February 3, 2013
The mysterious Reading Bug Egg, which has had children around Nanango spellbound for the past few months, triggered a “medical emergency” at Nanango Showgrounds on Saturday morning.
The 30kg egg was found at Meandu Mine last October and was identified quickly as a rare Reading Bug egg.
Unlike normal eggs, Reading Bug eggs need lots of children to read to them before they can hatch.
So over the past four months school children in Nanango and Yarraman have been encouraging the egg by reading to it in their schools and local libraries.
When “cracks” started appearing on the egg six weeks after the reading program began, it seemed the strategy was working.
But on Saturday morning – when experts predicted the egg would hatch – it suddenly appeared something had gone terribly wrong.
While anxious children looked on, the egg was placed on a stretcher, then carried to an ambulance which had been called to the main oval.
Grim-faced stretcher bearers Lyal Giles (principal of Nanango State School) and Nicole Connolly (Stanwell Corporation) lost no time in getting the egg from the top of the showgrounds down the steps to a waiting team of paramedics.
But several minutes later the Egg hatched inside the ambulance and a shy Reading Bug emerged timidly into the sunlight to be greeted with cheers by a much-relieved crowd of youngsters.
Egg curator Caitlin Isaac, from RHealth, gently helped the Bug back up the steps to a special tent set up at the showgrounds for the occasion.
And then children and adults gave the Bug its first reading session in the big, wide world.
Afterwards Mr Giles praised the Reading Bug, saying the discovery of the egg had helped fuel a lot of genuine interest in reading among young children in both towns.
“The Reading Bug is a very welcome addition to our community and we’re very glad to have it here,” he said.
Ms Connolly said she was also glad to see the Reading Bug had finally emerged safe and sound but warned that it might not be the last the South Burnett would see of it.
“Reading Bugs can pop up anywhere,” she said, “and it’s now known that when one Bug appears, others can follow.”
The Reading Bug’s birth was assisted by Stanwell Corporation, the South Burnett Regional Council, RHealth, CTC, Nanango State School and St Patrick’s School, and was helped along the way by Nanango Meats, the Nanango Country Bakehouse, The Uncommon Variety Shop, Rocco’s Pet Supplies, Nanango Real Estate, Nanango Auto Spare Parts & Accessories and Gecko Bazaar.
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