Went out to rescue an echidna yesterday afternoon.......

To those of you not familiar with an echidna....just think of a small bolder, covered in spines with grappling hooks drilled into the ground......now try lift it up.....!

40 minute drive from home, mostly sealed bended roads, then 8 km down a dirt road to Bend of Islands, Victoria to find a extremely large lump on a gravel driveway. The women's husband was backing out in his car, heard a "thud" then a scrapping sound, underneath is the echidna, on its back, wedged between the gravel and the underside of the car, so carefully he drives the car forwards to get her back on her feet...to cut a long story short, she eventually crawls out, plonks herself on the driveway (again) and bunkers down. Hours go by and she's not moved....thats when I arrive. I had to dig her out.....get her wrapped up so I could turn her over to check for any injuries (fortunately the car was cold, otherwise she could have burned her feet and snout) I get her down the vets who remove about seven of the largest ticks I have ever seen on an animals, (which wasn't the easiest task in the check) She's given the all clear and I drive her back to release her....she must have farted in the car....my god I almost died!

On the way back, I see a cow in calf, I couldn't stop as captured animals can quickly form a deadly condition called Capture Myopathy and I needed to get her back. With her successfully released (she knew where to go, straight under the water tanks) I drove back to witness a beautiful new-born calf stand for the first time. 

All up, it was a good day for all creatures great and small....

Mez