Bandicoots

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We didn't know that we had bandicoots for a long time. They are very welcome residents, even though they are not as respectful of our garden as the birds and lizards.

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We were busy nurturing an unloved part of the garden and one ran past into the safety of a shady spot under a tree. Well, not so safe, but it gave us a delightful view of the shy creature. Now that we are aware of them, we see them everywhere, scuttling through the bushes or making a bolt from one safe house to another. We don't see them digging up newly planted shrubs

but we certainly see plenty of evidence!

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My favourite experience happened on a day I was weeding the garden bed outside the veggie garden. Our dog, Saxon, fancies herself as a hunter and from time to time picks up a scent and follows it like a dedicated blood hound.

On this occasion she flushed out a bandicoot who hotfooted it up the garden. Saxon gave chase. Just as I noticed what was happening a little ball of nothing ran up to me and stopped by my side, exhausted. It was a baby bandicoot, no fur, just the markings on its skin where the different shades of fur would eventually grow.

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It let me pick it up, either figuring I was safer than the dog or just resigning itself to its fate. I called for reinforcements to distract the dog and returned my protegee to its original spot. With the dog out of sight and no humans in sight, I can only hope mum came back and life returned to normal.

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Again, spying a bandicoot is a rare moment. We don't know when it may be and it is only fleeting, which only makes it even more special.

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