Rest in Peace, Murphy

When you work with wildlife, you tell yourself not to get too attached to the animals. They are, after all, wild.
You tell yourself that, yet there are times when no matter what you do, they get a hold on your heart and won’t let go.
That’s what happened with Murphy, a groundhog that was brought into the rehab center almost five years ago. He was about four months old, but already he was too tame to ever survive in the wild.
He was the first animal I met when I started volunteering at the center a few months after he arrived. And every week when I went in, it was Murphy I would seek out first, just to say ‘hi.’
Murphy earned his keep over the years by visiting schools to teach children about wildlife. Volunteers traveled with him to the coast where groundhogs are scarce so he could carry on the tradition of Groundhog’s Day. He predicted the weather throughout the winter by carrying leaves into his den a few days before a storm would hit.
During education programs, he often appeared to come out of his den on cue when he was introduced. Murphy could be a bit of a ham. Hold out a pecan, and he’d be sure to come out, thump his tail and chortle.
Murphy died unexpectedly Sunday night, despite the best efforts of veterinarians.
A necropsy revealed tumors on his liver and lungs.
You tell yourself not to get attached, and yet it happens.
I miss him more than I ever thought possible.