Southeastern Australia has "enjoyed" or been flooded by, heavy rain for three long years since the bushfires.
The Kangaroos that I see from
my back window every day are happy with all this rain - with many little Joeys baby
Kangaroos.
The Wombat. Note the muscular forearms and sharp claws.
(Photo from The Guardian 2016)
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Years of rain have also caused a population explosion in Wombat numbers. Edging aside many Wombies to dig their holes in suburban back yards - like mine.
A wild Wombat on a likely "Get out of my way" breeding mission drilled several holes under my back fence. It half way dug a breeding trench in my back yard. Distracted, it then drilled under my gate - several times. This worried me as a homeowner. The wombat Beast (all 35kgs) came out at night to dig and was so strong it kicked back bricks with gusto.
During the day I filled in the holes as fast as The Beast dug them. And after consulting my friendly local SAS unit, I drove in wooden stakes to block the gaps under the fence and the gate.
I triumphed! The Beast gave up and didn't return. I was proven correct in suspecting it was a Mum to be. It dug a trench for its babies (also called joeys) in a luckless neighbour's back yard.
I feel no remorse. In anti-Wombat Guerrilla warfare one takes no prisoners.
The Beast breeds and still lives - but Not In My Back Yard. Not this year.
Pete the NIMBY
You are very lucky you anr facing an Emu invasion, as you know they will beat the Australian Army again.
ReplyDeleteI could draw parallels between your travails with Wombats, and China, the West, and South Pacific diplomacy, but you already knew that....
ReplyDeleteDown south I don't have to deal with Wombats so much, but kamikaze kangaroos's have targeted my car several times, which is highly distressing.
C
Hi Shawn C.
ReplyDeleteYes Western Australia's great Emu War of 1933 http://youtu.be/Y1wA0PKeJqc were handled by Army Lewis machineguns but simple fences seem to keep emus at bay now.
Emus are not cuddly and only endangered in select locations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu#Status_and_conservation
Emus are pretty average compared to northern Australia's noisy colourful Cassawarys basically living in jungles are reputedly the world's most dangerous birds. Though emus or Ostriches hit by cars could be more fatal for drivers.
Cassawaries ca be dangerous if provoked or (like the wombat) feel they are cornered eg. if a Cassawary wanders into a sleeping tourist's tent - things can get nasty. Fight or "flight" for such a flightless bird can literally Kick in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK5azP5xJC0
Still people are the most dangerous two-legged creatures.
Cheers Pete
Hi C @Jan 6, 2023, 11:37:00 AM
ReplyDeleteFor less than $5 ie $4.95 you can buy "Shoo Roo" aka SONIC ANIMAL REPELLER whistles that I've attached to my car. If driving over 60km/hour the high pitched whistle that only Roos, wombats and dogs etc can hear really work - in my experience. Check out ebay - best in black plastic.
A wild Kangaroo that was about to jump in front of my car quickly stopped by the highway roadside. And a wandering Wombat walking on the road paused instead of me hitting it.
Cheers Pete
Pretty good! Fortunately, where I live there are no rattlesnakes, though one appeared in Fort Worth a year or so ago! Glad you beat back Momma! Calm seas and unruffled yards, Pete!
ReplyDeleteHi jbmoore
ReplyDeleteDid I mention we also have:
- Brown snakes, red belly Black snakes (both venemous)
- giant Goanna lizards and Carpet Snakes (not venemous but can give nasty bites)
- 3 types of venemous Spiders (one a bit like your Black Widow, another, the Funnel-Web is worse world's most toxic and can sting through shoe leather)
- Very large Sharks (oned sadly ate someone whole 20km north of me a decade back)
Only thing we don't have in my state is that most dangerous animal the Saltwater Crocodile as we are too far south.
Australia is truly blessed with nasties, but a lovely part of the world nevertheless.
Cheers Pete
Actually jbmoore
ReplyDeleteInteresting your point about rattlesnakes in Texas.
When I lived as a kid 200km south of you, when I was in Fort Hood Army Base, in the 70s the family became involved in the community Rattlesnake Roundup.
The still very common varmints needed to be culled then, I don't know about now. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rattlesnake_round-up
Regards Pete