Monday, November 23, 2015

Recycled Armadillo

An armadillo lived under our deck where, over the years, she raised several families. She had a curious sense of entitlement and determination. The dogs would go berserk when she strolled in from a night in the woods, yet she would remain oblivious to them and to us as we ate our breakfast on the porch. She strolled. She waddled. Nothing, not our presence nor the dogs sounding as if they would tear her limb from limb, ever caused her to move an iota faster or change her path one inch.

That was her undoing.

 

I am sure she had that same attitude when the car or truck headlights bore down on her Saturday night.

Yesterday morning we found her dead at the edge of the road, hit by a car on a road with almost no traffic at all.

I made plans to bury her when the rain stopped.

 

Meanwhile, the local Highway Department /Recyling Division Crew Got the memo and began to arrive on the scene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...AKA

black vultures.

Or buzzards as we like to call them here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

An hour later the rain had stopped,

the buzzards were gone

and so was every last armored bit of mama armadillo.

 

 

We're going to miss her. So will the dogs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Armadillo, from Wikipedia

 

17 comments:

  1. I found that to be a really sad story. Fancy having your own armadillo, hope you took plenty of photos of it.

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  2. Aw, how sad. It's like a member of the family is gone *sniffle*

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  3. The ways of life I suppose, but the dear old armadillo was certainly not harmful or dangerous!
    I hope there weren't any baby armadillos waiting for "Mum". What do you call young armadillos?
    "Pups, Kittens" ??? Certainly not chicks or lambs etc etc.
    The young must have a name!!

    The scavenging brigade - "vultures, buzzards or crows" sure didn't waste time - they also did
    a bloody good job!
    I guess that is the reason we have to tolerate them - "bush and road cleaners"!
    But I still hate crows.
    Cheers
    Colin

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  4. Such a shame! The cycle of life I suppose....

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  5. They carry leprosy and several cases in Florida have been traced to armadillos through DNA, let the buzzards have them.

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  6. Poor thing. The armadillo probably couldn't move any faster or slower if she wanted. Nature has a way of taking care of things.

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  7. We can get attached to wild critters as long as they behave themselves. It seems like this one had everybody trained except the cars.

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  8. Sounds like the start of a children's book - "An Armadillo Lived Under Our Deck". I had to go Google what armadillo babies are called - pups apparently. Well there you go.

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    1. Thanks Anne - "Pups" eh??
      Well they had to be called some name.
      That is good for my Quiz days - very serious business with
      almost fanatical zeal for supremacy.
      How is the new flag business going???
      Good to see NZ has made this move - maybe across the "Ditch"
      is one up on us?
      I've made my choice - the fern like Air New Zealand has.
      Colin

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  9. What a sad story, but that is nature and the one's dead, it the others bread (it is a dutch saying, don't know it is familiar in english)

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  10. Well I was trying to think of something witty or funny to write about the dead armadillo, the vultures and the rain which all seemed to paint a very sorry winter's tale. Ha but couldn't! So fat lot of good I am at cheering things up ... so sending you some Aussie sunshine instead, it's going to be boiling tomorrow :)
    Wren x

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  11. Its a tough life out there on the highways. Here its deer, coons, cats, dogs. No armadillos though...

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  12. it was a lovely creature I have never seen it before

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  13. I bet you will all miss her, I would take one any day compared to a skunk or a porkypine:) The circle of live some animals got an early thanksgiving feast...:(

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  14. Wow. What on earth, I wonder, did they do with her outer shell?

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  15. Each member of a litter is the same sex. They jump up in alarm which makes their highway fatality easier. If they just kept walking maybe they would be missed.

    Good highway crew.

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