Where the Wild Things Were Loved: The Legacy of Nikki Christian

I met Nikki Christian for the first time in November of 2017. I was broadcasting live in Sacramento at Royal Fountain Bleu, which was owned by her sister Natalie. I won't ever forget that day because I didn't just get to meet Nikki. She waltzed up in there with her family's pet groundhog named Griffers.

That's when I learned all about Nikki's wildlife rehabilitation efforts with National Geographic. I instantly knew this person was my kind of person. I mean, she let a groundhog build a nest in her couch. He had a 'storage pile' that contained anything and everything he could get his little paws on. Nikki didn't care. The family didn't either. They loved Griffers and he loved them. Although he was physically ready to go back into the wild, he wasn't emotionally ready for it. So, the groundhog lived at Nikki's.

That tells you all you need to know about Nikki, but I have a bunch of stories.

One night, I was getting ready to leave my house to go out to dinner. Just before leaving, I let my dogs out to use the restroom and noticed they were all gathered around the base of the tree in my backyard. It was raining that evening and they had formed a circle around a squirrel that had apparently slipped and fallen from the tops of the tree. The squirrel wasn't moving, but it was breathing.

Get our free mobile app

I did the only thing I knew to do. I called Nikki. I knew that if anyone could help that squirrel, she could. Without a second thought, Nikki got in her car, drove to my house and took that squirrel home.

The next morning, I called to check on it. Truthfully, that first day, Nikki wasn't sure he was going to make it. A few days later, that squirrel leaped from Nikki's shoulders to a tree. She never saw it again. I told you she was the person for the job.

And here's the deal. I don't know if she really saved the squirrel. It was in really bad shape (maybe even paralyzed) when she got it from my house. It may have passed away. Nikki, knowing I am an animal lover, may have spared me the possible reality that the squirrel had died. Or, maybe, just maybe, she had worked her magic once again and rehabilitated another animal in need.

As it turns out, these several years later, Nikki was in need and I'm not sure anyone knew it. I woke up Tuesday morning to the news that Nikki passed away Saturday night. There are tons of questions, not many answers. When someone's light inexplicably turns to darkness, the natural inclination is to wonder, "Why?" The sad reality is we're probably not going to know.

That's why it's important to focus on what we do know. Our mutual friend Crystal West (Nikki rescued an eagle from her property once) shared a Facebook tribute to Nikki.

Crystal wrote this- I read a quote once that stuck with me because I know it to be true, “Compassion for animals is intimately associated with goodness of character”.

Jeffery Hart added- I once read “You can tell about a society based on how they treat their lessor animals!”

For Nikki, there really weren't lessor animals. Every one of them, all of us, were deserving of her compassion, and kindness, and care. The animals have lost a devoted friend and advocate. We have too. And I can't help but be shaken by the brutal irony of Nikki's story.

Question. Are we all taking care of each other? There's a lot of noise these days. More harm than hugs. I was fortunate to know Nikki and share hugs with her. I specifically remember being at Trunnell's Farm Market one night for an adults-only event. I was emceeing. Nikki hilariously showed up solo. We got to hang out and catch up. I got my hug too.

See, Nikki had a way of making just about everyone feel safe, secure, appreciated, loved. Just ask her family and friends. Just ask Stevie the Alligator she saved a couple of years ago. Ask the eagles, the squirrels, the foxes, the possums, and Griffers.

See, that's the lesson she leaves behind for those of us wondering why she left. Ultimately, it doesn't matter. What matters is life- ALL of it. See, life's beautiful when you live it with heart and that's exactly what Nikki did. Laugh. Love. Live. Play in the leaves like that groundhog that got a second chance at life because of an exceptional human being.