Hi, I had a quick look at your web site today and I will be going back to have a better look at your photos. At the birds of course, especially the BOP, but also the marine photos. I did my open water dive course in Cairns in 1992. We have probably dived a lot of the same sites, as I used to live in Sydney and we dived there a lot (Bondi, Kurnell, Bare Island etc) and went south to Shellharbour and north to Nelson Bay. I've only done 148 dives as I haven't done many in the 13 years since I had my first child, but this year did 7 at Heron Island. I've never photographed underwater, but will really appreciate your photos because my friends and I enjoyed identifying species, including the small stuff such as nudibranches. I have my favourites, as I do with birds, and they are butterflyfishes and angelfishes.
I also admire your work helping animals. The last time I dropped off the forum for a while (a few weeks ago) was because I found a dumped cat in the park at the end of my favourite BOP road. It could hardly walk and one eye and one nostril was blocked and closed. I called the rspca and waited with it. I found a container and offered it some water. It came over and curled up against me. When I patted it, it purred, even though it was so sick. After a while it dragged itself up onto my lap. The man from the rspca found a huge paralysis tick on its neck. After that I didn't think I could ever drive down that road or go into that park again. Doing the right thing can be very painful. Thank goodness there are people like you who help animals like that.
You're too kind, thank you. :)
I love animals and where I can will always offer a helping hand for they suffer in silence. :( I guess the cat you found was put to sleep? :( Very sad indeed. I have seen my share of wildlife euthanized in my arms half the time while I was holding them. Sometimes the injuries are that bad that sad as it may be, it's the only and the best solution to put the animal out of its misery. What makes it sadder is the many people's indifference that you do encounter. Take for example one of the semi-feral cats we are looking after at the horse property. Leila, whom we have now as well as her three kittens all up for adoption via Cat Rescue, had two young last year. Jet and Jezz. Both absolutely gorgeous long-haired cats. I remember them being the little fluffballs they were, wild as anything, but slowly I was earning their trust. I was devastated to find Jezz (the girl) killed by a car on the morning of September 13 this year as I pulled up in front of the property to open the gate. She was sprawled out near the edge of the road and that just indicates that the person who hit her never even bothered to check that she was alive or dead and pull her off the road. I could not see from the tears as I picked her lifeless body up and cuddled and petted her telling her that even though she was not too close, she was at least loved and cared for for the measly eight months of her life. :( Now if I could get my hands on the person who hit her..... People just don't care or are too stupid to look at the road or anticipate what an animal may do. I had two kangaroos run out near me travelling between 60-80km/h around the Castlereagh area in the last two weeks. Lucky I am always alert and try to anticipate. All I had to do was slow down quickly and honk the horn. It's not that hard if you are aware of your surrounds. People just get in their cars and stare straight ahead without and idea what is going on in their peripheral vision. Sorry, probably a bit of an overkill with my commenting, but I am very passionate about helping animals and get the "you know what" with people and their lack of care and awareness. Obviously, not everyone is so ignorant though.
I know exacly what both of you are talking about, my lovely daughter works at a large Animal Emegency Centre,They have to operate and care for badly insured or ill animals all day and night. She comes home at times and can't stop crying, but it makes her feel good, beeing able to help. Some of the stories are beyond belief! Now, lately I have been thinking what could be done? I would love to see, as part of getting your drivers licence, just like you have to do a first aid course, one should have instructions, what to do with insured wildlife!! I think people don't stop, because they are scared, and don't know what to do! (I know vets that stand back, and are scared of wildlife)Everyone should know how to check the pouches for babies) My daughter is preparing an emergency box I can put in the car for me ,as a Christmas present.I think all of us should have blankets etc in our cars. What do you think? We should start a campain!!
M-L
I like your idea Araminta about some mandatory training, but "God's help" is needed in getting that through any bill. I guess the scary thing is the unknown and I agree that many vets and nurses are reluctant to handle the animals - often I would do that for them or they'd knock them out with anesthetic first prior to a thorough exam, which is a smart thing anyway. The only ones I will not yet handle (officially only) are venomous snakes or goannas as I have had no formal rescue training in their handling. Raptors, parrots, possums and other animals are all fine if you know the dangers and what to do to avoid those. :)
on a happier note I saw a rainbow lorrie on the road as I was walking home from the bus after work one day. I picked it up. It's head was wobbly. i thought the neck was broken. I got it home and popped it into a shoe box with a towel, because what else do ya do... I drove it to the vet- still out cold with it's wee feet in the air as it lay on it's back. sure enough when i took the box out of the back seat to carry to the surgery it came to and started flapping. Well I was already there so I popped the lid on and was more firm with my grasp and took it to the vet who kept it under observation for the night. She said they often fly into windows on houses or cars and knock themselves out.
kind regards
Treen
Thank you for your replies. Sorry it has taken me a while to get back here, this time of year is amazingly busy with end of school, preparation for high school, work and Christmas.
I think the cat would have been euthanised that day - the infection was so bad I could smell the mucus and the tick was so big the cat probably would have died itself that day. I didn't want to ring and find out for sure - it was hard enough driving away, knowing what woudl happen to it.
Windhover - your story made me feel so sad. At least we showed them some love. I could tell the cat I found wanted to be with someone. Even my own cat, who gets excellent meals and medical care, has never sat in my lap.
Araminta - some people are afraid to touch injured animals. I was afraid to pick up this cat (I thought it was feral and it miaowed at me when I got close, but later came over to me itself) because I saw a cat sink its teeth into my husband's arm when he carried it off the road after it had been hit by a car. Despite an antibiotic injection that night and antibiotic tablets he had pain and redness in the arm for months. It was on a 6 lane road in Sydney and we didn't have anything in the car to pick it up with.
Treen - I also saw a rainbow lorikeet knocked out and on its back. While a lady was getting a box so I could take it to the vet it suddenly came to and flew away
Hi Birdgirl2009, sorry to see, that you are still upset, sometimes there is nothing else that can be done,but the pain stays with you for some time. But we learn with every animal we pick up.Over the years more and more things are kept in the back of my car. Halters for horses, collars and leads for dogs, blankets and gloves, boxes and baskets,bandages,bags for little animals, ropes for all sorts of events, a plastic sheet etc All good things to have in the car.Sometimes not enough, some weeks ago I found 3 horses running on the road,all I could do, was stop traffic and direct them into the next garden. Boy those people weren't happy about the horses , they trampeled a few plants!
M-L