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Right off the bat, we can state definitively that no such article was printed in National Geographic, and that it's unlikely any such incident occurred at Yellowstone National Park (or anywhere else). As National Geographic said in response to a query about this story: This story about a mother bird's self-sacrifice originated as an inspirational story published in 1945. In that parable from long ago, the bird was not a wild creature in the forest but rather a hen living on a farm. As a fire engulfs the farm, she gathers her chicks under her and protects them, giving her life for theirs. The Little Red Hen was one of the thirteen original pamphlets published as part of the Illustrated Gospel Series, also known as The McCague Lessons. The tale of a self-sacrificing mother fowl was not a true account but rather a yarn meant to teach a Bible lesson about the love Jesus felt for his children, a love so great that he gave his life so that they could be saved. The tale continues to circulate because, in addition to the author's intended parallel to Jesus' giving his life to wash away mankind's sins, additional interpretations widen its appeal: Although we can observe the actions of animals, we cannot assume their behaviors are based on the same motives and emotions as our own. Some animals spend a great deal time caring for and nurturing their young; others simply pause long enough to give birth (or lay eggs) and continue on their way. Some animals will protect their young at the risk of their own lives; others will consume their own offspring if food is in short supply. Even when an animal does exhibit a seemingly human-like behavior such as the one described in the piece quoted above, we cannot know whether the animal was truly motivated by an emotion such as love, whether it made a conscious choice to sacrifice its life, or whether it was merely acting out of instinct.
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