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Shannon News, 30 November 1928, Page 2

Stoats are wary animals, and so their habits are not widely known. It may surprise many people to know that tln?se rodents are expert tree-climbers, but the fact is familiar enough to opossum hunters. A feat which a stoat ,peiformed recently in this district, however, is one which has probably not been heard of before, aaid which it would be hard to credit but for the reliability of the witnesses. The Levin telephone gang were at work on a line at He'atherlea, when they saw a stoat climb to the top of a tawa tree, estimated at from 30 to 35 feet high, and heard the screeching of some starlings, evidently its intended prey. The men threw stones at the animal, and to their surprise it took a flying leap from the top of the tree. What astounded them was that, on striking the ground, the stoat was evidently uninjured by its great drop, and made- off at a considerable speed, eluding the chase that was immediately given -by the workmen. An examination of the place where it landed did not reveal any softness in the ground, which was ordinary hard pasture.