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which mammal swimming

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Liz Heard View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Liz Heard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2012 at 6:24pm


hey folks, some of those guesses render the true ID rather prosaic!

all the same it was the first time ive seen this animal swim;









sorry to report tho, it was a sad wildlife encounter for me.

the previous day i had found otter tracks in the snow covering a Cambs fen. my friend found a spraint too.
as i wandered along the steep-sided ditch, i could see an animal moving across the water. bobbing, ducking and cavorting vigorously. seemingly enjoying itself. about 40ft away.
excitedly, i rushed towards it hoping for my first ever otter pic. only to discover on arrival that this hare had fallen through the ice. the animal swam back and forth for several minutes but was unable to gain purchase. it lacked the know-how anyway. the species is hardly noted for its climbing skills eh?
i searched the ground (unsuccessfully) for something to break the ice with. there were no trees, hedges or walls as far as the eye could see. being West country born and bred, i could scarcely believe that i couldnt locate a simple stick or rock!
so all i could do was look on and hope the stricken beast would somehow find an exit. there was nothing i could do. not without endangering my own life.

alas however, although the animal battled bravely for a time, it eventually succumbed to cold/exhaustion and drowned.
a horrible way to go.

a unique wildlife spectacle. totally unreccommended.

ill never forget the way its big black eyes looked up at me - as if appealing for help.



Edited by ben rigsby - 18 Feb 2012 at 6:36pm
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sussexecology View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sussexecology Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2012 at 7:12pm
Thanks for sharing that, although a rather sad tale i must admit
 
When you are in situations like that, there is nothing you can do. 
 
I have total sympathy and understanding though,Ben because otherwise you would have endangered your own life including hypothermia.
 
Not really on the same scale, but I was on a dual carraigeway yesterday with a colleague when we moved into the middle lane to avoid a male pheasant, but the cars behind us would have hit it. Couldn't bear to watch in the mirrors, and i felt sick. 
 
In those kind of situations, and with your hare as well, you just have to hope that they didn't suffer any pain. Can't bear to think of any species, or animal, in pain.
 
 


Edited by sussexecology - 18 Feb 2012 at 7:13pm
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Liz Heard View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Liz Heard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2012 at 8:35pm
PS i couldnt bring myself to simply walk away from this distressing drama. would you have?
yet i was unable to assist.
intoxicated by ridiculously unwarranted optimism, all i could think was, keep hoping and shooting Mr R.


WARNING; CLICK AWAY IF EASILY OFFENDED BY NATURAL FATALITY PHOTOS OF CUTE MAMMALS - NOW!


these are the last live pics. i post them as harrowingly macabre, visceral and maybe rare, pictorial documentation of mammalian fatal misfortune at the hands of the elements.
rather than the more expected SOTMC routes.




























































as if praying for help-



or waving goodbye to the world. seconds before its demise-



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will View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2012 at 8:54pm
So it's definitely not you saving the circled dog, Ben?



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Liz Heard View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Liz Heard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2012 at 9:05pm


nah. cant be.
the world aint ready for my legs Will. i dont expose them.

they would finish off the ozone layer for sure.
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Suzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2012 at 9:48pm
As I recall the ice-crawling man's wife thought it was the right thing for him to do as well. Would she have felt the same had he drowned? What about his daughter too? I can understand the love people have for their dogs but to risk your life. Who was it a while ago who drowned and meanwhile the dog scrambled ashore further down river- not in winter that story.
Whilst it is tragic for these animals you need to keep a sense of proportion.
Suz
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will View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2012 at 10:03pm
very wise, Ben.  My own legs don't get an airing except during heatwaves.  Completely agree, Suzy - that guy deserved a Darwin Award for sure.  Mad dogs and mad Englishmen etc..
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tim-f View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tim-f Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Feb 2012 at 6:18pm
Are we absolutely sure it's not a baby kangaroo?

On the topic of cruel nature, I saw my share of (admittedly less fluffy) ex-creatures yesterday.  See my other posts in Common Lizard and Slow Worm.  It seemed early for them both.  I mean early in the season, rather than their lives being truncated prematurely.


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Robert V View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Robert V Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Mar 2012 at 8:29am
Hi Ben,
 
you did the right thing. Nature doesn't always appreciate a helping hand. I remember once (yawn they go) I found a drowning water rat in a closed concrete culvert. He was a sure gonner in a second so I reached down and fished him and in two second he had recovered and took a lump out of my finger for good measure! Never again!!
 
R
RobV
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Noodles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Mar 2012 at 9:27am
I still have a scar on my knuckle from trying to rescue a trapped Water Vole from a double canal lock whilst canoeing.   
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