I was driving back from town when I saw something moving across the road. It wasn't going fast and a bit irregular. I was thinking it was just a leaf but as I got closer I saw it was some kind of animal.
The road was clear in both directions so I slowly moved over to the other lane so as not to hit it. I was thinking it was some sort of large black lizard.
Then as I got even closer, I was horrified to see it was a small black squirrel. I have never seen a black squirrel and this was not how I wanted to see one. The horror was that the poor fellow was gravely injured. He was dragging his hind quarters completely limp behind him. Amazingly, he moved quite quickly.
For an instant I thought to put him out of his misery and run him over but just could-not-do-it. Hey, I'm the same one who recently worked diligently to free a trapped wasp.
I pulled over as soon as I could, grabbed a towel off the seat and ran back. I know as hurt as he was he could bite me if I tried to pick him up bare handed. I planned to take him to my vet if I could catch him.
I tried and tried to find him but he had disappeared into the woods. Really am sorry I couldn't save him though I am not even sure my veterinary would attempt to work on a squirrel's hind quarters. At least he could have humanely put him to sleep.
Could you have run him over to put the poor creature out of his misery?
Hopefully the elections Tuesday will be more humane than I was and it will bring us out of OUR misery. We can hope.
No way! I could not do that...and seeing it over & over on the road would haunt me for weeks.
ReplyDeleteAnni,
DeleteI know, that would be like murder to me even if I meant well.
Patti, you’re very dear and this was pretty sad (but I had to smile at you working to free a wasp). What a good question about putting him out of his misery... I’m like you, I’m not sure I could’ve done it. If he’s just sprained, maybe he’ll recover? If it’s more serious, maybe he won’t last long and won’t need to suffer. (Boy he got away fast, though.) Anyway, I guess I’m not as humane as you, because I’d have NO PROBLEM killing a wasp!
ReplyDeleteDoug,
DeleteHa ha, I probably could kill a wasp normally but that one was trapped and would have died a slow death.
I could not run him over. In my 20's I ran across an injured deer in the middle of the road. I called a retired cop and gun owner who lived closed to handle the situation.Yes!!! Lets hope the election puts us out of this misery. Fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteSue,
DeleteYou did the right thing. Good thing you had someone handy that could do the proper thing.
Me too on everything crossed.
Well, since you are using that poor squirrel as a metaphor for another badly wounded creature . . .
ReplyDeleteOlga,
DeleteYep he is wounded also. Still I couldn't even wish him harm when he got sick. I'm just a wuss.
Nope! Couldn't do it.
ReplyDeleteLinda,
DeleteSo far that seems to be the popular sentiment.
I would have done the same thing you did. Twenty years ago a squirrel suddenly ran out into the street just as I was driving by and I ran over him. I was taking my kids to school. He was completely run over and dead. Both the kids and I cried. Every time I drive past that place I feel sad all over again, even still.
ReplyDeletesusie,
DeleteI know how you feel. We just hate being responsible for taking another creature's life I guess unless you are a hunter.
I find myself apologizing to every insect that dies after the spray does its work. I spray to get rid of scorpions, centipedes, etc but it still makes me sad when I find them dead. I always mumble to the family that papa won't be home for dinner tonight.
ReplyDeleteAnni.
DeleteI know how you feel. I try to relocate critters outside if I can.
No, I could not have done it either. I hope he didn't suffer for long. You are a very kind hearted person, but I already knew that. :-)
ReplyDeleteDjan,
DeleteThe good thing I am getting from my commenters is that there are a bunch of kind hearts out there. Makes me feel good.
No..everytime I run over a creature i cringe and cry. Except for the armadillo
ReplyDeleteBarb,
DeleteI usually am able to avoid them but I would be just as concerned for the armadillo. I think they are cute.
From your mouth to God's ears.
ReplyDeleteNo I don't think I could have run over him. I would have done exactly what you did but I'd be telling throwing Rick the towel and ask him to do it. :-)
Margaret,
DeleteOhh how nice to be able to hire out the deed. Rick is down right handy.
And yes, we all need some mercy.
No I could not have run over that squirrel to put it out of its misery. It really was so kind of you to pull over and try to help in some way. Thank you for that, Patti.
ReplyDeleterobin,
DeleteI knew you couldn't for you and roger spend a lot of time on rescue of sea creatures. Thank you for that.
We once saved a box turtle that we found on the road. We brought it home, made sure it was okay, kept it for a while, then brought it back and dropped it in the woods near where we found it. 'Course we never knew if it reunited with its family, but we hope it did.
ReplyDeleteTom,
DeleteGreat job. I always think of that too when returning a creature to the wild that I have tried to fix up.
Patti, we had one of the feral cats come to the yard just like that squirrel (with his hind quarters flattened) dragging them behind him. We were horrified that he could even move... and he could move fast too! We chased him down and covered him with a box (he was still feisty) until the animal control could come and put him out of his misery. So I understand how you must have felt. Years ago I 'think' I hit a rabbit on a country road... cried all the way home.
ReplyDeleteRian,
DeleteIsn't it amazing how quickly they move? So glad you caught him and at least had him put out of his misery. We do the best we can to stop suffering.
I have seen black squirrels around here on a local golf course. They are beautiful. My daughter had a white squirrel at her former house. Anyway, no I would not run it over, I also would not try to retrieve it and take him to the vet...I am not that nice. Also squirrels bones do not break easily, they are flexible, he may have been temporarily injured, they tend to heal quickly.
ReplyDeleteJoeh,
DeleteOh how wonderful that would be. They really are pretty. I saw a two toned one in Florida must have been a cross of a white and black.
From the Net:
ReplyDeleteCan a squirrel survive with broken leg?
