Blogs by Karen L Wilson
Compassion for Native Animals
2/18/2012 3:31:33 PM
A knock at our door from a distressed granddaughter to alert us about a trapped possum.
Early this morning when I was immersed in reading the Sunday newspapers I was abruptly jolted into the present when I was disturbed by dog's barking, frantic thumping on our front door and the constant ringing of our doorbell. Elise, my ten-year-old granddaughter stood at the entrance - her family's newspapers tucked under her arm. She appeared agitated.
Before I could even say 'Hello' she blurted out: " Nana, fetch Gawa. A possum has been caught in one of his traps. It's very frightened and its nose is bleeding!"(Elise's grandfather goes by the name 'Gawa' because that's what he was called when Elise was little and the name stuck.)
"He's not available at the moment because he's on the loo." When I said this, a grin rapidly spread across her face.
"As soon as he's off the 'throne' I'll tell him" I reassured her.
"Thanks Nana." And with the pet dogs accompanying her she dashed off to her home nearby.
George took the news well. What he had hoped to catch was one the rabbits that were laying waste to our garden and was disappointed it was a possum - a young one. Its fur was the colour of dark chocolate and so fluffy. Elise, was right: it did look frightened and its pretty pink nose was bleeding from its desperate attempts to escape the cage. Using a long stick George deftly sprang open the trap.
I stood a safe distance away because possums have been known to run up people's legs. Fortunately the possum climbed up the trunk of the nearest tree. I marveled how fast the possum could climb up to the top branches and nimbly jump to an even higher tree.
I felt so proud of my granddaughter having such respect for our native wildlife. Though possums can be a nuisance, especially when they demolish a crop of plums, or take bites out of our apples when the fruit is in season, I have to remind myself they had lived in Australia for thousands of years and they should be respected for having survived all those centuries of being trapped and eaten by the Homo Sapiens species.
Nonetheless I have no sympathy for the rabbit population that was introduced by the First Settlers in 1788. Much more than the possums they have destroyed so much land that many parts of Australia are useless dust bowls.
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• Post Colonoscopy Operation - Thursday, November 29, 2012
• Post Colonoscopy Operation - Thursday, November 29, 2012
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• Fasting for the Procedure - Tuesday, November 27, 2012
• One Day at a Time - Wednesday, November 21, 2012
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• Update of Illness in the Family - Tuesday, October 30, 2012
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• The Price of Getting Older - Friday, October 19, 2012
• Thursdays - Wednesday, October 10, 2012
• Abduction - Friday, September 28, 2012
• More Than a Coincidence - Monday, August 27, 2012
• Notes on My Recent Cruise in Europe - Wednesday, August 15, 2012
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• Cruising along the Danube and Rhine Rivers - Wednesday, August 01, 2012
• Honouring the Life of James Gavin Paterson - Wednesday, July 04, 2012
• 10 Days to Go - Saturday, May 26, 2012
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• Holiday of a Life Time - Sunday, March 11, 2012
• Compassion for Native Animals - Saturday, February 18, 2012
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• Health Issues and Other Matters - Friday, October 07, 2011
• What's Happening in Hobart - Sunday, September 11, 2011
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• The Connection between Schoolyard and Workplace Bullying - Friday, August 19, 2011
• Winter in Tasmania - Friday, August 05, 2011
• A Synopsis of My Talk at the Republic Bar on 3rd July - Monday, July 04, 2011
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• Update on My writing and Other matters - Wednesday, June 22, 2011
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