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I happened to look out the window this afternoon, to see a very large rodent standing in the yard. It was looking out at the road, where another, smaller rodent was lying. It was a woodchuck (groundhog), and her child had been hit. She was waiting for a break in traffic, and she finally ran out. I thought the little one was dead, but when she went out by it, it started moving. It must have been hit on its hindquarters, since it seem to be moving only its front.
Then a car was coming, so the mother ran back to the lawn. The mother didn't know what to do - she ran back and forth between the road and the lawn, and at one point, over to the house. She eventually went across the road, but was still keeping an eye on the young one.
I was worried she'd get hit, so I got my gloves and went out to move the little one from the road. I went out during a break in traffic, and it started moving again. A car rounded the corner and was coming my way. I kinda panicked - I grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and tossed it into the grass on the far side of the road. That was not very nice, considering its injuries. I could have carried it over, since the car would not have hit me. I probably could have cradled it in both hands, but I was worried about it panicking and biting me through my gloves.
I didn't stop to watch what happened, but the mother picked up the little one pretty quickly. We saw her at the mouth to a culvert a couple of hours later. I didn't see any blood when I went out there, so I'm guessing a car just clipped its hind end, maybe just got its legs.
So that wasn't much fun. It was a shame too, since I'd never seen a woodchuck around here before. They usually have more pups in a litter, so I wonder what happened to the rest of them.
Then a car was coming, so the mother ran back to the lawn. The mother didn't know what to do - she ran back and forth between the road and the lawn, and at one point, over to the house. She eventually went across the road, but was still keeping an eye on the young one.
I was worried she'd get hit, so I got my gloves and went out to move the little one from the road. I went out during a break in traffic, and it started moving again. A car rounded the corner and was coming my way. I kinda panicked - I grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and tossed it into the grass on the far side of the road. That was not very nice, considering its injuries. I could have carried it over, since the car would not have hit me. I probably could have cradled it in both hands, but I was worried about it panicking and biting me through my gloves.
I didn't stop to watch what happened, but the mother picked up the little one pretty quickly. We saw her at the mouth to a culvert a couple of hours later. I didn't see any blood when I went out there, so I'm guessing a car just clipped its hind end, maybe just got its legs.
So that wasn't much fun. It was a shame too, since I'd never seen a woodchuck around here before. They usually have more pups in a litter, so I wonder what happened to the rest of them.
