Leslie Green, owner of River Bandit Rescue and a wildlife rehabilitationist, anticipated a completely ordinary day when she went to the 59th Annual Watermelon Festival in Farmerville, Louisiana. The world, on the other hand, had other plans—plans that involved broken fruit, a kind shop owner, and 42 really content animals.
“A produce truck carrying watermelons and cantaloupes was heading to the town square where the festival takes place,” Green told The Dodo. “It had been raining and the roads were very slippery. The produce truck started sliding and rear-ended a truck hauling a ski boat. The fruit went flying all over the road.”
The truck, belonging to Yak’s Produce, was traveling to the festival to supply the fresh fruit when the accident occured. By chance, Green — who rehabilitates raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, skunks and more — was also passing by.
Green remarked, “I stopped to see if I could help.” “When I learned that everyone was OK, I asked the fruit truck driver whether I might keep the broken cantaloupe and watermelon for the wildlife. As the owner was en route to the accident scene, he said that he wanted to make sure everything was okay.
Anthony Yakaboski, the proprietor of Yak’s, showed there a little while later.
Green added, “He said he would much rather have it go to a worthy cause than be thrown out.” “I piled up the broken fruit into the back of my vehicle with a few other folks who were at the scene.”
“Sometimes you have to turn a bad situation into a good one,” Yakaboski told The Dodo.
Green couldn’t wait to take the offerings to her 4-acre property.
“I drove home and started dispersing the fresh fruit to all of the wildlife, who were super thankful to have it!” Green said.
The cool meal was first enjoyed by the beavers, and then by the rest of her inhabitants. And, to to Green’s surprise, it won’t be her final opportunity to care for them.
I spoke with Yak’s, and they promised to provide more delectable treats for the wildlife in the future, she said.
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