We have actually had a slew of different animals coming to us lately – some longer than others. I was most perturbed the week we got the little monkey. Frustrated probably is a better word. I had this monkey hanging onto my leg. A mother hen had run off her nest and left the youngest baby chick so we had him with us, and then a boy brought a baby owl which Ben paid 1500 riel for. The owl was the least troubling as he just slept all day. The monkey was the most annoying screeching all the time wanting attention. The chick was loved by Ammy and we must have imprinted somewhat on him as he would follow us around. The first night, Oliver (the owl) got out of his box. Then I saw that there was another owl on our veranda trying to get to him. Thought it might have been his mother. The next night the same thing happened so we let him go. Then the next day we weren’t sure – he was in a nearby tree all day and looked a bit sad. The next day we caught him and kept him for a bit and then thought again that maybe she really was his mother so we let him go. He hung around a bit at first…then eventually went away. The chicky was given back to his mummy on day 3 (we had him for 2 days). Then the best thing was that we gave the baby monkey to our female adult monkey, Sok. They are both the same species and she took him on like a long lost baby. She cuddles him all the time now. He has escaped from her clutches a couple of times and run to the house where he isn’t nearly so clingy and wants to play. She is pretty good about letting him drink her milk. So things seem to be working out there. Ben was watching them today. They were both on the ground and the Chips was playing. He noticed Ben and tried to make a run for it. Sok then tackled him, not letting him get away and hugged him tightly, while walking away, giving Ben very bad looks.
So, relieved of those three, Ben goes and brings home a baby porcupine. Admittedly, he is kind of cute. He likes to be scatched on his tummy. Kind of rolls over like a dog with his back leg kicking (must be ticklish). He got loose one night. They like to dig like wombats and he had dug his way out. Luckily, or unlukily if we hadn’t found him, he still had his rope on and he had got caught up in some bushes not far from the house. So we spotted him and Ben made him a wooden enclosure with a floor. Now at night we hear gnawing away on the wood. I am sure he’ll get through it one day.
The woolly necked stork has made his yearly appearance also. We raised him from a baby in 2002 along with his 2 siblings. They all eventually flew away (assumed shot) but this one, about a year after flying away came back. He seems to be smart enough to avoid the dreaded MAN. A few times he has brought back friends (who aren’t brave enough to land). It is usually in the dry season when I suppose the food resources out there are limited and he knows there is always a good supply of fish or frogs here. So he has been with us for a couple of weeks now. He is our lone success story!
So, relieved of those three, Ben goes and brings home a baby porcupine. Admittedly, he is kind of cute. He likes to be scatched on his tummy. Kind of rolls over like a dog with his back leg kicking (must be ticklish). He got loose one night. They like to dig like wombats and he had dug his way out. Luckily, or unlukily if we hadn’t found him, he still had his rope on and he had got caught up in some bushes not far from the house. So we spotted him and Ben made him a wooden enclosure with a floor. Now at night we hear gnawing away on the wood. I am sure he’ll get through it one day.
The woolly necked stork has made his yearly appearance also. We raised him from a baby in 2002 along with his 2 siblings. They all eventually flew away (assumed shot) but this one, about a year after flying away came back. He seems to be smart enough to avoid the dreaded MAN. A few times he has brought back friends (who aren’t brave enough to land). It is usually in the dry season when I suppose the food resources out there are limited and he knows there is always a good supply of fish or frogs here. So he has been with us for a couple of weeks now. He is our lone success story!
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