Yellowstone, the very first national park in the U.S., was one of the places I had longed to visit. So, going there with wildlife professionals seemed too good to be true. I felt as if I were dreaming until I finished the whole trip. But here I am with the memories of the amazing experience and the vivid images of nature. The beauty of Yellowstone was breathtaking and the encounters with the wildlife living there were marvelous. On the first day I arrived there, I felt as if I were in a safari park - I could not believe all the animals walking around me were wild. But gradually I came to understand that I was in a very special place to witness something that animals usually do not show to people. Their gracefulness and mysterious atmosphere kept overwhelming me.

One day we were walking in an open field, the same ground as bison walk on. Detecting a group of humans coming toward them in the distance, a group of bison, which had been grazing, ran away hurriedly. Since bison are usually very peaceful animals that move slowly, this was an extraordinary scene where I directly felt their nerve in the air. Only this would have made a special experience. But I was lucky enough to come across another serendipitous sight.

Stunned by the magnificent view that nature created and not being able to move for a while, a few of us were left far behind the other people of the group. As we moved forward in the vast grass field, we found a bighorn sheep with beautiful horns standing alone. I felt thrilled to see that animal up so close. Then, there came another sheep. And next to him, there were others too. It was a group of bighorn sheep. I was struck by them. While we quietly observed them, one of them started to move. Others followed. Eventually, the whole group walked across in front of us up to a hill, and they stopped. They seemed to be looking at something. What I saw on the other side of the landscape were a group of pronghorns. Bighorn sheep on the right, pronghorns on the left in the back. There I stood for a while. It was a magical feeling. It was exactly what I had seen in documentary movies. But this time, I was inside it, with all those beautiful animals right in front of me. I did not figure out what they were thinking about. They did not appear nervous but they were not completely relaxed. I felt something, but all I could do was look at them carefully so I could catch any sign that might help me understand what was on their mind. This was a very sacred moment for me. I was in the place for wild animals. It was fantastic being inside of their world even just a little. I intruded into their property, so to say. They have their own world and life and we were mere outsiders. But still, they allowed us to share that short time and the air with them. This was a wonderful gift I could ever ask for.

This kind of experience was something I had waited for all my life as a person who has always been strongly attracted to wildlife and studies ecology. This trip made me think about my passion and life goal again and it will certainly be one of the critical points in my life. I have no idea what I will be doing in my future, but one thing I can say for sure is that the wonder of nature and wildlife is what has continued to fascinate me and led me all the way up to here. And probably and hopefully, it will lead me to another new, farther and exciting place down the road. Whatever I might end up doing, I do not want to forget about all the creatures that make this world so beautiful and enchanting.

*2019年4月4日のエッセイ