GOODBYE OLE FRIEND!
Something or SOMEBODY, severely injured my Water Snake friend! I know fear of Snakes is a very real and possibly the number one phobia around. However the people I told about the snakes in the little pond was that they were very beneficial and totally hamrmless. THESE WERE ADULTS, ASKING ME ABOUT THE SNAKE THEY HAD SEEN.
I have followed this guy for years, and saw Momma and a baby this year!
I had to kill him yesterday. He was severely injured...his lower jaw was completely destroyed and he could not eat, and had to swim with his head high out of the water to keep from drowning. He would have died of starvation.
I don't know if Animals fear death, feel pain like we do....etc. But I do know that starving to death is not something I could in good conscience walk away from. I know this was weird, but I liked the guy. Too think that anyone would do that hurts me, and I'm writing this for me. It could possibly have been one of the peoples Dog's who frequent the pond- but the injury was unique.
Please don't look at the pics if you don't want too. I have to post them out of a strange sense of Morbidity and closure. A couple show his absolute beauty. A couple show why I intervened, and allowed recycling!
FIRST TWO ARE HEALTHY AND HAPPY PICS LAST WEEK!
THESE ARE DISTURBING..PICS OF HIS INJURIES..AND THEN PICS OF HIS BEAUTY, AND A CLOSING LIMERICK.
BOTTOM JAW GONE!
HE WAS NOT AGGRESSIVE--I SWEAR HE LOOKED AT ME...AS HE DIDN'T LEAVE. HE COULD NOT CLOSE HIS MOUTH.
HIS COLORING IS UNREAL!
LOOK AT THE BEAUTY EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE SNAKES.
TEARS!
BY BUDDY
HIS LAST SPLASH!
LATER WHEN I TOOK HOPE OUT--I SAW MY OTHER BUDDY, AS A SIGN OF LIFE.
I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SEE MY RAT SNAKE AGAIN...HE WAS RELOCATED TO A VERY SAFE SPOT AWAY FROM THE HOUSE OUT OF RESPECT FOR MY WIFE'S FEAR OF SNAKES. THIS IS A PREVIOUS PIC OF HIM...HE WAS MUCH BIGGER THIS TIME.
WHEREVER THEY MAY BE,
YOU INITIAL RESPONSE IS TO FLEE,
EVOKING A VISCERAL FEAR,
SEEN FROM AFAR OR NEAR,
AS IN YOUR PANTS YOU PEE!
LOVE YOU ALL
JMc
I wonder if he had a battle with another snake? I don't think a dog would have tried to get him by the mouth--they'd generally avoid the mouth (the dogs I seen with snakes). Or, if someone was trying to kill him with a hoe and didn't succeed and only wounded him? Yes, he was a beautiful animal. Sorry about your loss and his death.
ReplyDeleteThat's so sad. Strange injury for certain. Wonder if some nastier of the rodents attacked him from a hole - how on earth would just the lower jaw get so badly mangled otherwise? It's good of you to relieve his suffering. I wouldn't have been able to bring myself to hurt him more even if it would end his pain. Makes no sense but that's women for you.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, John.
ReplyDelete:(
My husband killed a snake in our pond this week, but it was a very poisonous, 3 foot long water moccasin (cottonmouth). Besides being poisonous they tend to be aggressive, too. Not something we want where our cattle drink and our dogs swim. (and we fish)
sage-- I think it was a misplaced shot myself...but there were also Raccoon tracks there--but there were new Raccoon tracks their too--I still don't think it was an animal---
ReplyDeleteI agree with you bro!
J
Jeannie-- Thanks--it was very hard to do- and it makes no sense if you hunt or fish.....but that's Men for ya... ;-)
Hugs gal,
J
Kelly- Water Moccasins are HISTORY in my book! Much too aggressive a Snake with people around. I do let poisonous snakes live when I'm in their home--like hunting when it is rare anyone else would stumble upon them!
But NOT Moccasins!!!
J
condolences (truly) on your friend.
ReplyDeleteI saw a floating pod anchor in the rocks near our boat and grow into a small plant that someone tore out for no reason. I was bereft.
silly us, eh? :-)
Warm Aloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
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Thanks Cloudia-- I told my wife the day I stopped caring....put me down!!!
ReplyDeleteI know you are the same!
J
That's sad. Desmond Morris said animals are lucky because they don't know about death.
ReplyDeleteThat's sad. Desmond Morris said animals are lucky because they don't know about death.
ReplyDeleteIf it was a caused by human cruelty then it will be paid in kind. Debts owed are like that.
ReplyDeleteWhy one has to kill what they nothing about is a mystery to me bro.
RK-- Thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteJ
Mark-- I totally agree my friend!!! Thanks man!
J