Wildlife, living next to nature

[Gravdigr]

Probably a good practice.

As with all wildlife, raccoons should not be approached or handled by humans. One reason for leaving raccoons undisturbed is their susceptibility to numerous diseases including canine distemper and parvovirus, in addition to zoonotic diseases (humans can get from animals) such as rabies and raccoon roundworms. Even though raccoons may be carriers of rabies, not all raccoons have rabies. Typically, rabid raccoons will exhibit aimless wandering and lack of coordination, or they will exhibit aggressive behavior that can include attacks and self-mutilation.

from GeorgiaWildlife

[orthodoc]

We've had a young raccoon hang around the backyard for 18 months now. Last year he/she sat on our back deck in the sunshine, leaning back against the full-glass door into the dinette and scratching his (I'm going to use the male pronoun here) belly, oblivious to six cats who were climbing on top of each other on the inside of the dinette door, goggling and hardly able to contain themselves.
The young'un came back and did the same thing repeatedly in the afternoon sunshine.

This year, he's back and trying to reach the birdfeeder in the cherry tree outside the dinette. He reaches, stretches, doesn't quite make it, and finally gives up. He seems quite comfortable in our backyard in full daylight, and after all this time he can't have rabies ... but we just watch and enjoy ... and are happy that he scampers back into the woods, and not onto our roof!

[xoxoxoBruce]

The reason they're primarily nocturnal is the danger to them from all their daytime predators. They'll come around during the day if they don't feel threatened.

[BigV]

This morning it was a flicker breakfasting on some ants in approximately the same spot where the racoons had their discussion in the middle of the street.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Surprise!

[xoxoxoBruce]

Galveston shark bite.

[Gravdigr]

From what I can see, he had good taste...I don't know about her.

[xoxoxoBruce]

This is a surprise to me, didn't know Wolves and Ravens got along. I think that's very rare in nature for species to share a carcass willingly, maybe the Wolves learned they were wasting their time/energy trying to chase the Ravens off?
Link via

[xoxoxoBruce]

He thought it was a possum.

During a party at Mr Mororó's home, one of his son's said that his pregnant wife was afraid to enter the house because the animal was sitting on a wall by the entrance stairs.
So, in a bid to remove it, Mr Mororó slapped the animal, resulting in him receiving a handful of quills. He was taken to the Emergency Unit of the local hospital and despite three shots of anaesthetic, the pain continued.

When will they learn... touching any wild critter with your bare hand is asking for trouble. You may get away with it a few times, but it'll get you in the end.

[Sundae]

OWWWWWWWWWW!
Don't slap nature, it's designed to slap back.

[Griff]

There's a den of fox kits under a rock behind my house. No success getting a pic yet... amazingly cute sneaky little chicken stealing bastages.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Griff, my buddy spends 5 days a week down in DE and 2 days up here. A fox has taken advantage of his absence and moved in up here. It leaves nasty poops that look and smell like Canadian geese. Very nasty to step in. Have you seen this?

[Gravdigr]

New squirrel in mah 'hood. You make kissy sounds at this squirrel, he don't look at ya wonderin' "Whirr mah cookeh?", he goes straight for the tiptop of the tree. No passing go, no $200 or nuttin'. ZOOM!!! To the top!

He does come down for the cookie later, if he sees you toss it, so, maybe we can still win him over. We now have two different squirrels at The Shack that will take the cookie from your hand, and a few that really want to take it from you, but, they just can't get past those last couple hops.




He's a juvie.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Griff, my buddy spends 5 days a week down in DE and 2 days up here. A fox has taken advantage of his absence and moved in up here. It leaves nasty poops that look and smell like Canadian geese. Very nasty to step in. Have you seen this?

No but I was keeping my distance. I'll let you know if it starts getting nasty up there.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

New squirrel in mah 'hood. You make kissy sounds at this squirrel, he don't look at ya wonderin' "Whirr mah cookeh?", he goes straight for the tiptop of the tree. No passing go, no $200 or nuttin'. ZOOM!!! To the top!

Gorgeous photos.
Moar plz.

I make kissy sounds at every squirrel I come across, even though none of them here seem to understand.

I have Squirrel Mix* in my bag for when I walk through the churchyard.
Even if I scatter it and sit and wait for half an hour they still don't show. They are there, I've seen them and I hear them when I am sitting and reading.

But I think the birds mob the place when I leave and laugh behind my back.
It's hard to get squirrels used to being fed in a public place when you have to work and are the only one doing it. The ones in Greenwich and Valentines Park had generations of it to draw on.

Maybe I should make it a community project.
Except some silly person would let their toddler try to pet one and end up in A&E...

* no, really.
Nuts, seeds and dried fruit. RSPCA approved.
If I'm going to have to scatter it, it may as well be the right stuff.