NUMBAT
He spent his extra long life as an
Ambassador
For his highly endangered and
Extremely adorable species
Thereby contributing to the zoo’s efforts
To breed and return numbats to the wild
Where not even one thousand exist today
He might have preferred
A wild life for himself
Instead of the cozy one at the zoo
But at least he was protected from
Feral cats, foxes, eagles, and snakes
He might have preferred digging up
His own daily ration of
Twenty thousand termites
But at least the zoo provided him with
Termite custard
On the other hand
He was lucky just to have survived past
Seven months of age
One day back then he and his sister had been
Riding along on their Mother’s back
Enjoying the passing scenery
When Boom! a car hit them
He went tumbling one way
And his mother and sister the other way
Mom shook herself and scooted off
Probably not noticing that she had
Lost a rider
He had not been injured but was
Confused and alone
Until an utterly astonished human
Picked him up and cradled him in her hand
He would have preferred his mother but
The warmth was comforting
Soon he arrived at a numbat rescue where
He got all the care and cuddles he needed
There were so many new things to be
Curious about and explore
And when he was hungry
He could always lap up plenty of that
Tasty termite custard
