Cabela’s Owatonna, MN – 18 AUG 2012

Off Interstate 35 just north of the Iowa border is a large sporting goods store. My sister told me they had an impressive display of taxidermy animals. As it turns out, each Cabela store has a similar display.

It was stunning, a glorious panorama rising two stories high. But it was like looking at a car crash. I found it hard to look away while being saddened by the death of so many beautiful creatures.

I felt a story appearing in my mind: The year is 2310, overpopulation, encouraged by religious groups and supported by the demise of women’s right to control their reproductive choices, has caused a complete destruction of the earth’s forest and jungles as the ever-expanding number of humans have overrun every livable piece of real estate on the planet. The world is vastly different place from the 2000s, when these animals once roamed the earth. I’ve been told there were such things as zoos where animals like these were caged for public viewing. That an abundant numbers of species lived free in places with names like Africa, Tanzania and Alaska. The last wild animal was killed in 2180 but we are lucky to have a permanent record of what once existed as museums like Cabela (part of our World Archives since 2250) are keeping them safe for future generations to enjoy.