When I was in elementary school ... my family "adopted" a feral cat. We left food for it on the back porch, and it would bring trophies of its hunting prowess (dead birds, snakes, etc).
When I was in high school ... the biology teacher rescued a baby opossum, after it's momma got run over. Not sure how the baby survived, as momma carries them on her back. Anyway ... it was kept in a "fish tank" in the biology lab. Students would volunteer to feed it ... and there were rumors it was going to be dissected, but it never was.
Did your feral cat ever become tame? I knew a woman who rescued a wild Tom that had nearly died from an infestation of ticks. It became her devoted follower.
I imagine the biology teacher would have released the opossum back into the wild after it grew up, yes?
One evening I rescued two toads in blissful union, from a very dangerous spot, the side of the street.
I kept them overnight in the kitchen sink, with an inch of water and a sponge "island", then transported them in a suitable box to work, to release in a pond in the grounds. Once safely on the leaf-litter at the water's edge they sat still for a few moments, then suddenly turned and swam down into the peaty depths.
As far as I could ascertain, they remained coupled throughout! Evidently, amorous amphibians don't like to rush things.
Growing up many times. Best story comes from a couple of Otter Pups, we raised after their mom was run over. We saw it happen, then backtracked to the Den. State DNR had a fit we rescued and the pups. They shut up when reason and political power overcame their objections
The smallest female was a regular at our house, grew up to be quite a Lady. She would show up every Spring Preggers and expect to be fed. We gladly did. One year she no longer did from which we assumed she perished. She had a habit of dropping items down girls blouses and undoing the buttons to retrieve same. My older teenage brother taught her that trick. We always loved the show, our mom always got PO'd
Second time was when a den of Mountain Lion cubs were rescued after their mothers illegal killing. We raised the cubs until they were of age to be placed into a well known Zoo. Queenie the big female was allowed to roam free at nights in the main offices. Breakins and Zoo thefts decreased to zero in this time period. Queenie outlived my friend John who rescued her by years. He died of Kidney failure 2 years later. She always allowed me to scratch her ears until her death years later. I was there when she was put down, still makes me sad
It sounds like you live in a wonderful area, Archer - close enough to nature to find otters and lions - both species among my favourites. I would have adored having had those experiences.
There's something about nurturing young creatures that makes me feel high.
And I love it that there is this altruistic streak in humans that can care for species not our own.
Bookworm you would love the area of Wyoming I grew up in. We could see the mountains in Yellowstone, actually the ridge of the Sunlight Basin from our kitchen window and back porch. The Sunlight Basin is on the Northern Edge/Border of Yellowstone National Park. It is like your outback very few people.
If you know where to look you actually see where Chief Joseph dug fighting holes and defensive position to fight the Cavalry who where chasing him and his Nez Pierce Band. They were running to Canada to avoid being sent to Oklahoma on a desolate reservation. It was a 2 year running battle if I remember right
Walt O'Reagun 