It's a (wild) Life

I've kept a Nature Diary since 1992, when we first moved onto the mountain, because even before we started the mustang sanctuary, this place was an animal sanctuary, in that every day I found myself interacting and observing all kinds of wildlife. I have so many stories that I could write about them every post, so I've decided to devote Wednesdays to 'Wildlife Wednesdays,' (and hope I keep up with it better than 'Fabulous Finds Fridays!'). But I have interesting news to share, so decided to give you a critter update today.




Mr Fox showed up with Francis the other day! He is watching her while sitting on the wall of the koi pond.* Is it just me, or does he seem to be smiling? He seems inordinately proud of himself, anyway. He didn't come on the terrace for any food, but he hangs out in the backyard and eats sunflower seeds under the bird tree. Here's another shot...



Yesterday we finally spotted their kits, who live under the tack room. There are three of them. They were playing in the side yard with 'dad' who will help Francis raise them. You can just make them out on the left-hand side. The photo isn't the best; it was taken through the window screen in the guest room. But you can make them out. He and Francis will go their separate ways after their kits are older, until it's time to mate and raise another litter next year. (They are monogamous).



The bad news is, when Francis came up to eat this afternoon her jaw was 'locked,' and she couldn't unhinge it to get any kibble! Our vet said it could be any number of things -- all depressing -- and since we can't get close to her yet, helping cure her will be a challenge. But things are getting pretty Dances With Wolves, AR style, in that she isn't easily scared by us anymore, so it may be possible to intervene if we have to...


*Excy was setting the koi pond filter up when they stopped by for a snack. It's now running, and has plants in it, and the coons love to dog-paddle in it. The mama coons lay on the wall and dip their feet and paws in the water while relaxing. They look just like moms lounging around the kiddie pool to me....I will get some photos of this...and no, we gave up on fish a few years ago when the coons moved in. I had some koi I bought at Petsmart, that were 7 years old and huge, when they finally died. We only lost two to coons (both times on full moon nights) because they got great at hiding in the plants, but now that the coons swim in the pond, it isn't fair to the fish...

Introductions

We live on a small mountain just outside of Little Rock. It was established by local Italians, and 'Little Italy' is just down the road. Wye is well known for it's annual daffodil festival each spring, where a 7-acre field of daffodils is open to visitors for photo ops. Our neighbors are keeping tradition by growing grapes and making wine and jams. (We are lucky beneficiaries of this).

In 2007 we decided to start a wild mustang sanctuary. It's called Wing Spur Wild Horses, Inc. Around 37,000 wild horses and burros are on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) territories throughout ten western states. Their population exceeds land capacity by over 10,000 head. The BLM has a wild horse adoption program that places mustangs on reserves. Excy, my husband, adopted two mustangs in Colorado, and two years later a contact from BLM asked if we could rescue more that were then slated to a killer-buyer. We only have 38 open acres across the road, so we fenced it, put in a pond, and drove to Illinois to adopt two families that are now banded together as one herd. Three babies have been born over the years. The 'wild ones' are curious and a few will come up to visitors to check them out, but are skittish enough that a sharp noise or sudden movement can send them thundering across the hills, which is a beautiful sight to see. We prefer to keep them wild and not tamed -- to just let them 'be.' Watching them running is to witness a vestige of the true American West in action.

The Sanctuary is also home to a family of beaver who have built an awesome lodge on the bank of the pond, geese, heron, and all the attendant wildlife that call this part of the country 'home.' Once or twice a year we hold a picnic to help raise costs for covering feed and vet bills for the horses.