Cute baby groundhogs playing

[smithduke]

Hi. I looked out my window the other day and saw a family of 5 or 6 baby groundhogs and their mom, romping, wrestling and playing with each other. I grabbed my camera and videoed them. For me, it's was a once in a lifetime experience to see the little guys. Every year we see one baby a a mother but never a litter of groundhogs.

I posted my video on YouTube and thought the animal lovers here would enjoy watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9xAKstl2KE

[cpietra16]

cute...were you planning to trap them..I noticed a trap on the side. The Owl sure scared them off.....

[smithduke]

No, no, never! That trap was for our indoor cat that went missing and we just never put the trap in the shed. She ran outside and hid somewhere for 5 weeks! One morning we opened our door, thinking it would be another day without finding her, and there she was!!! Pure elation to say the least!!!

We would never trap wildlife unless they were injured or in danger. Sadly, I'm surrounded by neighbors who don't like groundhogs so I don't give the babies much time once they're weaned.

[smithduke]

Originally Posted by cpietra16

I noticed a trap on the side. The Owl sure scared them off.....

Funny but annoying story about the owl. A neighbor gave that to us because we had too many birds and squirrels in our yard! Can you believe the gall of some people???

They put it there without us knowing it and I saw the squirrels jumping on it later that day. The birds didn't even notice it!!!

I truly think the baby groundhogs love that owl and would miss it if I removed it!!! So adorable!

[cpietra16]

I agree the owl stays

[smithduke]

I can't say the same for our neighbors!!!

[chico2]

Smithduke,loved the video.love Groundhogs
We once had one in our backyard,my cats cornered him,before I knew he was there:sad:
He then escaped under the fence,only to get hit by a car,the lady driving did not even look back,or hear me yelling at her.
He was killed instantly
It always a problem having people next door who see wildlife as pests,the only pests I know are all humans.

[Mat&Murph]

I love it!!! The owlhas to stay!!!! Too cute

[smithduke]

Originally Posted by chico2

Smithduke,loved the video.love Groundhogs
We once had one in our backyard,my cats cornered him,before I knew he was there:sad:
He then escaped under the fence,only to get hit by a car,the lady driving did not even look back,or hear me yelling at her.
He was killed instantly
It always a problem having people next door who see wildlife as pests,the only pests I know are all humans.

I agree with you completely that humans are pests! My elderly neighbor knocked on my door one day to see if my daughter wanted to come and see the baby raccoon they had trapped. I told her the only way I want my child to see a raccoon is free, in the wild! When I went out to get my mail I saw the baby in the have-a-heart and it's mother clawing and chewing at the cage to get him out. He'd been in the trap all night and all day without any water! I begged my neighbor to let it go because it would never survive if he released it somewhere else but he didn't listen. Later that night he let it go in a wildlife preserve about 5 miles away, without his mother. Uggg!!! Heartless monster!

We feed the birds, throw out leftover food for raccoons, give the groundhogs some veggies and fruit etc. We don't go overboard with feeding them but like to give the ground animals a boost during the winter and spring baby seasons. We even have a heated bird bath for any animal who needs a drink in the winter. I feel if I attract the animals too much, they'll just get trapped by someone so I'd rather they stay shy. I don't understand why people move into the country only to be annoyed by the wildlife around them. Isn't that the beauty of living here?

[smithduke]

Did I go off on a tangent? Sorry. Some things just frustrate me.

[chico2]

Smithduke,you are allowed
We too have a heater for our bird-bath and I think the whole neighborhoods birds come here for a drink in the winter

[chico2]

Smithduke,about the Raccoon-baby in the trap,your evil neighbor might as well have killed it right then and there.
Dropping a baby off somewhere far away from it's mother is an illegal act,the baby will not survive:sad:
If it had been me,I would have released the baby back to it's mother,no matter what the neighbor said,I'd deal with the neighbor later,that babies life was more important than anything she would have to say.
Trapping Raccoons,is like killing one ant,there is always more.
We have Raccoons at night,making a mess of my small garbage-can,but there is never any food,so sooner or later they'll not come back.
I love them and used to feed them a few years back,but when I realized I am feeding 18 Raccoons,I had to stop,not a good idea to feed them.
Here is a pic from the days I used to feed them.

[smithduke]

Chico,

I love the pics. Cute one of mama and baby.

I did tell my nieghbor it was illegal but it fell on deaf ears. I explained to him that wherever he released the baby it would die without it's mother either from hunger or from another raccoon killing it for territorial reasons. He kept the baby in the cage all day long while he was outside gardening so I couldn't sneak over. Every time the mother came by (even during the day) he would chase her away. My hubby went out to release it when it got dark but my neighbor had already taken it to the wildlife preserve. It breaks my heart to think how frightened the baby and the mother must have been!!

We also used to put food out but the population never got too large. Probably because of my idiot neighbor. This past winter we put out food but none came around. They're better off staying away.