Wildlife!

Last night I came home from work about 11pm and I was amazed to see an itachi [weasel] in the long grass in front of Lala Garden! It was just going to step onto the road - I guess it wanted to cross over to the Sky Hotel side.

I was so surprised to see the shining eyes, but so unlike a dog! Luckily I could slow down and I "beeped" the car horn so it moved back into the grass.

I was thinking about it all the way home, and you won't believe this, but just near my house (on the bank of the Onogawa River, in the rice fields) a tanuki [raccoon dog] crossed the road and walked along the riverbank on the other side of the small bridge!!!

Maybe I was lucky to see two creatures in one night, or maybe I could find the tanuki because I was driving slowly and carefully, hoping to find another weasel.

I've seen the body of a tanuki not so far from my house after it had had a road accident, but I've never seen an itachi in Tsukuba.

You should go out tonight and see what you can find :)

PS. Of course I couldn't get photos last night because 1. it was dark!!! 2. I was driving, and 3. I didn't have a camera. So I checked the internet and tried to find photos as close in body shape as I could.