Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#132628 09/04/04 09:59 PM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Just want to mention something that happened today and a few things I learned from reading wild rabbit rescue sites on the Internet.

My mom was outside gardening when she heard splashing in the fish pool. It was a tiny wild rabbit that had fallen in and couldn't get out. She fished it out with a net, and the tiny rabbit, at first not breathing, did begin to breathe. It was soaked. I took it inside, dried it off, put it in a cardboard box and watched it as it (understandably) cowered in fear under a newspaper.

I went online to read about wild rabbit rescue, and the curious thing is this bunny should have been in a nest--but it wasn't. Maybe it's a vigorous bunny--or maybe it was time for it to go out on its own. Wild rabbits are weaned (according to what I read) at 3-4 weeks, domestic rabbits at about 6, and jackrabbits much later--9, I think.

Even more interesting, however, was the fact that wild rabbit mothers only feed their young in the nest at night--and only once a night for about five minutes. That's VERY rich milk!

Also, I liked reading that the term for when rabbits give birth is 'kindling'--I hadn't known that, for some odd reason. There was a phrase, "After kindling, the mother leaves the kits."

I'd really like to adopt this little bunny, but I suppose it should go free. It's been hiding under a butterfly bush for about two hours now, and, given the fact that the mother might still be feeding it, I guess I better leave it there overnight even though I'm very worried an owl or a black snake might get it.

In case I cannot bear the thought of that little brown rabbit with a small white blaze on its forehead staying out all night, I will in a few minutes drive up to the country store to buy some canned pumpkin, which, according to information on one web page, is something that wild rabbits might take a little nibble of--in the middle of the night.


#132629 09/05/04 12:40 AM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
B
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
If you're worried, you could always bring it in, and bring it to the SPCA tomorrow. They'll make sure it gets to somebody who raises wild animals and sets them free.


#132630 09/05/04 10:55 AM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Yes, bel', I had thought to try to get in touch with an animal rescue team, but from what I read on the Internet, usually the best course is to return the rabbits to where their nests might be and the mother rabbit would most likely find them when she returned for the night feeding. Since this rabbit appeared to be healthy (other than its near-drowning episode), I returned it:

I took a couple of blurred shots of the little rabbit, and put him in the shrubbery by the pool, believe it or not, because I saw another one of the kits hop out from there yesterday evening. I figured the nest must be close by with two kits in the same area. Since wild rabbits apparently wean their young so early, perhaps these kits were ready to go out on their own. The little one I had would fit in my hand, but it was very fast in finding hiding places in my bedroom. This morning I checked around the pool and saw no sign of rabbits, so I do hope they are as safe as young rabbits in the wild can be.

I also liked reading yesterday that wild rabbits are crepuscular. You don't get to use that word often.


#132631 09/05/04 12:11 PM
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
I got the picture, WW, and I'll try to get it posted soon. either tonight or certainly tomorrow. cute bunny!



formerly known as etaoin...
#132632 09/05/04 04:16 PM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Oh, thanks, et'! I'm sorry the photos I took were so blurred. Drat.


#132633 09/06/04 01:29 AM
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210


formerly known as etaoin...
#132634 09/06/04 11:36 AM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 89
A
journeyman
Offline
journeyman
A
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 89
Well, the wild bunny (it takes one to know one) seems bright-eyed (at least on his port side) if somewhat distracted, but Thomas Dale ( who perhaps resented being used for scale) seems withdrawn.

That said, ( I hate it when people say "that said") whatever happened to the wild bunny?


#132635 09/06/04 11:39 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
And, given the unreliablilty of the turtle as an indication of scale, where is the meter stick?


#132636 09/06/04 07:11 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
B
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
How cute.

Is that a live turtle beside the bunny?


#132637 09/06/04 07:44 PM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Faldage, I don't have a meter stick. The tortoise shell is just a tortoise shell of fairly typical size (I'm in trouble now!)...in that, when you're driving around the countryside and you see a tortoise crossing the road, it's usually about the size of maybe two tennis balls. This shell is a little smaller than two tennis balls lengthwise, and it's the shell, bel', of a tortoise now long gone.

Saturday night: While sitting in outside at dusk and stroking the little bunny, I spotted a sister or brother bunny hop out from the pool of water. I took the little bunny upstairs, shot a few pictures of it, and then released it outside by the pool where its brother or sister was waiting in the brush.

Didn't I write all that already above?

Anyway, I haven't seen the little ones since Saturday night, but we have seen a large brown rabbit feeding in clover all about the pool. I wish I could adopt all of the rabbits around here in order to keep them away from the owls and blacksnakes.



Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,271
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
1 members (A C Bowden), 281 guests, and 4 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,502
LukeJavan8 9,915
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5