At least four cougar sightings have been reported on the island in the past two weeks, and over the weekend, a young humpback whale died on the familiar shore just off the Fauntleroy ferry terminal. Both situations have islanders talking, being fearful and respectful of the cougar and mournful of the whale.

Here on Vashon, islanders are forced into a closer relationship with nature compared to those living in Seattle or in many other surrounding mainland areas. With deer roaming through the yards, orcas in the sound and raccoons in abundance, the island’s wildlife is far more visible than in any city. But there are still animals and situations that cause islanders pause.

Sunday’s humpback whale beaching drew media from Seattle and surrounding areas. With a crowd of reporters and photographers usually reserved these days for a tragic crime story or a natural disaster, people flocked to the beach where the sick, juvenile whale was taking its last breaths and making all of those around it feel small.

All over social media, spectators posted that Sunday was a sad day, an event that made humankind realize the fragility and fleeting nature of life.

“Leaving the scene at the Fauntleroy dock made for a somber boat ride back to the island,” photographer Shane Eitner wrote in a caption accompanying one of his photos on Facebook from the day. “Everything about life seemed just a little more transient and beautiful.”

It’s a message that isn’t made clear enough these days.

As mass shootings, terrorist attacks and senseless acts of violence seem to reach a new peak every day, bearing witness to these natural and honestly raw and painful instances serves as a reminder that the end of a life is not something to be taken lightly. How is it that this whale’s life and suffering meant almost, if not just as much, to the people passing by as the lives of any human being? The media attention that surrounded the whale is a testament to that fact.

You can call it the media blowing things out of proportion on a slow news day, or you can realize that wild animals — whales, cougars, orcas or eagles — make humans feel a connection to the world that can’t always be felt in city-based, fast-paced lives.

There’s much to learn from the way we treat the animals that share this area. The raw feelings that come from seeing them are something that should be remembered when going about daily lives with others.

As for the cougar, respectful caution and restraint are in order with the realization that humans are not always at the top of the food chain.