Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 20

NOTES from theStreams
Kittanning down under

As a Waterways Conservation
Officer (WCO), I often receive
phone calls regarding wildlife that a
concerned person has encountered.
Calls about alligators and venomous
snakes are not uncommon. Recently,
I was contacted by the Armstrong
County Communications System
notifying me that an individual
reported a dead platypus on the
Allegheny River near Kittanning,
Armstrong County. After my initial
shock disappeared, I advised the
dispatcher that the Pennsylvania
Fish & Boat Commission does not
typically handle exotic species,
however, I told the dispatcher that
I would give the reporting party
a call to see if I could assist. After
contacting the caller and being
provided a brief description of the
"platypus," I asked the caller if he
could send me a photograph of his
find. A few moments later, I received
two photos on my cell phone. As I
have not had any extensive training
in the area of wildlife species from
Australia, I knew myself not to
be a subject matter expert in the
field. However, I have watched
a fair amount of the Discovery
Channel and believed that I could
safely identify a platypus from the
photographs. My determination of
the animal was reached quickly. The
supposed platypus was actually a
deceased beaver.-WCO Anthony
Beers, Western Armstrong County.

quickly chased the duck, nipping at
its tail feathers. However, the duck
was fast and was able to keep just out
of reach of the fox. The duck flew
back across the creek to safety. It is
amazing to witness what our natural
resources offer.-WCO Darrin W.
Kephart, Southern York County.

Class pet

I went to my daughter's elementary
school to present an educational
program on amphibians and
reptiles. I brought a variety of frogs,
salamanders, turtles and snakes. My
daughter pleaded with me to bring
her pet hamster to school for her
friends to see. I reluctantly agreed,
despite the fact that a hamster is not
an amphibian or reptile. I allowed
my daughter to show her hamster to
her classmates before I started my
amphibians and reptiles presentation.
The kids seemed engaged during my
presentation, especially when showing
the class the snakes. I was feeling
good about how the presentation
was going, until the kids were asked
which animal was their favorite. The
hamster was the most popular choice,
followed by the snakes. Warm and
fuzzy still has an edge over cold and
slimy.-WCO Doug Daniels, Eastern
Schuylkill County.

Hot pink stringer

While on patrol during trout
season, I noticed two young men
fishing near the road. I pulled my
vehicle over and approached the
anglers to check for fishing licenses.
Both men quickly showed me their
licenses. When I asked if they had any
luck, the anglers said that they caught
three fish and kept the fish, pointing
to the fish on a stringer in the water.
A hot pink rope caught my eye with
three fish attached to the rope. As I
checked the fish, the stringer seemed
quite unusual. Before I could say
anything, one angler said they forgot a
stringer and had to improvise. I then
realized the hot pink rope was a phone
charger cord. I started laughing and
told them I never saw a phone charger
cord used as a stringer. They laughed
and shrugged their shoulders. I wished
them luck and hopefully they would
get the full use out of their expensive
stringer. As I drove away, I regretted
not snapping a photo of the hot
pink phone charger stringer.-WCO
Rachael Thurner-Diaz, Adams and
western York counties.

Fake news

I was watching two men cast and
retrieve at a popular fishing spot in
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County. Through
my binoculars, I could tell that one

Duck for breakfast?

As I walked a local trout stream
on an early morning
patrol, I observed a duck
flying across the creek
and landing on a hillside.
A red fox was nearby and
interested in having fresh
duck for breakfast. The fox

20

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * January/February 2020	

illustration-Andrea Feeney

www.gonefishingpa.com
http://www.gonefishingpa.com
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020

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