siberian tigers in their backyard like chickens."

"The farmer is a mentally unstable veteran who not only breeds illegally but also runs a so-called tourism project where people can take photos with tiger cubs."

"The environment is extremely bad, many animals are malnourished, and there are even serious problems of inbreeding."

"When law enforcement stormed in, they were completely dumbfounded. They had neither the capacity nor a suitable place to temporarily house the dozen or so adult predators in a state of stress and several hungry cubs."

"We contacted all the professional aid centers across the United States, but they all required long coordination and quarantine periods. They had no choice but to ask us for help."

"Because we are the only place in all of Alaska with readily available isolation facilities with the highest level of security."

She pointed to the iron gate, "Our center has become a temporary storage point for these seized supplies. The adult tigers have been gradually moved away, but there is still one left whose situation is rather special."

"Shall we go in and take a look?" Lin Yu'an suggested.

McCormick hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. She knew that with Lin Yu'an's personality, he would keep thinking about it if she didn't let him see it with his own eyes.

She opened the heavy iron door with her access privileges. The space inside was small and dimly lit, with only a few energy-saving lights on.

The smell in the air was stronger. In a small isolation room covered with thick hay and soft blankets, Lin Yu'an saw a small ball of orange and black fur.

It was a Siberian tiger cub, which looked only two or three months old, even smaller than when I first saw it in early December.

Upon hearing the door open, it didn't immediately hiss warily or hide in a corner like a normal young wild animal would.

It simply raised its little head and looked at the two strangers at the door with a pair of big, innocent blue eyes (tiger cubs' eyes are blue in their early stages) with curiosity and bewilderment.

It was thin and small, with messy fur, and it lacked the majesty that a cub of the king of beasts should have.

Seeing Lin Yu'an, it seemed to feel no threat at all. It just tilted its head, then lowered it again and continued to clumsily gnaw on a small rubber toy in front of it.

“It’s the survivor.” McCormick’s voice was full of pity. “That’s the name law enforcement gave it. It’s the only one of the cubs to survive.”

"There are no major physical problems, but we found that its cognitive and behavioral abilities seem to have some congenital defects."

"It could be the result of inbreeding, or it could be caused by early malnutrition and psychological trauma."

McCormick's tone became even more helpless, "It learns very slowly and is slow to react to external stimuli. Most importantly, it seems to lack the instinct for fear and deterrence."

"It doesn't breathe on anyone, nor does it protect its food. If you put it in any normal tiger pack, it would be killed by its own kind within a day."

"So, no shelter was willing to take it in. It became an unwanted defective product and could only be stored here indefinitely."

Lin Yu'an frowned: "What about the Fish and Wildlife Management Bureau? They are the law enforcement agency and the legal temporary guardian of this tiger. Aren't they going to do anything about it?"

“Mind their business?” McCormick gave a bitter, sarcastic laugh. “Of course they do.”

“They pay our center a monthly emergency accommodation fee of three thousand dollars. That sounds like a lot of money, doesn’t it?”

She paused, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes: "But this money isn't even enough to pay for its most basic nutritional supplements and medications!"

"And the survivor, as a rapidly growing Siberian tiger cub, will only have an increasing appetite and nutritional needs."

"Not to mention, the cost of experts and equipment needed for any effective rehabilitation treatment of its cognitive impairment is a bottomless pit."

"So the reality is that our research center is actually using its own budget to pay out of pocket to support a troublesome organization that could die at any time."

"And if it really dies here due to health problems, they will come here first to investigate us."

"For Director Fisher, this little tiger is no longer a life. It's a liability, a hot potato."

"Keeping it is a waste of money every day, and it also carries huge liability risks."

McCormick's voice carried a deep sense of helplessness and sorrow. "So, he has hinted several times at the board meetings that the humanitarian process should be initiated as soon as possible."

"Get rid of this burden completely in the cleanest and most compliant way."

She closed her eyes in anguish: "Just yesterday, I saw the veterinary team's schedule. Its final health assessment is scheduled for next Monday."

