I was sleeping in and busy all day, and didn’t go on the patio. I finally went out on the patio after dark and immediately noticed my pond was a disaster.
It looks like this (and I cleaned it up a little already):
It is supposed to look something like this:
I ran into the house and grabbed a flashlight. I took the broken plants out of the water. I searched every hiding space - all my fish are gone. I was stunned. I was out on the patio late New Year’s Eve with a glass of Port, chatting with a friend. People were on the patio admiring the pond and the goldfish.
I’ve had the small pond several years, and the original three fish over two years. Needless to say, I’m terribly disappointed and sad.
We never see any predators around here. But there’s a creek nearby - and I’ve been told that an occasional raccoon is spotted hanging around the creek. I guess a raccoon wandered by early this morning and did what they do naturally. I can’t really blame the predator - but I do feel bad for my fish.
Here’s a pic of my original three fish, plus a new fish (named Donald Trump) at the bottom left - from April of 2006.
A couple more from April of 2006
One from June of 2006
The last pics I took were in November.
The last pic is of Donald Trump - he was my favorite.
Daniel, so sorry to hear about your fish. It’s not silly at all to be fond of them and to miss them.
Raccoons are incredibly fond of water dwellers–in summer when my creek dries up to several small pools they leave their handprints in the mud while grabbing every small fish and frog and crawdad that is there. Note that they will aslo go after other pets–I have a 'net buddy in the middle of L.A. who recently rescued a 6 week old kitten from the huge ‘coon that was crossing the yard with it…poor thing was too badly injured to make it but Jen took solace in the fact that it passed with a bit of warm milk in it and a gentle hand stroking it.
Another friend here in KY lost rabbits on a screened in porch to something that got thru’ the screens…a ringtail is the suspect there, too.
WARNING: Racoons are cute and funny and are seen on TV occasionally as interesting pets, so a lot of people seem to think they are harmless. BUT remember that they are kin to both the bloodthirsty weasel and the wolverine (the Canadian Loupe-garrou[werewolf]), and can be very dangerous! Do NOT mess with them, or get close to one. They are incredible climbers…imagine one cornered in a garage deciding to go on the offensive–you’re easier to climb than a tree and they can be up at your face/throat level from 10’ away in 3 seconds or better. They are also known to have rather loose skin–grab one by the scruff and he can still turn around and start tearing up your arm. One famous trick while being chased by a dog is to cross a large pond–then when the dog is in deep water, swim back to it and climb on it’s head to drown it. They have hands with opposable thumbs and can really hang on. People going in to save a dog are likewise at risk.
I know most of you guys probably wouldn’t mess with a wild animal of any kind, but a few of you might not realize the danger—and most of you have kids, grandkids or nieces or nephews that ought to be taught.
another caution when considering raccoons - they carry a lot of parasites, especially giardia. I found that out the hard way. We had raccoons get in the garbage, and I cleaned up the mess and evidently did NOT wash my hands well enough. About a month later, after thinking and being treated for a stomach virus, I wound up in the emergency room on IVs for dehydration, etc. - and happened to get a good doctor that asked the right questions.
Racoons are a big concern here, as they smuggle themselves on US freight trucks and escape up here carrying new strains of rabbies that we haven’t had to deal with before. They are easily shot, but make for poor cooking.
I don’t know why, Daniel, but in reading your story the term “fish in a barrel” keeps coming to mind.
Sorry the hear about that, and I share your pain. We have an outdoor pond, (about 10’ X 6’ X 18"), and have had fish out there for years. We stopped buying the fancy koi and now buy only ten-for-a-buck “feeder” fish to stock it with.
The reason? There’s a blue heron in our town that knows where all the ponds are, and stops by regularly for the “seafood buffet”. We’ve nearly thrown in the towel, but really do enjoy having fish in the pond. Anyone have plans for a “scareheron” we could build?
Crooked, I was once told that herons are territorial and that a fake one near a pond will deter others. Mind you, the brass ones in catalogs are pretty expensive–$80-$90 last I looked. I don’t know if a plywood cutout painted up would work but you might try it…
Sorry about your loss, Daniel. I managed to poison my aquarium of fish when I misread the instructions on a bottle of white spot treatment, and gave 10x the proper dose. I’d had them several years.
I also had a hamster breathe its last lying in my hands on a New Year’s Eve some years ago, while everyone was out partying. At least she died a natural death, but it’s always upsetting.
Geez, Daniel, your new year isn’t starting off very well. I remember very well the pictures you showed of your lovely pond and fish before. What a sad thing. I would sure be feeling bad if I lost my pet fish. They are so beautiful in their quiet world in your pictures.
James, I hope all goes well with your ferret. It’s awful rough when a pet gets sick.
That’s really lousy. And no matter what the pet,it’s tough when they leave us. Heck, I’ve even lost sleep over our beef cattle in the past. And they weren’t even pets, although I did give lots of them names- a big mistake.
Fish really are interesting and engaging pets. We’ve had several over the years, and it’s always hurt when they died.
My in-laws had problems with racoons getting into their pond. They ended up installing a high-power sprinkler with a motion detector. They turn it on at dusk, and any racoon who crosses to the pond gets hit broadside by a powerful blast of water. It seems to work…it’s been a couple of years now, and the fish are still there. The downside…if you forget to turn it off during the day, YOU’ll get blasted if you walk over to admire your fish!
I second (or third or fourth) the warning about racoons. They will even go out of their way to attack a dog. When our former neighbor was feeding stray cats on her deck, we were afraid to go out on that side of the house at night because the racoons would just swarm all over (and they get very nasty if they think you’re near their food!). Fortunately, eventually the coyotes got the last of the stray cats, and now the racoons have moved along to another neighbor’s unsecured garbage can.
Bad turn. Sorry for your loss. May the stress of it lessen quickly and your heart repair well.
