Spiny Ant Eater

        Horrible growling and snuffling noises came from the back yard. I managed to grab my flashlight and glasses from the headboard and stumbled out of bed. Several of the cats were gathered at the blinds, looking out the back window, ready to run away.

        I noticed the hot tub and the green table were missing. I wondered when that had happened. I shone the flashlight around until it picked up a large black and white animal. At first I thought it was a skunk, but it seemed to have quills. Then it turned so I could see it in profile.

        It’s long prehensile snout and sharp digging claws (which it was using to pry up the bricks of our patio) gave it away as a spiny ant eater.

        Spiny ant eaters are not native to southern California. It was making low growling noises and snuffling up the ants. I was of two minds about that. We needed the help keeping the ant population down, but the creature was tearing up the patio in its hunt for ants to eat. At best a mixed blessing. I asked N to bring me the camera, as no one was going to believe this. N wasn’t anywhere around though.

        It was then that I remembered that N had taken the hot tub with her, as well as Giles, Ember and Marvin. When I got back to the door with the camera, the ant eater was at the glass door, growling at Little John and T-Rex, who were both guarding the door, ears back, arched back and hissing up a storm. I didn’t like how thin and grey T-Rex was, but he seemed quite energetic and healthy otherwise.

I got a good look at the ant eater. It was bloodied and injured, as though it had been attacked by coyotes. I took a couple of pictures and then shuffled the cats off to the bathroom and locked them in. I called the operator, asking to be connected to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. I wanted to ask them if they’d lost an ant eater, and if not, would they like one. I put out a bowl of fresh water while I was on hold, the ant eater backing away but staying close. It wasn’t growling at me, at least. I had the impression that it wasn’t unused to humans, so most certainly had escaped from somewhere. It eagerly advanced on the water bowl and started drinking as soon as the sliding door was closed.

Ad astra per technica,

FF