A Groundhog S Tale

A Groundhog’s Tale

For several months now, a number of you who have come to our Center have encountered Woodrow (AKA Pete) the woodchuck (groundhog). Woodrow, at first blush, isn’t at all unusual. He is the archetypical groundhog; grizzled brown, stocky, muscular, eats all day. An appetite afoot. This is his story.

It is axiomatic at the Center that the wildlife, no matter how cute and cuddly, is not to be fawned over or treated as domesticated. That is the central thread of our mission statement: To rehabilitate injured, ill and/or orphaned wildlife and return them to their natural environment as soon as possible. However, sometimes it is impossible to do so. In those cases, we try to place the animal in a facility where it can live out its life as an example of its species. In other cases, the animal simply does not want to leave our property. It has become used to the place and the people. This is called habituation which we try to avoid as it is, usually, very unhealthy for both the animal and any humans it may encounter. Squirrels are a perfect example. Try not feeding one after it has become used to you doing so! Sometimes, however, despite our best efforts, an animal simply decides it likes our hospitality. Woodrow is a prime example of an animal that didn’t want to leave. In his case, it may well have saved his life.

As you may be aware, the Center treats several thousand animals of all species each year. As you may also be aware, we are highly successful with a treatment and release rate exceeding 60%. Sadly, some animals are just too badly injured or too sick to save. It is unfortunate and sometimes sad but we do have the slight satisfaction of knowing we did our best and alleviated the patient’s suffering. What really bothers us are the cases where the animal seems like it is going to make it and then suddenly takes a downturn. To have an animal die just when we think it is going to make a full recovery is very painful. Thankfully, those patients who, against all expectation, somehow manage to recover fully, balance those cases.

Woodrow was one such patient. We first came into contact with him hack on December 8, 2004 when someone from Frederick County brought in an emaciated, disoriented young groundhog that had been found stumbling around in circles. When he was initially examined, we found no obvious injuries but determined that he was suffering from some sort of neurological trauma. It was the considered opinion of the staff that he had run afoul of a car. What was most disturbing was his inability to stay upright. He literally could not maintain a vertical posture. Since he was otherwise uninjured and not suffering from any obvious illness, it was decided to try treating him to see if the neurological distress could be surmounted. Frankly, there did not seem to be much hope. We receive many animals each year with symptoms of brain injury which never manage to recover. One of the effects of brain injury in wildlife can sometimes be that they become extremely docile and tolerant of human contact. That was the case with Woodrow. He was extremely personable and easy to deal with; traits which are exceedingly uncommon among groundhogs.

It was this easy going nature that was Woodrow’s ultimate salvation. In the first few weeks, all he seemed capable of doing was sliding around in circles on his side. Yet, because heseemed so friendly, we kept giving him another chance and, then, another and, then, another and, then, astoundingly, he began to recover his balance. Not all at once, mind you, and not quickly. At first, he just managed to stay upright long enough to eat. Then, he managed to sort of walk across the floor of his kennel. He listed a little to one side (and still does a bit) and he still could not stay upright in a seated position but,by gum, he was getting better! It was also during this period that his personable nature really became apparent. He actually seemed to like being around the staff. Every day, he would bang on his cage to be let out and then would tag along after staff and volunteers. Imagine a very strong, inquisitive two year old with long claws and an instinct to burrow and you’ve got a fair idea of the chaos that regularly ensued! Yet, even when his actions made you want to whack him one (like the time he upended the bucket of cleaning solution all over my feet!), he was just so likeable that you had to cut him some slack and slip him another piece of sweet potato. In fact, I believe that his friendliness may have played a significant factor in his ultimate recovery since it meant he got way more exercise than he would have otherwise and all that exercise seemed to help.

The big moment came on a mild day in April when he finally managed to get out of the house and wander off. When we became aware of this fact, we were, to put it mildly, concerned. We looked and looked and, then, looked some more with no success. Ladies and gentlemen, Woodrow has left the building! We were certain that he was gone for good and, considering that he was habituated to humans, walked with a list and had no burrow, he was unlikely to survive for long.

How wrong we were!!! Four or five hours later, he just appeared sitting at the foot of the back steps waiting patiently to be brought inside. This behavior continued over the ensuring months with Woodrow staying away for longer and longer periods. Miraculously, he had made an almost total recovery. He was afraid of things he should be afraid of (except people) such as cars and lawnmowers, was eating well and gaining weight even without our handouts. The final sticking point to his release was that he didn’t seem able to dig a burrow and, without that, he couldn’t survive on his own. Ultimately, he managed even that tuck. We weren’t sure whether he had dug the burrow himself or simply took over a pre-existing one hut it really didn’t matter. We finally decided we didn’t need to keep trying to find him. We figured he would go off and do whatever groundhogs do and we would never see him again.

Again, the son of a gun fooled us. Instead of heading for the tall timber like 99% of our patients do, he took up residence around the Center. He’s got his own den and gets around on his own and does what comes most naturally for groundhogs: He eats! However, in addition to that, he still likes to head over whenever he sees one of us working outdoors and hangs out, waiting patiently, for one of us to give him a big hunk of sweet potato to nosh on.

Hmmmmmmm, maybe it is not us he likes; maybe he just likes us for our sweet potatoes

Reprinted from "Second Thoughts" newsletter- Winter 2005.