I was doing one of my patrols the other night, and I saw this preying mantis stuck in the orb web of a garden spider. Her back legs and wings were caught in the web, but her forearms were free. Whenever the spider came down to make the kill, she fought back with such bravery. I could either let nature take its course, or help her.

So, I got her out of the web. I seem to be making a lot of spiders angry lately.

I got her up on the arm of an outdoor couch, and used two sticks to try to take some of the web off.

After she could walk, she climbed up onto a garbage can.

That is a horrible picture, but you can see that she is still wrapped in webs.

Between the two of us, we got most of it off.

She seemed to know I was trying to help, and kept walking right over to me… or she was ready to attack me. Sort of hard to tell.

Also, some slug was going crazy on that garbage can.

Anyway, that is my new little friend.

I hope she is doing well out there in the wild.

As I went back inside, another mantis was waiting on the door. He seemed to be saying: ‘you are a friend to the mantis, and we will be your guardian spirits’… or he was just using the lights to attract bugs to eat.

But, like my mom says: Nature in the wild is seldom mild.