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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2015 10:41:13 GMT -5
So, was out earlier to pick up a nice big hob I trapped this morning. After a few conversations with friends here, it would seem he was in a bit of a fight - the "enemy" was found dead near by. There is a possibility that he could have mange so I'll need to get him to the vet. He has had a good soaking and scrubbing. I've given him some food and water and letting him chill just now. We've called him George and I recon he must be around 3-4 years old. I'll post some pics below.  |
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2015 10:44:58 GMT -5
Thank you for taking care of George.
What a great name for a mighty fighter. Are you familiar with our boxing champ, George Foreman? (giggle)
Is George nervous around humans? He's been wild, so I wondered.
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2015 10:48:33 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2015 10:55:37 GMT -5
I've found with wild Jills that they just .... resign when caught. They normally don't bite and will lie on your chest for ages. It takes about 3 weeks before they really start to settle in and 3 or 4 months before they start to be part of the family. So, yes, in the beginning they are very nervous, but that's not something that lots of love and handling can't solve. Hob's, well, this is our first. (Well, Lilly's brother Louis was a kit when we got him and was a push over) I'll find out soon enough though. I don't quite trust him yet, but I have started handling him without gloves. Caution is always important. He'll come around soon.  |
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Post by Heather on May 30, 2015 11:12:35 GMT -5
Cute wee mite. Thank you for taking him in and caring for him.
ciao
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Post by raynebc on May 30, 2015 12:52:21 GMT -5
They do sound pretty tame for wild animals. How many generations do you think they have to be in the wild before they act less domesticated?
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Post by Heather on May 30, 2015 14:50:04 GMT -5
Chances are they were either dumped or lost while hunting....they wouldn't be wild persay at least not this pair. More going feral and looking after themselves after being dumped or lost. There are wild ferrets but you won't get near them.
ciao
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2015 15:26:37 GMT -5
I couldn't say when ferrets were first introduced here, but it could be over 100 years ago. The farmers have always had problems with rabbits.
So much so that the Council introduce myxomatosis in the 70's. It actually had very little effect.
A single fox was smuggled onto the Island, in the 80's I believe, but was found dead a short time later.
Foxes are not allowed because there are a lot of ground nesting birds here - there are anyway very few trees here as it is.
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Post by FireAngel on May 30, 2015 18:44:35 GMT -5
Looking forward to following George's adventure with you. I hope it is "just" wounds from a fight he has and not mange, specially with the new babies.
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Post by unclejoe on May 30, 2015 19:30:57 GMT -5
George, lol I like it. I'm sure I speak for others when I say if I lived there, I'd be all about catching and befriending local ferrets. Too bad tehy have to kill each other, as if the local humans weren't enough. Where I live, my wife and I have befriended about 13-15 turtles.
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2015 13:38:17 GMT -5
Up date on George. My wife decided that the best thing for him would actually be to let him go again.  Because he's already 4 or 5, he's just too used to being wild and it would probably be very difficult to get some one to take him. As she had named him, I actually got the idea we were keeping him - I even started building him his own home. It would have been cheaper to get him snipped, and have him take care of the Jills when the come into heat, than getting the other 3 spayed. Plus, I don't actually want to get Lilly spayed. She was wild and if she were impregnated by a wild hob, we would have some very good quality stock. So, we took George out to the country, away from houses and a road. There are lots of rabbits there, so hopefully he will be happy. I'm still waiting to hear from some one about what seems to be another hob - maybe I can convince my wife to keep him when we get him. |
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2015 14:32:23 GMT -5
Oh well, he got a good bath. May he find plenty of rabbits  |
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Post by Heather on May 31, 2015 15:07:08 GMT -5
You would have been better to have treated his mange and then castrated him or turned him into a v-hob. That would have been the responsible thing to do. I'm sorry for the loss of George
I'm sorry, I've been trying to not loose my temper on this thread but I can't keep quiet about this. By sending him out in the middle of nowhere you've doomed him to the same type of death as his friend. With his mange untreated he will die a slow cruel death as him immune system slowly attacks and kills him. To make matters worse this also spreads to other animals that chose to use his carcass as food. This is no life and even a worse death and you didn't want to take on the responsibility of this boy then you should have euthanized him. That would have been the gentle solution. Mother Nature is a cruel task master and this wee boy will not live to see out the summer in the state he is in. That is the way of the wild I suppose, but you could have made a difference for this boy.
ciao
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Post by Sherry on May 31, 2015 15:30:08 GMT -5
EXCUSE ME?!? Let me try to understand this. You are saying you took a found ferret in, and instead of vetting or anything else you DUMPED HIM?!?
I am sorry, but that has to be one of the most cruel despicable things I have heard of in a while.
You may find you like another site better than this one, because that is in no way acceptable
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Post by RedSky on May 31, 2015 15:57:14 GMT -5
Shame to hear that you no longer have this little guy, from the pictures he looked as though he could have been tamed, but yeah if he's been 'wild' all his life then he might be better off with what he knows. And while he looks pretty chilled I suppose he could be quiet because of the fear, or maybe after the picture he tried to remove your thumb! Although I hope not...
Did you manage to get him checked over by a vet and some scrapings done to see if he actually had mange? Hope he got the all clear before he was released.
I'm not sure how I feel about his story, really he is a domesticated animal. But if he's lived wild all his life and that's all he knows is ending up in a cage the best thing for him? It's hard to say from sitting behind my laptop as I don't know the Shetland Islands or George or the situation past what you have said.
If he was a fox, badger, stoat or other wild animal we would all be for releasing him back as soon as possible (of course after they had fully recovered)... But if he was a dog then I'd want him in a home... It's got to be a difficult place to be.
I just wish him well and hope that you can help the other ferrets on their way to you.
Oh one more thing, the reason foxes are banned, do ferrets not pose the same problems? And cats? Dogs? Just wondering, I too don't think foxes should be introduced.
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