Of course, leave it to Tad to pull something.
I was out back letting Tad and Chica run around and smell every possible inch of ground that had even the slightest smell. Chica is my right hand; she does not leave my side. Tad...on the other hand...well, y'all know Tad well enough.
I was beginning to sweat profusely and die of heat stroke, lovely Southern Texas heat, and so I headed for the door. I called for Chica, she came immediately, called for Tad and could hear him rustling around in the woods. He likes to woods, but he goes in one way, and gets lost...so he can't figure out how to get back out.
Well, that's usually how it goes. I was putting the cap back on my camera, and I start hearing LOTS of squealing. It wasn't Tad...it was something else. In these woods are birds, bunnies, and cats that live in them day after day. It's like a little refuge or something back there.
Either way, within an instant of the squealing, a baby bunny shoots out of the woods like a rocket.
I bolt inside, set my camera on the counter and scream through the clinic. 'Tad has a bunny! Baby bunnies everywhere!' ...all the doctor got out of my sentence was, 'Tad. Bunnies. Everywhere.' It's enough to make her drop everything and run outside with me.
There's still rustling, squeaking, and the little baby bunny that initially came out of the woods shoots to the darkest thing it can find. Sadly, it's the big drains that you see on the side of the road to catch all the rain water.
We leave that one for now, and are calling for Tad...and whatever he's squeaking. He comes out, all proud and mighty with a limp little bunny in his mouth. I thought the worst...especially when he absolutely would not drop it. It took my two hands AND the doctor's two hands to pry his jaws apart.
Finally, the little slobbery bunny came out. I drug Tad back inside the clinic because he wanted his bunny back, and got a few things to try and get the manhole cover off to get the other baby bunny.
It took a bit...the cover was scorching hot and heavier than...well, heavier than a lot of things. But, I finally managed to get it off while the doctor kept the other baby in her jacket. We were able to trap the other baby with the broom so it wouldn't travel farther into the piping, and I climbed in. You want to talk gross...this little manhole thing was GROSS.
I was able to grab the baby, sopping wet from draining muck, and we took both babies inside. Dr. Holliday looked at them, and there was no punctures or broken limbs or anything like that, thankfully. We debated on calling a wildlife rehabilitator, but they're best chance is with their mommy, especially bunnies! After she decided their hearts sounded good and they seemed as normal as any bunny, for the most part, we wiped off the muck and slobber, and released them back at the exact spot the one shot out of.
They took off like their little tails were on fire, so that was definitely a good sign. So, while the story is sad...it does have a happy ending, and I did take pictures of the cute babies (who were terrified) before we released them.
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| Manhole Bunny |
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| Tasted Bunny |
