ADDED: If the flower didn't lift your spirits enough, gaze upon this:
Happy now? To take the edge off that happiness:
"The poor little guy stuck out like a sore thumb," [said T.J. Zambrano, 25, president of University of North Texas's Albino Squirrel Preservation Society].What? So he can stick out like a sore thumb like the other two? But why not? Sometimes Mother Nature does the hawks a favor and serves up an easy lunch.
Students will reminisce at a service at noon today near the Student Union Building, the squirrel's favorite scampering spot, university officials said.
"Some students saw the hawk and tried to shoo it away, but it was too late," Zambrano said. "Some animal control people took the body away.
"The squirrel wasn't shy, and people constantly fed him. He had a good life."
This is the second albino squirrel that has lived on campus, he said. The first, Thelonius, inspired the founding of the preservation society in 2002 and vanished in 2003.
"We can only hope Mother Nature will bring us another albino squirrel," Zambrano said.
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20 comments:
...a THREE-DAY weekend!
Sometimes Mother Nature does the hawks a favor and serves up an easy lunch.
me thinks our hostess has it in for fuzzy rats
Sometimes Mother Nature does the hawks a favor and serves up an easy lunch.
Reminds me of the joke on here two weeks ago about the rabbit and the hawk and the marines.
Ann, why'd you have to harsh my mellow like that?
1. Beautiful flower!
2. Natural selection in action.
3. I did once successfully "shoo away" a hawk. However, I have since found it much more effective to make a "crow distress call." I have done this many times and the hawk has always failed. Crows hate hawks and the hawks know it.
4. I know, I know. Hawks have to eat, too. Well, they can do what they like, but they can't do it here. Not on my watch.
5. Awwk, awwk, awwk, awwk!!!
Sometimes Mother Nature does the hawks a favor and serves up an easy lunch
Easily caught prey does a predator no good in the long run.
(for one or two meals, sure great, but easy pickings makes for lazy predators that will have trouble adapting when the easy prey is gone)
(think of easy prey as government price supports, a false and pernicious benefit if there ever was one)
I like the squirrels, actually, even the ones all over my yard. I just need to be sure they never get in the house. Ditto bats.
At least I've never had even a suspicion of a raccoon in my house... unlike some people I know.
What kind of flower is that?
Criminy!
Thanks for the nightmare fuel, professor. My theory? The caged monsters in Room 101 were related to rats. Orwell was too kind to mention the pale fur, bushy tails, and creepy red eyes.
Those hawks can't get here fast enough.
That's a dahlia.
I only like the first Matrix movie, which I also love.
Johnny: But don't you believe that funeral crap: "He had a good life"? They could also have said, He died doing what he loved, you know, because he was hanging around in his scampering spot, waiting to be fed.
Albino is generally caused by a single recessive gene. The gene is obviously present in the squirrel population on campus. It wouldn't be too hard to isolate the gene and breed them on purpose. :-)
In any case, the chances of another albino squirrel appearing are pretty good, provided said squirrel's siblings live to reproduce.
UNT is my alma mater, and, while the albino squirrels didn't start coming around until after I'd graduated, the preservation society (which has its own website), has gotten plenty of local press in the past several years. According to legend, anyone who saw the albino squirrel on the way to class during finals week would receive good luck on exams.
Johnny Nucleo: The squirrel lived pretty close to here, if you really want to exact your revenge on that hawk.
Big Johnny: I humbly suggest you consider taking your revenge wearing this and using any one of these.
Jack Bauer uses the Halo III SA satin, probably because it cuts flesh with an audible SHHHIIING!
Happy hunting.
ann- the quality of your photo`s are great :)
Thanks, Johnny, but I had to excise Dave's comment for stupid language, but it was stupid comprehension on top of that. He seems to think I want the squirrel to die when I'm saying wishing for another albino squirrel is wishing for a squirrel that will be easy prey.
Johnny Nucleo is way cool!
Even way cooler than this!
“Scratch, one hawk.”
The hawks have shown their favor to me. They have free rein to feast upon the squirrels and rabbits and, yes, even the chipmunks in my yard.
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