I have been seeing lots of wildlife lately. As our monsoon season starts to hit it seems all of the critters come out. The other night we had a tarantula at the front door. The day before yesterday, we saw a Gila Monster on the side of our road. Yesterday I saw a horned toad in my garden. And there have been TONS of lizards all over the place. But this next sighting takes the cake....
I was sitting inside reading when I heard a loud squeaking noise in the front courtyard. I finally got up to see what it was, thinking it was a bird that often comes by and makes all kinds of noise. When I walked out the front door, the squeaking stopped. There is an old milk can next to the front door and I noticed there was a snake wrapped around and behind it! ( NOTE: I am not crazy about snakes.) I did a quick check and saw no rattle on the tail, so went back inside to get a broom to shoo him off the patio and on his way.
When I went back outside as soon as I started to shoo the snake out from behind the milk can, the squeaking started again and LOUD. That is when I noticed it had something in it's mouth and that was what was doing the squeaking. This is where it gets surreal. The "thing" in the snake's mouth was a BABY COTTONTAIL BUNNY. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! Being the bunny mama that I am, I sprang in to action and fought that snake for the bunny (picture hand-to-snake combat here). OK, not really, I just beat the heck out of it with the broom until it dropped the bunny and slithered out of the courtyard.
I grabbed the bunny (who again started squeaking like crazy) and wrapped him in a towel. This little guy was no bigger than a small hamster. I checked him over and he had snake slobber on his sides, but didn't appear to be seriously injured. He looked to be maybe a couple weeks old, not quite old enough to be out of the nest on his own. And I had no idea where the nest might be, so I couldn't return him. I put him in a box with some hay and brought him into the house. Now, you KNOW I wanted to keep this little fluff ball. But, I thought better of it.
So sweet!
Luckily, there is a wildlife rehabilitation center very close to us, so I called them up and they were more than happy to take the bunny in. They will bottle feed this little guy and care for him until he is big enough to release back into the desert.
See, I told you it had a happy ending. :)
(By the way, NEVER try to bottle feed a wild bunny with kitten replacement milk, it will cause the bunny to bloat and they will die. Also, do not give them anything like gatorade. There is a particular bunny replacement milk that they must be fed until they are old enough for solid foods.)
19 comments:
I'm so glad that you were able to rescue the little baby!
Thanks for the tips too, I didn't know that about the baby bunnies.
What a courageous save... like a true bunny mama! Nicely done... and just how cute can little bunnies be??? I am amazed you were able to give him up but it's for the best:)
Thats such a cute little bunny, must have been a good size snake to have got him in his mouth.
I'd love to have Gila Monsters in my garden....Tarantula's not so much :D
I'm going to Tweet the advice about the baby bunny milk, thanks for that :).
That's awesome that you get to see so much wildlife!
That is a darn cute baby bun, and I'm glad you were able to save him. So many "what ifs". What if you hadn't been there to hear him crying? What if you shrugged it off as being that annoying bird? What if you tried to fight off the snake and couldn't?
Glad everything worked out in the end :)
You go girl! I was picturing the whole thing. You are brave!! Such a cute lil thing too!
Bridget VS. Snake! I love it. I am glad you saved that little bun and I am happy you found a good place to take the baby. We had a similar situation here a few years ago. It was a big toad rather than a bunny. I wacked that snake and made him turn loose of the poor crying toad. The toad seemed okay. I understand that everything has to eat but NOT in my yard and not on my watch. Bridget=Bunny Hero.
Pop by when you get a chance and see my baby pictures.
I can see the whole scenario so clearly! My cat "jack" loves bunnies and this spring he must have found a nest, we had many at our back door, along with garden snakes and lizards.
you know, circle of life... blah blah blah.
I'm glad you rescued him anyway! Snakes should not be allowed to eat anything cute.
Period.
New rule... Lana says.
That is totally crazy!! I despise snakes, and we don't even get poisonous ones around here, but I will run the other direction if I see one!
Good job saving that baby bunny!!
That whole story is something and the fact that it played out at a Bunny Mama's house was divine providence for that sweet little bun! Way to go Bridget :) I want you on my side!
Oh my goodness! What a heroic rescue. You must have will power of tempered steel to give that little mitten full of cuteness up. So happy it all turned out well.
Thanks for the info re: bunny replacement milk. I never would have known.
xoxo
Carolynn
Hi,
I saw your blog listed on Crumbs Of Happiness. I thought I would come over and meet you. I am so glad I did. You taught us all something very important about bunnies. I see bunnies all the time. I found one baby injured one night and put him on a box going to take him to the vet the next morning. He was died the next AM, I was crushed!!! Thanks for the impo on bunnies!!
Come and see me, Fern
Awesome bunny rescue! You and St. Francis have a lot in common!
Bridget....have I told you that you are my hero!!! You go girl! Oh I am so glad you heard that little baby!!!
Happy ending's just totally rock!!!
:)
Good grief I'm so glad you heard the baby bunny and saved it. I would have done the exact same thing!! They are so precious. I've seen several in my yard lately and saved one from Princess recently.
oh well done on saving the bunny!
Bridget, you are officially my hero!!! ;-) Snakes in any form and size are a nightmare scenario for me, and encountering one with a baby cottontail in its mouth would probably have done me in. Awesome job, Bridget!!!!!!
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