It was a fully-grown male, 2kg in weight and had buried itself in the families garden. The Dad helped dig it out while the Mum and 3 kids watched on. The echidna became agitated and began to whistle. "WhoooEEEEooooo!"
"Don't hurt it!" said the mum.
"I'll try not to," I said.
"You have to be careful!" she said. "That's my family totem."
We were careful. Eventually I got a gloved hand under the animal and lifted it. He curled into a big ball as I rolled him on his back, and he sqirted me with a big stream of piss.
I took him to the edge of town and was about to let him go, but something about his jaw looked wrong. I called the zoovets and took him out there.
His jaw was broken. We guessed by the line of broken spines and the face injury that he'd been run over. I left the echidna at the zoo, but I think they'll euthanase him.
