Mudpoo and the Fungus Mystery (7 page)

“The eagles want to thank you Mudpoo and Harry,” said Sammy. He went on, “If those pirates had managed to poison the rabbits, the toxic poison would've harmed the wedge-tailed eagle's family, as well as the little eagles. They all eat the rabbits you see.”

The wedge-tailed eagle and the two little eagles nodded politely at Mudpoo and Harry. They were very proud that they had managed to help CAPTURE Fungus McPhee and scare the horrible pirates away.

“We'd better get a policeman,”
smiled Mudpoo.

With the eagles and Sammy guarding Fungus McPhee, Mudpoo and Harry ran hurriedly into town to get help.

P
at the Policeman gave Mudpoo and Harry a puzzled look when they arrived at the station. They were gasping for breath and trying to explain everything at once.

“Hey, slow down, say that again. You've captured who . . . at the where . . . with the help of what?” asked the surprised policeman.

“Fungus McPhee the poacher, at the old Bethanga gold mine, with the help of Sammy silver gull, boobook owls and eagles!” said Mudpoo and Harry together.

“Hmmm, well I'd better go and take a look,” replied the befuddled policeman.

The angry old wedge-tailed eagle, guarding Fungus McPhee, was trying to take a chunk out of his nose each time he moved too close to the bars on the gate. They were both screeching at each other (Fungus McPhee was screeching in fear) when the policeman, Mudpoo and Harry arrived in the four-wheel drive police car.

“I'll be blowed, Fungus McPhee, the most wanted poacher in Australia!
So it
is
true,” he said scratching his head.

“Take me in, don't let that crazy eagle near me,” wailed Fungus McPhee.

The policeman arrested and handcuffed Fungus McPhee,
“Your poaching days are over.”

“I don't care, just don't let any eagles go near me, or that kid and his crazy dog,” moaned Fungus McPhee, as he was led into the police car.

Pat the policeman looked around and noticed more than a dozen cages that still contained animals. “I'd better see what we can do, there are a lot of distressed animals here.”

He urgently phoned the officer in charge of wildlife management at the ‘Department of Sustainability and Environment'. “We've got a few poached animals here including inland carpet pythons, lizards and birds,” he reported, “we need your best person to come out here at once!”

“We'll send you Dr Damian;
he's a research officer in Ecology from an important university who's written a book about identifying Australian reptiles. He's tracking inland carpet pythons nearby, so he can be there quickly,” the Wildlife Officer replied.

Dr Damian arrived almost at once in his old four-wheel drive ute. After shaking hands with Mudpoo, Harry and Pat the policeman, he wasted no time getting straight to work to check the captured animals.

Psssssssst . . . you can find out more about Dr Damian when you visit
www.mudpoo.com.au

First he counted all the animals and then he made a list, writing down their scientific names, which made them sound very important:

Dr Damian checked them all over very carefully, looking for injuries. He then photographed each one.

“I've found a lot of notes in Fungus McPhee's diary stating exactly where and when he found them all,” explained the policeman, who handed it to Dr Damian.

“We need to return them to their correct locations at once,”
said Dr Damian. “Fortunately they're all in good health, but it might have been worse if they were transported to America. I don't think too many would've survived such a long trip!”

He carefully placed each animal in its own special cage, ready for transport back to its original home.

“I'm not sure how we're going to find all of these places on the list: Lake Road; Springdale Road; Sirls Road; Kurrajong Gap Road; Flagstaff Road and Martins Road. It'll take me a week to do this,” frowned Dr Damian, scratching his chin.

“Hmmm, why don't we ask Laurie, the lady who runs the Bethanga Post Office to help us? She knows where all these places are, maybe she'll even let us borrow her mail van?” suggested Mudpoo helpfully.

“Great idea, let's ask her,” he replied enthusiastically, as he picked up his mobile phone.

Laurie the postie was more than happy to help. “Anything I can do to help the poor little things would be a pleasure. I'll be up there to get you in a jiffy,” she replied.

Mudpoo, Harry and Dr Damian looked quite funny sitting in the back of the mail van with boxes of surprised lizards, birds and snakes in the back with them. At each stop the correct animal was released at the
exact
spot Fungus McPhee had noted finding it in his diary.

“Here we are, the last one; one tree goanna on Lake Road,” announced Mudpoo.

The goanna looked very grateful as she was released. She scurried over an embankment and up a tree, as quickly as she could go.

“There, that's all of them released back into the wild, thanks for your help Mudpoo and Harry. Maybe there'll be a reward for you?” suggested Dr Damian.

“Seeing the animals go back to their homes is reward enough,” smiled Mudpoo, “and we couldn't have done it without all of our animal friends, especially Hooty and Sammy!”

Laurie the postie took Dr Damian back to his ute, where he happily waved goodbye to everyone as he drove away. She then drove Mudpoo and Harry back to Captain Pete's house where Sammy the silver gull and Hooty the boobook owl were waiting.

“Sizzling sausages, what an adventure!” sighed Sammy the silver gull.

“Thank you for all you've both done,” said Mudpoo kindly. “Sammy you are a wonderfully clever bird, being able to speak so many animal languages.”

“Oh not really,” replied Sammy, “everyone who has made a wish on the Magic Tree Stump can do it, you've just got to trust and believe that you can,” he smiled.

(Mudpoo once made a wish on the Magic Tree Stump, but that's another story.)

“Hooty, you are a very brave little owl,”
smiled Mudpoo. Hooty's eyes sparkled shyly.

“Oh,” remembered Harry out loud, “we still haven't solved our rabbit problem.”