Tuesday 30 April 2013

Getting back to normal living and the arrival of Felix.

We all soon settled down to a normal routine, but in a very different environment from that we had in Somerset; David and Dad went off to work each day, it was school for me and Mum returned to being a housewife. Two months passed by and Dad returned home early from work with a small bundle.   He had met a hunter at the garage, newly returned from an expedition. Apparently, while out in the bush, they had found a female leopard caught in a trap and her state was such that they had to put her out of her misery.  They then realised that she was heavy with milk and that she must have cubs somewhere.  The trackers were put to work and they soon discovered two tiny cubs with their eyes still closed and mewing with hunger.  To this day, I never found out how Dad really got involved, but the end result was that we were living in a caravan and bringing up a leopard cub!  The hunter had said he could only cope with one and was at his wits' end what to do with the other; a daft thing to say with my father around, as he loved any type of animal!  He always said that if it had not been for the war and becoming an engineer in the Merchant Navy, plus of course his parents owning a petrol and service station, he would liked to have been a veterinary surgeon.
Felix growing up and showing that he did have big teeth!

After the arrival of Felix, as he was named, no one got very much sleep, as it seemed to be everlasting feeding time; but as he got bigger, it was just like having a large cat around.   We had been doing some house hunting so that I could move to a private school, but now if Felix was to become part of the household, it was imperative that we found somewhere larger than a caravan to live in.  In those days, there were no laws concerning the keeping of wild animals and we never had any problems where the authorities were concerned.
Our new home

We finally found a very nice house set on a very large plot, in the suburb of Greendale, just outside Salisbury. We moved lock, stock and barrel with the caravan and although we stayed in the van for a short time while we were decorating and buying furniture, our lifestyle improved dramatically!  After completing one term at my first Rhodesian school, I moved to the local junior school, named after Courtney Selous, a famous Rhodesian explorer.  This was still a government school, but it was very up-market compared to where I had been!   Felix had a large ‘kennel’ built, where we could fit him with a harness and tether, so he was able to have some freedom outside. At the times we were at home, he was in fact just loose walking around the house.  
Myself at Courtney Selous school fancy dress - selling my oranges dressed as Nell Gwynne!

Felix when still quite small!

With my Dad, and  a little older

It was quite amusing when we had visitors, especially if they did not know there was a leopard at large.  We always made sure that the door was closed and when people arrived, invariably Felix would be out in the kitchen; this was where he used to spend a lot of time with Mum.   After he noticed that she had gone missing for a period of time, he would then go in search of her, invariably slinking quietly into the lounge, where he would jump up onto the nearest chair!  Unfortunately we never did get a picture of the frozen expressions we saw many times on the faces of unsuspecting people!   Felix loved my mother and she had a hard time cleaning the house, as a duster or a broom was only there to be played with!  Amazingly enough, there was very little damage done inside the house or to the furniture; I suspect that all the claw sharpening was done on a large log that lay by the side of his kennel.  
Stretching his legs!


Getting a cuddle from our house servant, Tiki, who loved spending time with Felix.
We all suffered from his claws from time to time when the play got a bit rough, but never at any stage did any of us ever feel unsafe or in any danger from him.   Tragically, at the age of two and a half we had to have him put to sleep, having suffered a broken back.  We had been out and Felix had been at the kennel with the harness on.  There had been no reason to lock him up, as our African servant who loved Felix as his own, was on the property.   On our return, we found our servant sitting crying, next to the prone body of Felix. He told us that children from down the road had come on to our property and, finding a nearby pile of bricks, proceeded to throw them at Felix.   One brick obviously was thrown particularly hard, catching a vital spot and our Veterinary Surgeon who promptly called round, said that although he would have x-rays taken, he was certain that Felix would never walk again.    We were all broken hearted that such a lively animal should come to such a sad end.  It was many months before we could sit in the lounge without expecting a large cat to arrive on our laps.  Many tears were shed then, and for a long time afterwards.   As he had grown bigger, we had been prepared  for the time when we would have to make arrangements for Felix to be sent to a Wild Life Park or similar, but none of us had foreseen an outcome as sad as this.



My Life Before Charente to be continued :-) 

 
The section of my life story during our overland trip is published on Kindle if you should be interested:-
 THE GREAT 1953 TREK
See




16 comments:

  1. What an amazing story. It is hard to believe they can be so tame. As for kids throwing bricks at him, that is unforgivable. How sad for all of you. Great photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. diane it was just like having a big cat around but he did play rough at times. I still get upset now when I think of the final hours. Take care Diane

      Delete
  2. Is a lovely story and a beautiful small tiger. Is so funny when you say "normal living", with a tiger at home!! Ja, ja.

    Have a nice Monday Diane.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Araceli it seemed like a normal life to me, I just took things for granted :-)) Diane

      Delete
  3. Ola Diane,tens uma história muito interessante e Felix é um tigre que eu gostaria demais de ter tido em minha vida.Sinto muito pelo seu fim e pela sua tristeza.Meu grande abraço querida amiga.SU

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suzane Fico feliz que você tenha gostado da história. Apesar de ter sido um final triste. Bom dia. Diane

      Delete
  4. A leopard as a pet. I can't believe how lucky you were before all the sadness.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JM I still find it hard to believe that the story ended as it did. Some people are quite heartless and for children to behave this way makes me very sad. The finest pet we ever had. Keep well Diane

      Delete
  5. Great memories for you this chilhood, i am staying in Kolwezi, borned country, sametime i traven ZA and during events we go in Rhodesia,never forget that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Louisette, Rhodesia is an unforgettable country, sadly Zimbabwe will never be quite the same!! Take care Diane

      Delete
  6. Bela historia...Espectacular....
    Cumprimentos

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm catching up with your story, fascinated on how well you all coped with so many changes. Now, to have a leopard cub must have been quite a treat for you children. I'm surprised at how easily you all accepted him as a household pet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rosaria my life has been incredibly interesting and I just accepted what happened next as the norm in those days :-) I am learning.... Keep well Diane

      Delete
  8. I never thought one could feel safe with a leopard as a pet in the house. It sounds like Felix was a lovely animal companion for you and your family. It s a pity it had to be put down so young. You must had been very sad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awena we were all heart broken, it was a very sad ending. Have a good day Diane

      Delete

Verification free blog but all comments will be modified before publication.
Thanks for reading my post and I would love it if you leave me a comment. I will try to answer each and every one.