Praying Mantis Rescue—A Cute Story (3 of 7)—at Duke Farms, Hillsborough, NJ
Just before arriving at Duke Farms Nature Preserve, my wife and I had decided to pick up a lunch to eat before beginning our walk and photo ops. Upon leaving the store, right in front of the building was a stand with a variety of mums in pots, and there, as clear as day, was this sad looking Praying Mantis that had been put through the ringer. It appeared totally devoid of energy and seemed so lethargic. There were all kinds of marks on it with several patches of what we believed was tar. Somehow, this poor creature was caught in the transport process where possible machinery was employed, and it did turn out to be patches of tar stuck to the body. My wife reached out for it, since it was fully exposed, and could have easily become the victim of a bird on the hunt, or a customer seeking to purchase one of the planters, only to panic, when discovering this large insect. For us, the Praying Mantis is our very favorite of all amongst the world of insects—the near human like head movement and body language are so fascinating, almost as if they possess a sense of rational intelligence. Anyhow, we took the critter with us, allowing it to rest on my wife’s sleeve. It was so weak, and moved so slowly. A few minutes later, we reached the parking area of Duke Farms. There, we took out our store bought lunches—sushi rolls and tuna wrap. Knowing from past experience, we extracted some avocado pieces from one of the sushi rolls, and then cut off some smaller chunks. While sitting in the car, and enjoying the beautiful view of the meadows and the nearby Solar Array, we all ate our lunches, and the PM came to life and devoured the chunk of avocado provided. The energy level returned instantly, and when a few drops of water was placed on the other chunk, it was quite obvious that it needed to rehydrate, for it went straight to this other piece and consumed it with gusto. We had seen a variety of Praying Mantis egg casings all about in the different meadows, including the ones near the orientation center and parking area. Our new friend was so energized now, and was ready to step into its new environment. Being one of a very common species typically seen in the area, we knew that it had a healthy future here. Most of the blotches of tar and other matters were removed from the body when we first had it with us in the car, but one particular mass was simply too risky to pull off without injuring the little one, so it remained, giving us reason to name it TAR BACK. We released it right into the dense vegetation in the Solar Array section by the parking lot, and it appeared to be at home, comfortably navigating the stems and leaves, before taking its position under the vast canopy. Its graceful, but calculated movement, as it traversed from one bush to another was amazing. We knew that this neighborhood would be perfect . . .
The late, Doris Duke, had left a wonderful legacy in converting her magnificent estate into a Natural Wildlife Preserve for the public’s education and enjoyment. The paths throughout the estate offer such splendid scenery. One is forever exploring, always seeing something subtly beautiful. There are always pleasant surprises, from the general scenery to the world of the wildlife, even tiny insects and flowers are enjoyable to observe. The bucolic nature of the preserve is so relaxing—akin to meditating while experiencing the landscape. The beauty of visiting Duke Farms is that so many incredible views are there simply by observing all of the surroundings. Spotting new and fascinating critters always adds to the experience.
Praying Mantis Rescue—A Cute Story (3 of 7)—at Duke Farms, Hillsborough, NJ
Just before arriving at Duke Farms Nature Preserve, my wife and I had decided to pick up a lunch to eat before beginning our walk and photo ops. Upon leaving the store, right in front of the building was a stand with a variety of mums in pots, and there, as clear as day, was this sad looking Praying Mantis that had been put through the ringer. It appeared totally devoid of energy and seemed so lethargic. There were all kinds of marks on it with several patches of what we believed was tar. Somehow, this poor creature was caught in the transport process where possible machinery was employed, and it did turn out to be patches of tar stuck to the body. My wife reached out for it, since it was fully exposed, and could have easily become the victim of a bird on the hunt, or a customer seeking to purchase one of the planters, only to panic, when discovering this large insect. For us, the Praying Mantis is our very favorite of all amongst the world of insects—the near human like head movement and body language are so fascinating, almost as if they possess a sense of rational intelligence. Anyhow, we took the critter with us, allowing it to rest on my wife’s sleeve. It was so weak, and moved so slowly. A few minutes later, we reached the parking area of Duke Farms. There, we took out our store bought lunches—sushi rolls and tuna wrap. Knowing from past experience, we extracted some avocado pieces from one of the sushi rolls, and then cut off some smaller chunks. While sitting in the car, and enjoying the beautiful view of the meadows and the nearby Solar Array, we all ate our lunches, and the PM came to life and devoured the chunk of avocado provided. The energy level returned instantly, and when a few drops of water was placed on the other chunk, it was quite obvious that it needed to rehydrate, for it went straight to this other piece and consumed it with gusto. We had seen a variety of Praying Mantis egg casings all about in the different meadows, including the ones near the orientation center and parking area. Our new friend was so energized now, and was ready to step into its new environment. Being one of a very common species typically seen in the area, we knew that it had a healthy future here. Most of the blotches of tar and other matters were removed from the body when we first had it with us in the car, but one particular mass was simply too risky to pull off without injuring the little one, so it remained, giving us reason to name it TAR BACK. We released it right into the dense vegetation in the Solar Array section by the parking lot, and it appeared to be at home, comfortably navigating the stems and leaves, before taking its position under the vast canopy. Its graceful, but calculated movement, as it traversed from one bush to another was amazing. We knew that this neighborhood would be perfect . . .
The late, Doris Duke, had left a wonderful legacy in converting her magnificent estate into a Natural Wildlife Preserve for the public’s education and enjoyment. The paths throughout the estate offer such splendid scenery. One is forever exploring, always seeing something subtly beautiful. There are always pleasant surprises, from the general scenery to the world of the wildlife, even tiny insects and flowers are enjoyable to observe. The bucolic nature of the preserve is so relaxing—akin to meditating while experiencing the landscape. The beauty of visiting Duke Farms is that so many incredible views are there simply by observing all of the surroundings. Spotting new and fascinating critters always adds to the experience.