About two weeks ago, Big Sister did something amazing. She rescued (another) bunny. But this time, she did not save a bunny from one of our tom cats. She saved it from a Red Tail Hawk- wing span as wide as Big Sis is tall!
Apparently, hawks will often grab prey that is too large or hardy to kill in its talons or by the initial strike. So the hawk will carry the prey, in this case a 1/2 pound baby rabbit, way up into the sky, and then drop it from great heights. The baby rabbit was supposed to hit the ground and die. At which point the hawk would retrieve its dinner and eat.
But this time, the hawk aimed poorly. She dropped the rabbit over the creek that runs behind our yard. The bunny bounced, water broke its fall, and the bunny swam in desperation toward the bank.
Big Sis was watching the whole thing. Without thinking, she ran down into the creek and scooped up the wet, traumatised baby rabbit, wrapped the poor thing in her own jacket, and brought it inside.
The hawk was PO'ed. She landed on a branch above the creek, huffing and crying out, shaking her head at this bad luck. Her sharp eye turns toward Big Sister; two brave souls consider one another.
From there the story is more typical. We found a box, made it warm and filled it with clover. The rabbit rested and recovered for several hours, until it was time to move on. It was released further up the creek, in Gramma and Papa's yard, under a bush.
Baby bunny, aptly named Meteor by the children, recovering in a warm box.
The children calmed Meteor by petting him between the ears!
From warm hands to sun-warmed grass....
Hidden.
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