I found her!

[Ruthie]

The MIA fantail!  She appeared briefly for dinner...so briefly, I had to keep looking to make sure it wasn't just wishful thinking on my part.  She is alive though.  Her tail is ripped to shreds.  It was getting dark, so I couldn't tell if she had any other injuries.

While I was out there, a 4-5 foot long snake slithers out, right in my feet.  He was heading straight for the waterfall!   All but the last foot or so of him was hidden in the lamb's ears at the pond's edge, so I just grabbed him by the tail and flopped him out on the path by the lotuses.  I could tell he wasn't vemonous.  I didn't have my skimmer net handy or anything else to pin him down with, so I chased him away, into the brush of the old horse pens. 

He was NOT getting in my pond.    

[small fish]

  SNAKE    Oh no.  Glad you found your fish.  I put some new fish in the pond several weeks ago.  They seen find for a week or so, but I can not find any of them now.  I just hate it. 

Myra

[happyoutsidegirl]

I'm glad you found her ok. But snakes by the tail??? Not in my life time, I'd of ran.

[Vickie]

He will come back and get your fish. What are you going to do?

[joeyb5980]

Glad you found your fantail!  Wonder if the snake will come back and get netted?   

[tinkster]

ruthie.. your a bunch braver than me.. I feel sorry for that snake...

So glad you found your fish and hope she will be okay.

tinkster

[miguynmkoi]

PHEW!!  I'm glad you found the fantail AND found out it is the sneaky snake prowling around.  Or is that slinking around. 

[tweetybaby2005]

I'm glad she is OK, albeit a bit scared.  I don't like snakes so if I see one, I will run instead of catching its tail.  I sure hope the snake doesn't return (it may now since it found the food source  ).

Kuan

[Ruthie]

I managed to catch Eureka today (with my hand...I just scooped her up!  How easy would it be for a predator to catch her as well.  sigh.) She is scraped up pretty badly and her tail is shredded.  But she was eating and swimming ok.  Here's hoping.

If the snake returns, I am ready.  I have the big net and a pillow case by the pond   He will be caught and relocated! 

It still doesn't explain what chewed through the net though.  My dad told me we have a large colony of otters in the back of our place, but my pond would seem like a long, long walk for an otter.  There are easier meals to be had.  But a mink.  Or a coon.  That's a real possiblity.

[Sandye]

I'm glad you found your fantail, Ruthie!   

It still doesn't sound like a snake did the damage, tho.  Besides the holes in the net, the ripped tail and the damage to your other fish sound like some other kind of predator.  I hope it doesn't strike again. 

[Kat]

You are much braver than I!  Glad you found your fantail & hope she makes a quick recovery.