Dodo the beautiful chinchilla
The last one
The big family of chinchillas has grown again by one member. Dodo, a snow-white chinchilla with black-grey ears, unfortunately had to leave his usual home. He found admission in the Aiderbichler chinchilla family, is now neutered, and is waiting with his fellow chinchillas for the coming warm spring.
"...I know they get a lot of requests, but..."
The email message conveyed love and concern for Dodo. After one of the two chinchilla died, the family took a second animal from the shelter. Before Dodo was taken to the shelter, he lived alone in a dark chamber without food and was almost found starving. He lived in a cage, the keepers barely managed to fatten the shy Dodo healthy. Then an animal-loving family, who already had a buck, brought him to them. Amazingly, the two got along well and even cuddled together. Dodo was probably still reserved and did not want to eat the first days, but slowly he got confidence and everything seemed good. The family moved to another apartment, and now the dilemma began. The two chinchillas had to be separated because one of them was injured again and again. Unfortunately, the partners separated, the family broke up, the older chinchilla had died, Dodo was alone again.
"...The little one deserves better..." - and so it is now
The animal-loving lady was in despair. When she moved, she could not take Dodo with her. Where he stayed, he was tolerated and was "just fed".
At Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf, Anna was delighted when she received a snow-white chinchilla in addition to the fourteen that had been given away for various reasons.
Dodo is now living alone in his aviary for a few more days. He has been neutered, the small wound has already healed well. Slowly, he accepts the careful hands of Anna. When she wants to take him out to check the wound, he stays in his corner reluctantly, but nevertheless, lets her take him out of the aviary. Every day Anna is allowed to give her Dodo one more stroke.
Seen that he still has the stitches in the castration area, there is no sand bath for the snow-white Dodo with the black-grey ears. He has to wait a few more days, then he can have an extensive sand bath.
Chinchillas can not be humanized
Trying to catch them stresses the sensitive little animals. In nature, chinchillas are prey for all kinds of birds, jackals, snakes and so on.
Thus, a firm grip of the human hand does not make the chinchilla friendly, because it feels threatened.
Once a week, however, a health check is made. In the future, Dodo will have to be touched gently for this purpose. Anna does this with a purring, soothing voice and by bribery: a small raisin is supposed to mean reward. So Dodo learns: "Anna's hand is a good one, Anna is not a bird of prey or any other enemy. Anna just wants to be allowed to check that I'm okay. Thank you, Anna".
Next spring the chinchillas will move to the "summer residence" behind the donkey house. Then we will see if there will be a male WG, or a mixed WG... everything will be seen.
"Everything you want is on the other side of fear."
All the best, dear Dodo.
