Ok, that's the long version of the story... basically what happened was, we went on a big hike for a week and then some more! Over the Abel Tasman (which is a coastal track at the top of the South Island of New Zealand). I was surprised by the number of dead of dying weta I saw on and near the tracks. It almost seemed that they were hauling themselves out there to commit suicide... but of course there would be a more natural reason!
No matter how many times you check your stuf there will always be something somewhere it's not meant to be.
When we got back to Nelson (my sister's), we went away again but not tramping this time so we left the packs and sleeping bags and tents at her place.
Turns out a big male weta had come home with us. My sister found him wandering about on the floor near our packs. This was a worrying thought for me. My sister let him go in the garden and I did worry for quite some time that he might not be able to survive. I didn't know much about weta at that stage and I didn't even know if we h ad them in Nelson.
I started my job here at the sanctuary and learnt that he was a tree weta. I tried to recapture him to bring him to the sanctuary so he would have a better chance of survival as I found out we have them here! But I had no joy.
About a month later my sister phoned me all in a tizzy! She had woken up early one mornign and gone to her kitchen to have a cup of tea and who should climb up out of the rubbish disposal unit in the sinck.... A HUGE TREE WETA!
"COME AND GET HIM!!!" It was an animal rescue!
I was very excited!!! I finally get a chance to do the right thing by this wee guy!
I told my best friend, Todd, about ti and he said "We must name him Clem!"
So I eventually tracked Clem down and released him next to the entrance building up high on the trunk of a kanuka tree, under the bark, where I had previously seen a beautiful female weta.
Here are our final views of each other!
His view!
My view of him
He has his back leg up to kick me! For weta this is a defensive pose - "Get back, I'm dangerous!! Don't mess with me! I'm getting cross!!"
Bye bye Clem!
I often think about Clem - what a strife we were in each other's lives for a time!
I don't think many weta get such adventure!