It will heal with time, but the bone won't set correctly. That would make it vulnerable if it is released back into the wild. If you keep it, make sure you have the appropriate state permits. And also see if there is a local vet that could provide care.
joeh,
DeleteThanks so much for checking Joe. I hope your first hypothesis was correct but Google is probably right. Just hope he makes it or is someone's dinner soon. Hate to think of him suffering.
No, I couldn't kill it. I carry spiders from my house back outside. I'd have tried to take it to our local vet who does wild animal rescue.
DeleteCelia,
DeleteWe are of like minds for sure. I do need to check though to see if my vet does those things.
Oh, Patti. That was so good of you. Great intentions. I would never run over an animal of any kind.
ReplyDeletegigi,
DeleteI feel the same. I will run off the road to avoid hitting a snake.
I wouldn't have been able to run it over either. I'm not sure I would have tried to pick it up either, but hope that it made it's way into the woods where it could hopefully recover.
ReplyDeleteI cry every time I see a dead animal on the road. Even when it's obvious they are dead I still slow down and move around them.
Take care, stay well!
Eileen,
DeleteI am hoping for his recovery but feel it is probably a slim chance.
Patti, I think that if your injured squirrel dragged itself away that fast, it probably had a chance to hide and recuperate. I once put a cat down that was ripped open by a hay mower. Could not stand to see the poor creature suffer a second longer.
ReplyDeleteFlorence,
DeletePretty sure if I had seen that I would have been proactive and found someone to do the deed for me.
No, I KNOW I absolutely wouldn't be able to run him over. I have a hard time even killing cockroaches.
ReplyDeleteI'm in misery here... just waiting for tomorrow and thinking of biting my nails even though I haven't in several decades.
Kay,
DeleteKnow what you mean about election day. I have never been so upset by one ever. Tuesday will be a long hard day.
I doubt very much if your friendly Vet would have been happy with your bringing the squirrel to him/her. Years ago one of my children's friends did just that ... the squirrel was not happy and while the youngster tried to wrap it in his shirt he bit him on the arm. The Vet was very upset when he heard that and said that you never know what diseases animals may be carrying and advised the boy to get to his doctor pronto. I think you were a lucky softie to have the little guy take off so you didn't have to make the decision.
ReplyDeletePS: I have a daughter who would have done the same as you !
Ginnie,
DeleteI would have been very careful not to have gotten bitten but I really need to ask my vet if he would even handle one if I brought it in.
I couldn't try to kill him, but I would try to save him. Poor critter.
ReplyDeleteSusan,
DeleteIt really is impossible to just ignore isn't it?
NO way could I have run over the squirrel or otherwise hastened his death. I might have tried to move him off the road so he could die in peace. But I'm another one of those people who apologized to bugs when I kill them in the house.
ReplyDeleteJean,
DeleteWell luckily for me he was able to really scoot off the road and disappear into the woods.
Run him over? No way! Like you I would have tried to catch him and take him to a vet or other animal shelter, but since I am never the driver, I don't have a say in such matters. Hubby would have driven on saying something like Nature takes care of its own.
ReplyDeleteRiver,
DeleteI think yours and my response is inherent to females. We need to take care of and men have much more pragmatic approaches.
I couldn't have run it over. I'd be like you, trying to catch it and get it help. But we see so much roadkill, after a while you become immune to it. Wish animals were taught how to safely cross the road!
ReplyDeleteSnickelfritz,
DeleteI know. It was interesting at the beginnings of lock down how little road kill there was (few cars on the road). The scavengers were hurting.
Injured squirrels can be vicious, I'm glad you didn't attempt to take him to the vet.I have to admit, as sad as it is, I would have just driven on, especially as I would think a black squirrel looks very much like a rat with a bushy tail!
ReplyDeleteJoey,
DeleteThat is not an uncommon view of squirrels especially among those who feed birds. I have always admired their intelligence and athletic abilities.
I had a mother who would stop the car if she saw road kill - she kept a shovel in the trunk. She would show it the respect of removing it from the road into the brush. I would sink down in my seat ashamed for her to be seen doing this. Now, I'm ashamed of my reaction. Definitely, I couldn't kill a living thing (although, I haven't started removing road kill either).
ReplyDeleteBarb,
DeleteIt is a mother's job to embarrass us. What she was doing was sweet though. I've thought of it, just never done it. Actually she did a great service also to humans. Many a windshield has been taken out by a slow moving buzzard dining on road kill. I speak from experience.
We can only hope.
ReplyDeleteMage,
DeleteSometimes I think this will never end. Still hoping.
I wouldn't intentionally run over a living or dead creature if I could safely avoid it. I likely wouldn't stop for a wild creature either, not knowing whether injury, some illness including rabies even unknown-to-me domestic animals can have. Wise to be very careful. Plague has been found in some squirrels here in SoCal.
ReplyDeleteJoared,
DeleteI know there is a huge risk. Normally I have rescued domestic animals and never tried a wild one before. Probably good he got away, I just hate that he was suffering. Yikes, plague?? Just what we don't need.
No, I couldn't have done it although I would have fretted about it for a day or so. A bird hit my parents' second floor window one day, then fell to the ground. It was still alive and its eyes were darting around in a heartbreaking way. We didn't know what to do, and I was very weepy about it. Then a few hours later, my parents saw it fly away.
ReplyDeleteThat happens fairly often. We would always go out and get them and put them in a five gallon pail with a towel over the top and let them rest a bit. We had to get to them before the cats did - I think they just knock themselves out for a bit. Most recovered and we would let them go free after a 15 minute rest.
DeleteHahaha. I playing catch-up on my reading. I don't think I could have either but reading in this post sometime after the election, you could say we are limping along like this squirrel trying to get our newly elected Prez in the oval office.
ReplyDelete