Groundhog DayThe groundhog was splayed out in the middle of Friendly Avenue on Saturday evening. I thought it was dead. Then it blinked. So the only thing to do was try to rescue it.
I got out of the car and was standing next to it trying to figure out how I could get it into a box when it came out of its stupor and ran onto the sidewalk, settling in with its back against the Arts Center building. I looked at the groundhog, then at the scores of people across the street in Center City Park. The groundhog made a chattering sound, its teeth clicking together. I decided it wasn’t a good idea to leave a frightened, possibly injured animal on a busy sidewalk in downtown Greensboro on a Saturday night.
The decision to move an animal should never be made lightly. I decided a two-month-old groundhog didn’t have much chance of survival where it was. Center City seems an inhospitable place for an animal that eats vegetables and burrows underground.
One of the things I like most about wildlife rehab is the way strangers will come together to save an animal. This was no exception.
While Dave drove home to get my rescue gear, a Greensboro police officer stood by to help direct pedestrians around the frightened animal. Once I got my gear, a passer-by with greater agility than I possess, took the net and scooped up the groundhog while another man helped me secure the carrier.
A vet at an emergency clinic examined it and found no broken bones or lacerations. But it wasn’t fit to be released this morning: It appeared groggy and hadn’t eaten. I took it to a rehabber in Winston-Salem who has a larger cage where she can observe it for a few days to make sure it’s ready to return to the wild.
… The rehabber in Winston just sent an e-mail tonight: The groundhog is alert and eating. He’ll be released in a few days.
posted by Brenda Hiles | 6:10 PM
2 Comments:
Sounds like your neighbor is at least trying to prevent her pets from killing. "Declaring war on wildlife" seems a bit extreme. There is still a lot of debate about whether or not to keep a cat indoors, especially for people who are not home during the day. I have an outdoor cat that I would not be able to keep indoors because of allergies. Many people enjoy and care about animals but aren't able to keep them indoors. While outdoor cats certainly pose a threat to other wildlife, the biggest threat to bird populations is human development.
I agree, human development is a big threat to wildlife. That's why we need more discussion on population growth. But because cats aren't "as big a threat" to wildlife, does that mean nothing should be done? You may have the right to leave your cat outdoors, but do you have the right to let it come into my yard? I don't think so. Not anymore than I would consider dumping the contents of six litter boxes in my neighbor's yard.
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