PERRY & THE PROFESSOR
A True Prairie
Dog Story
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By William H. Edwards, Ph.D. Illustrator Donna Day Asay
List Price $10.95 SEE MORE ILLUSTRATIONS
(Click Cover for full image) Soft Cover 5.5 x 8.5 50p
Large Print 16PT Second Printing
ISBN 1888106557 LC
99-067184 Copyright 2000
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This story could only happen to a dedicated lover of all
creatures. A biology teacher with a passion for his work comes across a baby
Prairie Dog. The mother was dead, so he takes it home and gives it the care
necessary to keep it alive. When the baby was strong enough he took it to school
and shared the experiences with his students. This tale is so fascinating that I
was happy that it was a short story, because I couldn’t put it down until I
read the entire story. What a life this Prairie Dog led. Great story I recommend
it to everyone, regardless of their age.
Elmo S. Colton from Salt Lake City, Utah. February, 2000.
Excerpt
A Unique Teacher When
It All Began Report About
Prairie Dogs
Endangered/Threatened
Status Library Orders Newspaper Story
The true story of a prairie dog,
orphaned at birth but found, saved, and raised by a biology professor who loved
and treasured the comical little guy. No one suspected Perry's destiny.
Special section about biology teacher Bill Edwards—with
photos—a
unique teacher who inspired hundreds of his students to see the world of animals
in a new and caring way, by bringing them into his classroom so students could
care for them, see them as real living creatures, and observe their daily lives.
Following the teacher section is a biography of Bill Edwards and how he came to love and
care for animals as he grew up, and the ways he brought that experience into the lives of hundreds
of students. Book also includes a report on Endangered Prairie Dogs.
Click drawing for full image.
One summer day as I was driving along, I came
upon a tiny creature barely creeping across the country road. I stopped my truck
to investigate. It was a baby prairie dog about four inches long, and it was
almost dead. Carefully I picked him up. The little guy was too young to be away
from his mother, so I walked back in the direction he had come to see if I could
find her. A prairie dog mound was nearby, and I found her and four babies-all
dead.
Cradling him in one hand, I drove toward home, trying hard to think of a way to
save his life. He was tiny, barely alive, and needed his mother's milk.
Suddenly an idea came to me-our mother cat had
a new litter of kittens, and she was nursing them. But cats love to eat prairie
dogs, I realized. And this little guy would be a quick snack. "There has to
be some other way."
As I pulled up in the driveway, I could come up
with no other alternatives.
Calling to my wife and children, I showed them
the tiny prairie dog, and explained the problem. No one had a solution.
I finally decided I had to risk it. Would the
mother cat accept him as one of her kittens.
Click drawing for full image.
Alone, I approached our mother cat. Her
kittens were busy nursing. I watched for a moment, then reached down and removed
one of the kittens. Gently I rubbed the little prairie dog up against the
kitten. It was a long shot, but I hoped the scent would satisfy the mother. Then
with great anticipation, I carefully placed the tiny prairie dog at the nipple
where the little kitten had been. I then placed the kitten back with the litter
in a new spot.
I watched the mother cat. Would she reject
him. Very weak, the little guy struggled, but within a minute he latched on and
began to suck for all he was worth. I realized it would be a miracle if this
brave little orphan prairie dog could survive. . . . (Read the rest of this
amazing story in the book)
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Bill began teaching in his home town of
Roosevelt, Utah-a remote area with plenty of wild life. It also was in the
center of the Ute Indian Reservation. In a school for both Native Americans and
Caucasians, he taught a combination of 5th and 6th
graders.
One of the Native American children refused to
speak English. Because Bill knew it was important to the boy's future, he
traveled to Salt Lake City to buy a pair of special pigeons called Tumblers.
After the last bell had rung the next day and all of the students were leaving,
he called the boy over to his desk and handed him the sack of pigeons, and said
they were his to keep. He explained how they would "tumble" in the
sky. The boy took the sack without a word, walked to the door, then slowly
turned and Bill heard Raymond's first English Words—"Thank You."
Today Raymond is the Assistant Director of the
Fish and Wildlife Department for the entire Ute Tribe.
After three years, Bill began teaching Junior
High School. The same students he had been teaching moved with him and he taught
general science, health and math. Ever eager to open his student's minds to the
wonders of nature, he created a table-top terrarium. Students would bring in
animals from the surrounding environment to observe and learn about; this
included snakes, mice, chipmunks, tarantula spiders, and lizards.
Their classroom was a wooden structure and a
family of birds had made a nest inside the wall. Bill and his students created a
hole in the inside wall and installed a glass panel over it. This produced a one
way mirror where they could watch the family of birds hatch, feed and grow.
They set up tropical fish aquariums, and one
was a marine (sea water) where they raised Sea Horses. The female sea horse lays
her eggs in a pouch in the male sea horse. He carries the eggs and they hatch
inside the male pouch. Just another surprise for his students.
