HARD WINTER NO FUN FOR THE ANIMALS EITHER

For those recent weeks of sub-freezing temperatures, we Southeast Missourians rediscovered the trials and tribulations of cold weather and why we prefer the mild winters of recent years.

We're not the only ones.

Wild animals in our area have had to adapt too. Residents who braved the snow and cold to keep bird feeders filled and water thawed watched as infrequent feathered visitors became temporary residents.

And, as the food chain goes, more birds brought more predators who were followed by even bigger animals. Over in Illinois, a duck and chicken farmer was doing battle with hungry bobcats, which are usually furtively shy. In Cape Girardeau, deer tracks and the nighttime howls of coyotes became more and more frequent.

Now the weather is moderating a bit. And the animals are returning to more familiar stomping ground -- at least until the next winter storm.