Orphaned piglet Maggie May and Daisy the duckling become best mates after both being rescued

A cute and cuddly pair of animal orphans* have become close friends after a tough start to life.

Maggie May the piglet and Daisy the muscovy duckling are only about a week old but have already had to fight to survive.

Newborn Maggie May was found running along the freeway at Lameroo in South Australia. It

appeared the piglet had fallen from the back of a truck shortly after she was born.

She was scooped up by a passing ranger and taken to the Minton Farm animal shelter at Cherry Gardens just outside Adelaide.

Daisy the fluffy, yellow duckling was found wandering in a paddock near Minton Farm without any sign of her mother nearby.

Both bubs were kept under heat lamps for the first week as Maggie May received medical treatment.

“The little pig has been very ill,” Minton Farm Animal Rescue Centre owner and manager Bev Langley said.

“She had an infection* through the navel* so she has had antibiotics* to help clear that up. Her back legs are still a bit sore which we think is from the fall from the truck.”

The pair have become firm friends, spending their days together with Daisy often riding on Maggie May’s back.

“We half expected Maggie May to try and eat Daisy but she didn’t which was nice,” Ms Langley said.

The pair will stay at Minton Farm, which is a charity that mainly rescues native wildlife.

GLOSSARY

orphans: a child or animal whose parents have died.

infection: suffering from a germ, illness or disease

navel: belly button

antibiotics: medicine used to kill or prevent the growth of harmful germs

LISTEN TO TODAY’S STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

1. Two friends meet

Imagine that Maggie May and Daisy are like the animals we see in books and movies that can talk. Write down what you think they would have said to each other during their very first conversation. How would they have introduced themselves and explained how they had come to be at Minton Farm? Would it have been a funny exchange or a sad one? What made them decide to be friends?

Extension: Friends often have nicknames that they use for each other. Make a list of nicknames that you think Maggie May and Daisy could call each other.

Time: Allow 25 minutes

Curriculum links: English

2. Helping animals

It was lucky that Minton Farm exists and was able to take Maggie May and Daisy in to care for them. Would you know what to do if you found a sick or injured animal? Do some research of your own and answer these questions:

a. Is there anything to be wary of when rescuing a sick or injured animal?

b. What are some things you should look out for or check if you find a sick or injured animal?

c. If you need to move an animal, what is the best way to do it?

d. Should you give food or drinks to an animal you have found? Why?

e. Is it okay to keep an animal you have found? Why?

f. In your local area where is the best place to take a sick or injured animal or the best group/person to contact? (Your local council website may be helpful for this question.)

Extension: Discuss the findings of your research with a classmate. Were there any questions that you disagreed on? If there were, research and discuss these further until you can agree on what is the right thing to do.

Time: Allow 30 minutes

Curriculum links: English, Science, Ethical Capability

VCOP ACTIVITY

With a partner see if you can you identify all the doing words/verbs in this text? Highlight them in yellow and then make a list of them all down your page. Now see if you and your partner can come up with a synonym for the chosen verb- make sure it still makes the context it was taken from.

Try and see if you can replace some of the original verbs with your synonyms and discuss if any are better and why.

Curriculum Links: English, Big Write and VCOP

IN ONE SENTENCE, TELL US WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT TODAY’S STORY
Please do not use one-word answers. Explain what you enjoyed or found interesting about today’s article. Use lots of adjectives.