Coyote, moose and corpses.

It was another beautiful day here, so Carolyn and I spent the last 3 hours of it walking the property. It was the first time I got the 'insider' look at some places - the shop, some buildings being torn down, some all around great gossip, etc.  After 5 times or more around the property, it was the first good look I got of the moose, well two of them. 

It was along this walk discussing the stone sheep to our left (well, 'hybrids' actually), the mule deer and bison to our right, when out popped something that simply should not be on site. My first Yukon coyote.  The fences along the perimeter of the Preserve have very small squares at the bottom to prevent coyotes from getting through, with larger squares higher up for better visitor viewing.  Problem is, with 'all the snow,' the coyotes can walk right up to the bigger squares and essentially push them open. This guy slid through the fence and was running along the road when I saw him. While most of the animals are pretty big now, this is very bad practice for when the babies start to come in Spring! Ironic that just this morning we were talking about whether I should get my gun license or not.....

That relatively cool experience was followed by something that solidified for me (in case there was any doubt) that I work in an office very different from what I am used to!  As part of our tour, we went into the building that is shop, vet's office/emergency apartment (like, say, when two executive directors are sleeping onsite), and a room being used as a necropsy room. Without going into too much detail, I was surprised twice - once by a deceased ground squirrel and once by a combo of Raven and red squirrel. Ack!!  It is, of course, best scientific practice to do appropriate testing and recording, and Dollar Store plastic tubs work as well as anything to hold things temporarily (in this weather), but, wow!! Surprise!

I'm not sure that anything tomorrow could beat that, but there is a pancake lunch with environment officers and a shopping trip to Staples. Yeah, probably not.