No Closed Season!
Lessons & Reflections from the National Butterfly Center
You know, it's not all butterflies and rainbows out here.
You might be inclined to believe that, because you've only heard me talk about how great it is and how much I love it at the NBC; but the truth is there are some real hazards and things that keep me up at night. Like, where is Bobcat? And how do we get rid of the pigs? What if the bats don't inhabit the house we installed for them? Did I leave the lid on the banana brew? And a dozen other thoughts that creep in, when I can't sleep.
Most of my issues have comical consequences, like when the bait exploded in the Gator. But some of them cause me real consternation, like the javelinas in the garden. First, they love to eat the tender, young plants and succulents in the cactus beds, as well as caterpillars, bird's eggs and reptiles. Second, they trample everything underfoot; and they seem to reproduce like oversexed rodents! Of course, I exaggerate (a little). Still, there is little love lost between a woman responsible for land management and a population of wild javelina, in South Texas.
As for the bats, researching answers to my myriad questions often provides unexpected solutions. For example, here's a little night time reading, sure to help with your insomnia: http://www.batcon.org/pdfs/bathouses/attractingbats.pdf.
Now, back to the pigs. What's a girl to do?! You can't live with 'em, and you can't shoot 'em...or can you? Turns out there is 'No closed season' for those pesky peccaries in the Rio Grande Valley! Still, I don't reckon we'll be getting rid of them anytime soon. After all, we are part of some 3,000 acres in this stretch of the LRGV Wildlife Conservation Corridor. Moreover, this stinky 'musk hog' is the only wild, native pig-like animal found in the United States, and that must count for something--even in a sworn enemy.
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