Updates on the release sites.

I'm very happy to report that all appears well at all the release sites. Baloo's gang is still hanging together. That's RJ facing us on the left and as you can see they still like to huddle around the feeder together as a group! Cooniebear the tail-less coon and his friend are still regulars as well as the big fat possie.

I was crazy enough to head to Dozer's release site last night..probably the coldest night of the year! I hadn't been in a while so I needed to check the bucket and maybe run into someone since they were occasionally there between 7 and 8 on the last round of pics from the coon cam, but I wasn't hopeful.

Well cold doesn't even begin to describe it. It was the kind of cold that makes the snot freeze in your nose when you breathe in! LOL How's that for descriptive! I'm glad I went though because the feeders were totally empty. So I filled them and ran the flashlight over the surrounding trees hoping someone was around. Just as I'm packing it in I catch sight of a pair of glowing eyes staring from a treetop. I start calling to them.....and ever so slowly I notice the glowing eyes going down the tree. Once they hit the ground I figure the coonie is either going to book it out of there the other way or hopefully head my way for a visit! Well he booked it all right....straight over to me! My baby Dozer was more than happy to see mom again! That was all Tank needed to see from his spot up another tree and down he came too, very happy to see me. Luckily I had my cell phone for pics again!

Tank
Dozer

Both of them insisted on climbing into my arms and cuddling with me.... and doing a wonderful job of grooming my hair as well! (I wasn't wearing my nice warm fleece hoodie because Tank freaked out! He was sitting right next to me when I put it on and when he saw me...suddenly I wasn't mom anymore! LOL)

I could have stayed with them forever...but again, it was FREEZING! So I said my goodbye's and threw some treats down to keep them occupied while I snuck outta there to warm up my frostbitten face! But seeing them made it all worthwhile!

A weekend in NY and Baloo's group!

Myself, Mary, Laurie and Lisa all went to Lake George NY this past weekend for the NY wildlife conference. I was in a bit of a fog getting over a nasty cough and cold...but we had fun going to some seminars and catching up with old friends.....and even more fun doing some shopping!!

Back to the real world.....I grabbed the coon cam that has been set up at the Framingham release site. I am so glad I had it out there! All this time since the release and I only had that one run in with Baloo, RJ and Scootch a while back and have yet to have to refill the feeder. The first time the camera was out there showed only a possie and 2 other coons eating from it.

Well this time I actually had to fill the feeder. Our possie friend is a regular visitor every night even grudgingly sharing space at the feeder....with a little warning if one gets too close! Cooniebear the tailless coon and his friend are regulars as well. There was also a nice big buck who stopped and perhaps debated??

And then best of all!!! The whole gang shows up!! Baloo, Rosie, Scootch, RJ, Einstein and Flipper all at once! It appears they are sticking together out there too! I don't know what kept them away from the feeder before....maybe avoiding the other coonies while they get used to the area....but they are back and have appeared every night since on the camera which explains the bucket finally emptying all of a sudden! All I know is I am thrilled to death to know they are doing ok out there....I was a little worried after what happened to Willie.

Finally.....a sighting!!

Ok.....other than the return of Einstein, there has been no other sighting or sign of the rest of the gang. Even the food buckets remain untouched. Today I decided I would put the coon cam out there and hopefully get something!

So after work around 11pm I trudge out there and as expected, get no response. I set up the camera and loitered a little longer hoping.....but nothing. I get in my car (a little bummed and worried to say the least) and head out. I turn out of the driveway and not a few yards down the road do I encounter a raccoon standing on the side of the road!! Just standing there looking from my approaching headlights, to the other side of the road, back to me again. I'm thinking..No way! What are the chances? (There was definitely some divine intervention at work!)

So I park the car right there in the road and get out. As I start walking toward it, it finally moves further off the road heading into the woods. I start calling and she stops and decides to climb a nearby tree to get a better look. I make it to the tree and cannot even tell you how thrilled I was to be face to face with Baloo! She's huffing up a storm...but she stopped and waited for me! As I'm talking to her I hear some noise across the street. I turn in time to see 2 more coonies run and hide behind a tree. I head over there calling and RJ pops her head up around the base of the tree. A little more calling and Scootch gives me a friendly chatter. They were pretty skittish and wouldn't come to me, but they acknowledged me. When I turned and headed back toward the car to get some treats, they ran across the street to Baloo's side.

I returned with treats and threw a couple to RJ and Scootch already further in the woods...but they stopped and went for the cookies...... Then I went up to Baloo still clinging to the tree and keeping an eye on her sisters whereabouts while I approached her. She was huffing pretty good and her tail was twitching, but once I got close enough to reach her and she realized what was in my hand she stopped and gently took the cookie in her mouth and headed down the tree to join her sisters.

That's why Baloo was standing and waiting on the side...they must have started crossing until the truck heading toward them stopped them, but not before being separated on opposite sides. Baloo was waiting for her sisters. Luckily they seem street smart too, and obviously it's a very quiet little road. It's a small windy road that no one travels at night....thus my ability to park right in the road for about 15 minutes!

They all looked great and it was well worth the trip out of the way after a night shift! Now I can finally go to sleep....a little more reassured that the gang is ok!

RJ joins the older babies.

A lot has happened lately! Unfortunately we lost one little guy. The little boy that came in with the older female died 2 days prior to his quarantine ending. It was very sad and a parvo test showed up negative so I had a necropsy done. It showed his liver to be the problem. The damage was probably done before he even made it into helping hands, poor little guy.

His adoptive sister who I have since named RJ (she looks just like Roxy did at this age, she is a Roxy Jr!) was beside herself over his disappearance. As soon as the autopsy showed nothing contagious as the cause of death, I brought her out to meet the big girls River, Baloo & Scootch.

Baloo was quite calm about it!

Scootch was less than thrilled as you can see!

And RJ was just like...what the heck!

But River as usual was thrilled to have another friend and it wasn't long before all 4 were playing up a storm together!

RJ loves the new climbing room!

River (left) gives RJ a warm welcome!

A great big Hello from River!

RJ is still wary of me, but warming up to me more now that she's outside with the girls and sees that they interact with me and trust me.....plus I'm the one that brings all that yummy food she loves so much!