Editorial: There's no bull about freedom

The Monckton Scenic Reserve is closed due to a rogue bull roaming the area.

Munro Leaf's 1936 children's book The Story of Ferdinand was penned just prior to the Spanish Civil War.

The synopsis is that despite seriously outmuscling his peers, the friendly protagonist, Ferdinand the bull, prefers to smell flowers than fight in the brutal bullring.

Its pre-war release saw the classic banned in some countries due to a perceived pacifist subtext.

Like this book, our errant friesian bull making headlines for running amok in Monckton Reserve this week, must feel similarly maligned.

Compare the search-and-rescue for lost police dog Thames with the seek-and-destroy response to our local friesian. The former scenario saw hordes of people combing Wairarapa bush for a week - the latter sparked a warning not to enter the bush and the closure of said reserve for public safety.

The rogue bull's also destroying flora in the reserve, yet at the same time scores of marauding deer in this area chew and stomp on native specimens without attracting the same vilification.

Unlike his literary namesake he won't avoid the matador's lance; the story will not end with a return to pasture to smell the flowers.

Under the Reserves Act 1977, DoC must allow 14 days for the owner of any wandering stock to come forward. By my count, he has 11 days of cud-chewing left.

But this is not a sentient being. He won't hand himself in. He doesn't know he's lost - let alone trespassing.

His fate is as sure as his innocence is endearing.

This is a compelling bovine impasse. The beast has simply swapped suburbia for bohemia. He's shed the imposed cloak of domesticity to go bush. Were he sentient, at the rifle's crack, he'd be forgiven for asking quid feci iniuriam? - What have I done wrong?

Good luck to you, young sir.