"Lin, you understand what that means."

That wasn't an assessment; that was a verdict.

The assessment report can be summed up in one word—euthanasia.

Lin Yuan quietly watched the little guy in the isolation room who knew nothing about his fate.

December, though it has been abandoned before, is filled with the pride, stubbornness and strong vitality that belong to polar bears.

It will fight back, it will act coquettishly, and it will use every means to declare its existence to the world.

The little creature in front of us seems to have been stripped of everything by fate from the moment it was born.

It didn't even know how to fight or roar like a real tiger.

It chewed on its toy for a while, then seemed to get bored, so it slowly stood up, walked to its food bowl, and drank a few sips of water.

Then, it found what it considered the most comfortable corner, curled up its little body, closed its eyes, and fell asleep.

Throughout, she was quiet, well-behaved, and even a little... silly.

Unbeknownst to it, its life was already on a countdown.

Lin Yu'an's heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an icy hand! A stinging sensation, a mixture of anger and helplessness, spread from the depths of his heart.

He didn't know why he was like this.

Logically, he shouldn't have such strong emotions. He was a hunter, a man who made a living by tracking and killing in the harshest environments of Alaska.

His hands were stained with the blood of countless animals. He could end the life of an adult elk with a single bullet without any emotion, just to obtain food for the winter.

But a hunter is not a butcher.

True hunters follow the oldest laws of the wilderness: taking only what they need, respecting life, and revering nature.

Within this set of rules, there is an ironclad rule that all hunters silently abide by: never raise a gun against cubs or pregnant mothers.

Because they represent the continuation of life, the future of the wilderness. To harm them is the greatest desecration of this land that we revere.

He could ruthlessly kill a fully grown wolf, but he couldn't muster the slightest murderous intent towards a hungry wolf cub.

This is his bottom line as a hunter.

However, the emotions surging within him at this moment were far more complex and profound than this simple hunter's code.

It was a more private, instinctive thing, that came from the depths of his soul.

A father's instinct.

He looked at the little tiger curled up in the isolation ward, completely unaware of its fate. Those pure blue eyes were like a key, instantly unlocking the softest corner of his heart. His thoughts involuntarily returned to Wiseman's cabin.

He returned to his little kingdom, filled with the aroma of milk and laughter.

He thought of his two darlings, his son who was always as energetic as Arya, always crawling around and getting food all over his face.

And then there's the daughter who always likes to sit quietly on the carpet, observing the world with her big, curious eyes.

They were just over a year old, so tiny, soft, and defenseless, entrusting their entire lives and trust to him.

Before becoming a father, Lin Yu-an never understood how heavy the weight of the word "life" truly was.

But after becoming a father, he truly understood that the responsibility of protecting a vulnerable life requires far more courage than conquering any snow-capped mountain.

And now, this equally weak and helpless little creature before us has also been declared worthless and is about to be easily erased by this cold world in the name of humanity.

How could he accept this? An uncontrollable, burning rage surged within him!

What if it were his child lying there? What if someone used a set of cold data and rules to determine the value of his child's life?

This is by no means a simple case of overflowing compassion.

Deep within Lin Yu'an's heart, a strange feeling welled up that could not be explained by science.

It was a kind of... fate, an irresistible pull of destiny.

He recalled discovering the dying December a few months earlier in the vast snowstorm along the Labrador coastline.

He always thought it was a coincidence, a stroke of luck.

But now, with a broader perspective and after experiencing so much, he has begun to believe that it might be some kind of deeper guidance.

It was fate that led him to save the life that should have died.

And now...

The same script seems to be playing out once again.

An illegal tiger farm, a cub with defects resulting from inbreeding, a poor little thing deemed worthless by all professional institutions...

And, just at that moment, someone learned that it was about to face death, and that they had the ability to save it.

Countless tragedies occur in the world every day; he cannot, and has no ability to, save every single one.

