On our arrival back from Indonesia, we inherited a new pet. We have our compound guard dog Roxie, but this new pet is a little different. It is a green tree snake called George (a good name I think). It belongs to a pilot family who are currently in Canada on furlough. Than another family were looking after it, but they are currently in Australia for some training. So at present Timon is looking after it and he is living on our front balcony.
1. George the snake after his feeding
You would be amazed what sort of pets you can have here and how easily it is to get them. In town I have been offered a snake before. You can also get crocodiles from other parts of the country. Also there is a kuskus, like a possum that you can get, its fur is used to made hats. I guess being PNG makes it a lot easier to have these sort pets than what it is in Australia having to have a license and all.
The other week George was due to be fed, as he is fed every 3-4 weeks. The only thing is that it has to be live food for him to eat it. Normally he would be fed a baby chick, but there are none available in town. So the attempt to a catch a rat with a rat trap was initiated, especially as there are so many here. Timon tried the few places where they have been spotted with no success, thanks to Roxie setting it off some of the time. After this two weeks had passed Georges feeding time, a bit of a concern started trying to get him some food. So the trap was placed down at our base at the airport. That day a rat was caught.
This rat was a descent size, but yet he was pretty cute. A few eagles flying outside the hangar had spotted him and where hanging outside for him. I had told Timon not to get too attached to the rat, yet it was I who could of let him free in the end. When we got home it was feeding time straight away for George. I felt sorry for the rat knowing what was before him. He was put into the cage and at once starting climbing/jumping around the cage. Normally the feeding process can be slow. But with the rat jumping around and then trying to attack George, got his attention quickly. The first strike he missed, but the second time the rat jumped on him at the top of the cage before I knew what had happend. The snake had struke the rat and wrapped himself around him and was strangling him (I had thought being a cool climate here, that the snake would be slow, not at all). Then over time, I don’t know how, he swallowed the whole rat. It was all over in twenty five minutes, it was like watching something on National Geographic channel. A little bit of evening entertainment before having dinner.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Man, that thing looks big!
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September 17th, 2009 at 1:29 am
Thanks for the photos. I grew up (1980’s) in the shadow of Mt Hagen at Ogelbeng seminary. While my father often did mission hikes we never climbed Mt Hagen or Mt Giluwe. Now as I am approaching my mid-life crisis
, I plan to return to PNG and climb Wilhelm, Hagen, and Giluwe sometime in the next two years.
During our time in PNG we often flew in MAF aeroplanes (no Twin Otters then, I think a Cessna 404 was the largest in the fleet) and I knew a few people that worked for MAF in Mt Hagen (Winston Usher, Mr Imbrock).
I enjoy reading your blog and you are in my family’s prayers.
Daniel from Boston, USA.
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September 17th, 2009 at 1:50 am
Sorry I left this comment for the wrong topic, never mind.
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