Heat Stress

Yesterday Adelaide was the hottest city on Earth! Now, let me say there would have been plenty of places hotter and much hotter but apparently not cities. The ironic thing is many, many of the people living in those other places across the world wouldn’t even have Air Conditioning but no mention of them on The News.

Last night when I went out to water my poor vegetable garden in 36deg heat at 7:30 I saw an obviously stressed possum in a tree. A couple of years ago I found a mother and baby dead where they’d just dropped out of a tree during a heat wave and I didn’t want that to happen again. I know many people, especially gardeners, would probably have thought, one less pest to eat my precious plants or to get in my roof but I think they’re gorgeous. I also believe we people are the ones invading their spaces rather than the other way around. I used a very fine spray to try and dampen the possum but wasn’t very successful. Eventually I decided on another tactic and sent a much stronger spray high in the tree so the water fell down like rain. The possum licked the water from its paws but still lay lethargically in the tree. About 45 mins later when I came back to give it another sprinkle it scampered off up the tree so I was happy to see it had revived. I hope it survives until the expected “cool change” ie drop of about 15 degs.

Heat Stressed Possum

 

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