The current crisis at our place is over bunnies. Baby bunnies.
A day or so ago our huntress, Tally, came back inside from a potty break in the backyard with a living baby bunny in her jaws. I quickly got Tally to drop the bunny, grabbed a big wad of paper towels, and picked up the bunny. A quick examination suggested that no serioius harm had been done–neither neck nor back were broken and although there were a couple of small tooth marks there were no serious bites.
I asked my wife where Tally had found the bun and she responded that there was a nest of them near the hydrangea bushes. I took Tally’s erstwhile prey to the nest. Including the one I held there were five baby bunnies in the nest and no sign of the mom. She had, no doubt, hightailed it out when Tally had spotted them. I replaced the baby in the nest.
We decided our only real course of action was to keep the dogs out of the backyard until the mother had moved the nest. When we checked twenty-four hours later there were two bunnies left in the nest. Since there were no signs of struggle and no remains–as there would have been had a predator gotten to them–we decided to give things a little more time. Twelve hours later there was one bunny in the nest. Twelve more hours–we didn’t see any bunnies in the nest.
We searched the yard for bunnies. By the north fence. By the south fence. Near the back porch. Behind the shed. So far so good. No bunnies.
We let the dogs back into the backyard. Tally’s found another bunny! Actually, probably the original bunny. We got Tally to drop the bunny, picked him up in a wad of paper towels, rounded up the dogs, and replaced the bunny in the nest. Twelve hours later–no bunny in the nest. Once again we searched the yard to find the runaway bunny curled in the lea of a ladder that was lying near our south fence. We decided our best course of action was to let well alone. Twenty-four hours. He’s still there.
Our baby bunny seems healthy and content sitting in the ladder. We continue to keep the dogs out of the back yard. We figure one of four things will happen. Either his mother will fetch him. Or something else will get to him. Or he’ll die. Or he’ll get bigger and hop away.
