Snow White, Cookie and Luna
There was a happy ending for the chinchillas
From the perspective of an Aiderbichler
(written by Gisela Pschenitschnig)
Since a couple of weeks ago, the chinchilla family at thefamily at the animal visitor centre of Gut Aiderbichlin Henndorfhas grown again. This time it’s three female, seven-year-old chinchilla beauties: Snow White, Cookie and Luna.
In desperation, the owneriof the little animals turns to us. Her husbandisseriously ill, and she can for this reasontake less and less care of Snow White, Cookie and Luna in a loving way. The daily routine with her sick husband takes up so much of her time that she only falls into bed tired in the evening.
A new forever home for the chinchillas was sought for three years
The animal-loving lady almost resigned and gave up – no one wanted to adopt the three chinchillas. Neither an animal shelter, a vet nor an animal welfare organisation in her home town could help.
“I don’t even dare to ask if you can take in the animals” – was probably a timid request to have a heartfelt wish fulfilled. Dieter Ehrengruber agreed – the girls have now joined the large chinchilla family.
Anna from Gut Aiderbichl is delighted with the three girls. Many chinchillas now live at Gut Aiderbichl that have been relinquished for various reasons. Schneewittchen, Cookie and Luna have settled in well and are living in a pleasant chinchilla-girl community. They can now recognise Anna’s voice: when she is there, it means that there are treats, that everything is cleaned and that she takes time for them.
Chinchillas cannot be humanised
Trying to catch chinchillas is stressful for these sensitive animals. In the wild, chinchillas are prey for all kinds of birds of prey, jackals and even snakes. A firm grip from a human hand does not make the chinchilla feel friendly, as it feels threatened.Anna knows very well how to get the chinchillas out of the spacious enclosure cage for their weekly health check. She talks to the animals in a purring, soothing voice and bribes them with dried apple rings or small sultanas, which are also intended as a reward for the chinchilla. In this way, Snow White, Cookie and Luna also learn that Anna’s hands are not enemies, but that Anna just wants to check that everything is okay with their soft, cuddly bodies.
For humans and animals alike:
Life is a journey and there is no set route. Don't be discouraged by the twists and turns, but hold on to your patience and enjoy the ride.
– Wayne Dyer (1940 – 2015), American psychologist and author
Sincerely, Your Gisela