But since fate has brought this little guy's story to the forefront in this way...

That means that there is a kind of destiny between him and it that must be fulfilled.

This has nothing to do with kindness; it's simply about his profound reverence and understanding of the word "fate" as a reborn individual.

This sudden realization dispelled all his hesitation and struggle.

He knew what he should do.

He not only had to save December, but he also had to save this little tiger!

He wanted them to grow up together in his kingdom and become best friends.

One is a proud "little princess" who lost her mother on the ice field.

The other is a cute, silly little creature who survived in the forest.

This thought stirred within Lin Yu'an an unprecedented sense of responsibility and determination.

He knew he couldn't wait any longer.

"Let's go." His voice was even hoarser than before, but also more determined.

He didn't say anything more, but as he turned to leave, he completely tied the fate of this little "survivor" to his own.

As the two walked back along the brightly lit passageway leading to the main research area, Lin Yu'an suddenly stopped.

“McCoz.” He turned to look at her, his tone calm, but his words made McCoz think she had misheard.

"I want to adopt that little tiger."

“What?” McCormick was stunned.

“I said I want to adopt it,” Lin Yu’an repeated, his eyes extremely serious.

“Once our home in Wyoming is built, I want to take it over with December.”

"Let them grow up together and keep each other company. I think this will be good for their mental health."

"Lin, this...this is impossible!" she retorted instinctively. "The situation in December was already an unprecedented exception!"

"A polar bear and a Siberian tiger... they are completely different species, from completely different ecosystems! Putting them together will cause big problems!"

She continued with the rigor of a scientist, pointing out the difficulties involved: "Moreover, the tiger cub's health condition... while it did not have a fatal disease, its cognitive impairment was permanent."

"What it needs is professional, long-term rehabilitation therapy and behavioral guidance specifically for the nervous system development of large felines."

"This requires a team of highly experienced feline experts. My team... our team studies Arctic life; we don't have that capability!"

Lin Yu'an listened quietly, then nodded: "You're right, these are all professional issues we need to solve."

"But now, what we need to solve is how to make it survive until next Monday."

These words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly calming McCormick down.

Yes, no matter how complex the scientific problem, it seems insignificant in the face of the most basic question of survival.

“So,” Lin Yu’an continued, “you, or rather, your December independent conservation project, go to the center to apply to adopt that little tiger.”

"I?"

"Yes and you."

Lin Yu'an explained, "I'm an outsider with no qualifications. But you're different; you're the center's top scientist and now the head of an independent project."

"It is perfectly reasonable for you to step forward and take over a historical problem that is about to be dealt with and has nowhere to go."

"As for money and the feline expert team needed in the future, I will take care of all the problems."

Half an hour later, Lin Yu'an and McCormick appeared at the door of the center director Fisher's office.

When Fisher saw them, a professional and enthusiastic smile immediately appeared on his face, and he even got up to pour them two cups of coffee.

"Mr. Lin! Dr. McCormick! Is there any progress on the December project?"

McCormick cut to the chase, delivering his prepared explanation: "Director, we're here about a small matter. It concerns the Siberian tiger cub that's being kept in the logistics quarantine area..."

Upon hearing the words "Siberian tiger cubs," Fisher's smile stiffened slightly.

McCormick continued, "I've heard that the center is preparing to handle it humanely. I think that might be a bit hasty. As a living being, it should have the opportunity to continue living."

She took a deep breath. "So, on behalf of my December Independent Conservation Project, I am formally submitting this application to the center."

"We are willing to take in this Siberian tiger cub free of charge and bear all its future feeding, medical and old age expenses."

After hearing this, Fisher leaned back in his leather seat, interlaced his fingers, and showed a troubled expression.

He said slowly and deliberately, "Dr. McCormick, I personally admire your kindness. But this matter is probably very difficult to handle."

"Although this tiger is being held here, its legal jurisdiction still belongs to the law enforcement agency that seized it, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Our center has no authority to decide its fate."

(End of this chapter)