Not about gators, but...
I'm on older property here in SW Miami, and all our phone lines and electric wires run overhead. I'm used to wildlife using our wireway as a transportation conduit. Had a possum incident about eight years ago, after Hurricane Andrew.
Around midnight Bear, my Rotty, had to do his duty and let me know in his usual way - by shredding my wooden back door with his paw.
I let him out - thirty seconds later he's barking his butt off. Why? The biggest freaking possum I've ever seen is trying to work it's way across our phone cable. I get my 5-cell Maglight, twist it up and shine. Huge ruby red eyes laze back. Seriously big, nose to tail 3 ft. plus, round and fat like a volleyball. Well, biggest one I've seen anyway
I felt sorry for this guy. I mean, I love animals and would never hurt one for any reason, unless it was a scummy disease-breeding parasite (See RAT - that's another story). Here he (she?) was, trying to attend to whatever business possums attend to after-hours; teetering along on a 4" diameter phone cable. And here was my dog yapping his
head off at this poor denizen of the dark.
I twisted off the light, called off my dog, and watched as the possum struggled to turn around and claw his way back along the wire. A couple of times he seemed to slip, and I thought he'd fall. He didn't.
Where he wound up, his (her?) family, how they fared, I have no clue. Haven't seen a possum since. It would be cool to see a few baby possums scampering around, jumping on the wires and trees. I see squirrels from time to time, but no possums.
I make a point to spend more time outside at night, looking for those haunting, reddish eyes, glaring back at me.
It'd make me feel more at home.
Nick
[This message has been edited by chetchat (edited 11-30-2000).]
