The wild animals that live among us

How did that happen??

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It was a pointillist post. Two posts that combine in the reader’s eye to form a third, more vibrant post.

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:rofl:

Terrific! Now that I think about it, I had two tabs open at the same spot, and must have clicked reply on both of them.

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Just a family out on the pond at work.

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Exciting day. This is my bathroom door. I noticed this guy as I was walking under it, and it tripped something deep in me and I screamed. Something about a snake above me is frightening in a way snakes on the ground are not. Both different and more of it.

This one was removed in a less humane way than the last one but it was four feet long and strong as fuck. I feel bad about it, but fear overrode all logic.

Sorry to the black rat snake, it wasn’t fair. I just wish I knew how it got inside so I can prevent that in the future.

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If it helps, they’re called that because they eat rats (and mice, voles, etc.). The middle of the snake times a little bit more, up to nearly 50%, is the size of what they can eat. So he wouldn’t have been able to hurt you seriously, although of course when scared he could strike (but there won’t be any venom, and it’ll probably hurt him more) or wrap himself around your arm or leg. Scary when you’re not accustomed, but really they’re helpful creatures to get rid of vermin.

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We’ve had bunnies in our yard for a few years now, but this year, late spring we noticed that one had a bad leg. We call her Floppy, because the leg flops loosely while she hops around on the other three. Don’t know whether she was just born that way or one of the neighbors’ dogs got her or something, but at least she doesn’t seem too concerned about it.

We decided to put out some hay and bunny food, so she has a safe place, and maybe won’t wander into the street or the neighbor’s yard with the dogs.

Turns out, chipmunks love bunny food pellets, and will cram their cheeks full, running back and forth, emptying the dish before the bunnies even get to it. But chipmunks usually settle in around sunset, while the bunnies stay out a bit later, sometimes through the night.

So I started putting the food and hay out around sunset, which was about 8:00pm. But now the sun stays out later and so do the chipmunks. So I intended to move the feeding schedule up to around 8:30.

But then tonight, about 8:05 I walk out and there’s a bunny at the station looking into the empty food dish. He sees me walk out and, no kidding, picks up the empty dish in his mouth and turns, holding the dish, and looks at me like “You know this is empty, right? And that it’s dinnertime?”

So I went and put some food in and this was the scene 2 minutes later:

bunnies-eating-small

Off-camera to the left, Floppy is waiting for her turn, somewhere off-camera to the right, papa bunny is waiting. And there’s also an evening chipmunk who knows that he can scare baby bun away, but not mama bun, so he’s just going to run around the area in circles waiting for an opening or until it gets dark.

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Any one here live in an area where there’s wild pigs? I know IN farms the domesticated kind.

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Today a bird pooped on my head.

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That’s good luck, you know. If a bird poops on your head, you’re lucky it wasn’t a rhinoceros or something.

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Happened to me years ago at a picnic. I had the temerity to sit under a tree.

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This guy (or one of his friends) was on the stoop again and my wife said “They’re so cute! I think it’s the stripes and the way they move so jerky.”

I refuse to try chipmunk jerky.

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churp churp churp churp till whenever

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Went out on the porch today to have a smoke break. Heard rustling noises and assumed the neighbors must’ve been doing something in their yard. Checked phone messages. Wifey messaged saying 'Facebook group says a bear is near our house."

Indeed he was. Leaned out over the railing and saw the source of the rustling noises. He was right there. In our back yard. Just chilling in the shade under the tree, eating whatever he’d found there.

We live about a block and a half from a school, and it was almost time for them to let out, My stepdaughter messaged and said “You should call the non-emergency number and let them know.” So I did. They just said “yeah, Fish and Game is aware.” And that was that.

So I expected someone to show up. I went to put on real pants and shoes (not just quarantine sweats and slippers).

When I came back through, I saw a truck in the driveway and thought oh that must be them. Someone got out, carried a hose around to the back yard, and then noped the fuck right outta there. Right back in the truck and peeling out.

I forgot the exterminator was coming this afternoon to spray for carpenter bees. That was him. He got around back, ready to start up, thought we had a cool statue, but then the statue licked its lips and looked at him. And he GTFO’d. :rofl:

Then school let out and kids were around and my neighbors kids were (naturally) making a lot of noise playing in their trampoline. So I went over and talked to their parents and was like “just so you know, there was just a bear in our yard a few minutes ago, he seems to have gone the opposite direction.” but they just thought it was super cool and wanted to see pictures.

Then I realized that the old folks home on the other side (where the bear had gone to get away from the children’s noise) might have people that couldn’t get away quickly, so I went and called them up and they were just like “ok, I told so-and-so.”

And that was it. I did my duty as a citizen, informed the police and neighbors on both sides. And literally nobody around us cared.

Then I was looking at the spot where the bear had been, to try to see what he’d been eating, and looked up and he was right there. So I backed away to the porch and took pictures while he came back, sniffed around, and then left.

For about 4 hours, I had this juvenile bear in my yard. And just didn’t know what to do. I think I did good by at least alerting the neighbors.

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Ah, wilderness!

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That is an amazing story! So glad no one was harmed, and equally bewildered (hah!) that no one else was concerned.

After all, a juvenile bear means a protective mama bear is close.

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So cute, though!

Looks like an overweight doberman.

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This was yesterday. I hope this little deer feels safe around our property, because all we want to do is look at it, and let it do it’s thing. I think it might sleep back there in the big weeds, or possibly in another group of big weeds and trees on the other side of the yard. I think it goes down to the pond on the neighboring property for water in the morning, and our house is on the way. The barbed wire fence between is low enough that a single graceful leap is all it takes to get over.

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Yesterday, we saw a tiny fawn, all covered with spots, with her mom. So cute!

We’ve had as many as 12 at the same time.

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