Animal Rescue

[den]

Picked up two animals today

The first was a long-necked tortoise. She was found walking through the middle of town on her search for a mate. I took her straight down to the river and let her go. Some people with a boat on the shore gave me a round of applause so I took a bow. That's when I noticed their "Inland Fisheries" badges and a mass of dead European Carp, none of which were smaller than 18" long. We got to chatting and they told me they were "electrofishing" to get rid of the carp. Their boat had a little generator on board, and they dangled a cable in the water. The other terminal was connected to a metal mesh net. The carp was caught by dipping the net in the water and scooping up the stunned fish.

The second is a young magpie. He'd been caught by some little bastards and made to fly by hurling him into the air. The brats did this for so long that 3 of he 8 claws have been broken right off at the toes. He's in my cage now, sitting on a soft cloth because his feet are too sore to pearch with. Poor little thing. The bloke who found the bird gave one of the kids a good smack on the side of the head and told them to piss off home. I approve.

Comments

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

Let's see those little fuckers fly. Plunk them all down in a catapult and pull the lever. They've got the same chance as the magpie; if they can fly, they can land safely.

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

Simtra does that with our tortoises and turtles here. We get them off the road if we can, but most of the time we're too late. It's the effort that counts though, right?

Our vet has some Mexican freetails in rehab; you can't see them but you can hear them and they're awfully cute.

Poor little magpie; I think I'd have done worse than clobbering the brat in the head. I don't particularly like magpies but I'm told yours are somewhat different down there and less agressive. In any case, no animal deserves that sort of treatment.

[smof.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure you may be mistaken in believing they are less aggressive. From what I recall Australian magpies are actually about the size of tigers, and if they see you in the street with food about 10 of them come at you with baseball bats.

I think there's something in the water in Australia which makes all the animals turn into gangsta thugs.

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

It's entirely possible. Memory is faulty, but I seem to recall a conversation with Denny about hating the magpies here because of their behavior and he explained to me that the Australian ones were different. Why I thought they were less aggressive, I don't know.

The ones here will persecute you simply because they don't like the color of your clothing, that you're riding a bike or that...well...you exist.

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

Magpie chicks leave the nest before can fly, so the parents look after them on the ground until they learn to fly. During this period they are insanely aggressive but only for about 2 weeks a year. The rest of the time they mooch around looking for freebies.

And they aren't ganstas at all. Silly 'Roo.

[lostwanderfound.livejournal.com]

The ones here will persecute you simply because they don't like the color of your clothing

I read something recently about magpies being ridiculously intelligent (for a bird) and also having very good memories. One effect of this is that if a magpie's nest was threatened by, say, someone wearing a red hat, then that magpie will then forever after attack people wearing red hats (but not necessarily other colours of hat).

They really don't like the colour of your clothing.

(Speaking here as someone who came within an inch of losing an eyeball to a magpie strike when I was a kid, btw)

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

they REALLY don't like the Postie's helmet.

[jenny_evergreen]

Long-necked tortoises are funny! They remind me of the Brontosaurus (which is nice, since I always liked the Brontosaurus and it turns out they never actually existed. *pout*)

Those kids (and their parents) need some remedial lessons in empathy.

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

I thought they were just given a new name, like "braciasaurus" or something

[jenny_evergreen]

There is still a long-necked dinosaur...I think brachiosaurus might be the name...but it's not at all the same...there are major changes to the body, and so on, if I recall correctly.

[jenny_evergreen]

Just checked: The correct name is apatosaurus. The difference lies in the head, which is longer with delicate teeth, and the lifestyle (not swamp).