Nature Notes. Ferrets 9 Team-work.
By James Drummond , F.L.S., F.Z.S.
A T DUSK one day, while looking for a fern-bird on the shore of Lake Wairarapa, Mr P. M’Donald saw six ferrets disappear in a rabbit hole. In the interests of native birds, he returned on the following day with a spade and dug the ferrets out.
He expected to find feathers and fur in the hole. He was surprised to find no traces of birds or of rabbits, but only the remains of eels, with which the hole was plastered, and two fresh eels eighteen inches long, partly eaten. On several occasions after dark he had heard splashing and scuffling near the shore. He believes that the ferrets went into the water and fished for eels. As it was slippery work and very difficult, almost out of the question for a single ferret, they fished together, perhaps in pairs, perhaps in larger numbers. When he found the ferret community, six members were present. When he went with a spade the following day, there were only four. He presumed that two had gone away together to catch eels.
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Bibliographic details
Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20447, 27 October 1934, Page 10
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188Nature Notes. Ferrets9 Team-work. Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20447, 27 October 1934, Page 10
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