na gurnaidh, early days
Mar. 24th, 2025 05:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kimurhoThere is a dragon preserve near my home. A large tract of land given over to the preservation of these endangered and protected creatures. The Order of St. George has much to answer for; some breeds are gone forever, thanks to their irresponsible vendetta.
While there are plans for the preserve to be self-sustaining, at the moment there are not enough meat animals to support all of the off-spring of the breeding dragons. This results in the latterly lain eggs being pushed out of the nest, and the last-born hatchlings suffering from malnutrition, disease, and death.
Some of my neighbours have taken it upon themselves to foster such quasi-orphans. They creep into the hatching grounds and select from the eggs left on the perimeter; taking them home and incubating them; hand-raising the hatchlings.
I'm not sure that I approve. I worry at this practice and wonder at the outcome. Dragons are not pets. They are not domesticated creatures at all. Western dragons are just one step above dangerous apex predators. Will these hand-raised creatures turn on their erst-while foster parents? Will this ill-advised fostering result in greater atrocities against all dragons?
Granted, it may be several generations before the questions can be answered; young dragons grow so much more slowly than mortals. I notice that the Good Neighbours are not participating in this fad. They have closed the portal to Underhill that had been on the border of the dragon preserve, which speaks of wary caution and concern to me. What do they know of dragons that they have not shared? What worries do they have about the preserve?
I have written to Arthur about my concerns. I expect an answer shortly.
While there are plans for the preserve to be self-sustaining, at the moment there are not enough meat animals to support all of the off-spring of the breeding dragons. This results in the latterly lain eggs being pushed out of the nest, and the last-born hatchlings suffering from malnutrition, disease, and death.
Some of my neighbours have taken it upon themselves to foster such quasi-orphans. They creep into the hatching grounds and select from the eggs left on the perimeter; taking them home and incubating them; hand-raising the hatchlings.
I'm not sure that I approve. I worry at this practice and wonder at the outcome. Dragons are not pets. They are not domesticated creatures at all. Western dragons are just one step above dangerous apex predators. Will these hand-raised creatures turn on their erst-while foster parents? Will this ill-advised fostering result in greater atrocities against all dragons?
Granted, it may be several generations before the questions can be answered; young dragons grow so much more slowly than mortals. I notice that the Good Neighbours are not participating in this fad. They have closed the portal to Underhill that had been on the border of the dragon preserve, which speaks of wary caution and concern to me. What do they know of dragons that they have not shared? What worries do they have about the preserve?
I have written to Arthur about my concerns. I expect an answer shortly.