Bill then moved to the high school and for the
first time became a full-time biology teacher. This gave him even more
opportunity to provide unique experiences for his students.
The time came when Bill and his family moved
to Salt Lake City. He taught Biology at Hillcrest High school and continued his
quest to present unique experiences to his students. While there, he attended
the University of Utah and received a Ph.D. in Biology.
(Read more about this outstanding teacher in the book)
Top
As a young boy Billy Edwards became aware of
the miracle of nature, seeing it as a kaleidoscope of surprises at every corner
of the universe. Each animal he encountered, as he was growing up in a natural,
untouched environment in Roosevelt, Utah, gave him an appreciation and awe of
God's handiwork. This awareness and love for nature and animals led him to a
career as a biology teacher.
A neighbor of six-year-old Billy Edwards said,
"That little Edward's kid sure must like animals. It's 6 am and he's
herding a Porcupine home."
The porcupine was the first of a parade of
wild animals that Billy accumulated and lovingly cared for. Many of these
animals had been injured or had lost their way because of the encroachment of
mankind into their environment.
His next animal was a baby coyote that a
government trapper gave him. Then came chipmunks, squirrels, hawks, bobcats, kit
fox, great horned owls, a golden eagle, skunks, prairie dogs, and many
domesticated animals.
There was a beautiful dog named Keyto that
lived in Salt Lake City. He was a registered Collie with championship breeding
lines and belonged to a rich man. But Keyto had developed a bad habit of chasing
cars. To prevent him from being run over and killed, he was given to
twelve-year-old Billy, who lived in a small town 150 miles away.
Meeting the car that delivered Keyto, Billy
put a rope around the dog's neck and began to lead him home. After awhile Billy
thought the dog was so friendly, he removed the rope, believing Keyto would
follow. But the Collie took off. Billy assumed he was gone forever. But two
months later. . .
Read more in the book.
"It has been a rewarding experience to share the wonders of nature with
kids." Dr. William Edwards
Bill Edwards was indeed a unique and
outstanding teacher.
Top
The Blacktail Prairie Dog has been cherished
as a pet throughout the world. An article appeared in the Deseret News,
April 8, 1999, explaining that the Prairie dog being the most popular pet in
Japan and is sold there for several hundred dollars. The article states,
"Ethan Merritt of the Japanese Embassy said the Japanese Prairie Dog
Association estimates 5,000 were imported last year."
In the U.S. there are many people with a
Prairie Dog as a pet, as evidenced by the number of people putting their pet on
the Internet. Numerous web sites express the enjoyment they receive from their
Prairie Dog pets.
This story could only happen to a dedicated lover of all
creatures. A biology teacher with a passion for his work comes across a baby
Prairie Dog. The mother was dead, so he takes it home and gives it the care
necessary to keep it alive. When the baby was strong enough he took it to school
and shared the experiences with his students. This tale is so fascinating that I
was happy that it was a short story, because I couldn’t put it down until I
read the entire story. What a life this Prairie Dog led. Great story I recommend
it to everyone, regardless of their age.
Elmo S. Colton from Salt Lake City, Utah. February, 2000.After my experience with Perry I can certainly
understand why they love their Prairie Dogs. Perry came into our lives about
twenty years ago, when there were not so many rules and regulations. Today the
rules are very complicated. They can be shot if they do damage to crops, but a
person cannot get a permit to take one as a pet. Amazing!
Top
There are five Species of Prairie Dog in North
America. They are the Blacktail, Whitetail, Mexican, Gunnison, and Utah Prairie
Dogs. They are Mammals belonging to the order RODENTIA, to the family SCIURIDAE,
(Woodchucks, Squirrels, and Prairie Dogs) and the Genus CYNOMYS.The scientific
name for each of the five species are:
1. Blacktail Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianos
2. Whitetail Prairie Dog Cynomys leucurus
3. Mexican Prairie Dog Cynomys mexicanus
4. Gunnison Prairie Dog Cynomys gunnisoni
5. Utah Prairie Dog Cynomys parvidens
Blacktail Prairie Dogs are the most numerous
of the five species. They are primarily found . . .
Areas open to taking Utah Prairie Dogs are
covered in Rule R657-19-7, which states. . .
(Read more in the book)
Newspaper Story
Uintah Basin Standard
From the time he could walk and talk, Bill Edwards was drawn to animals. .
.Years later it was just as natural for Bill Edwards to become a biology teacher
and share his love of the outdoors and the creatures living in it with his
students. And it is just as natural that he would write a book about his
experiences. Bill was raised in Roosevelt, son of Martha Jane Percival Edwards
and Homer Percival Edwards. During his young life, he cared for chipmunks,
squirrels, hawks, bobcats, kit fox, great horned owls, a golden eagle, skunks,
prairie dogs, a host of domesticated animals, livestock and a baby coyote. . .
. Cheryl Meacham.
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