The Great Bunny E-Tale
By Charlie Grindstaff, Indian Trail Master Naturalist
July 23, 2012 11: 18 AM To: Joe From: Charlie
Subject: Another name for our email list
While we were waiting for the 4-H kids to arrive at Mockingbird Nature Park this morning, a woman & her 2 kids came over to talk to us. She wanted to explain that the day before they had found an almost tame black lop rabbit at Mockingbird & knowing it wouldn’t survive in the wild had put out a dish of water for it. It came out from under a juniper while we were talking so we (mostly Deborah) helped her capture it. I had a grocery bag in my van that we put the rabbit in for Cora (lady with kids) to transport it. Pretty exciting!
While we led the 4-H group on the nature walk, she posted “Found Bunny” signs in the neighborhood.
July 27, 2012 3:55 PM To: Cora From: Charlie
Subject: How is the rabbit?
Hope you, kids & rabbit are well. Here is a little addendum to the adventure…..
So, I am thinking about the great bunny rescue at Mockingbird Nature Park on Monday & I think this would make a great story for XXX since it was their shopping bag that was used as a bunny bag. I can see an article in their corporate newsletter or at least a posting in their store for the employees: XXX Bag Is Good For More Than Just Groceries! or maybe a contest for Most Creative Use of an XXX Bag. So I go online & Google XXX….but they are not interested. They are glad coyotes didn’t eat the rabbit and thank you for shopping at XXX.
July 27, 2012 5:31 PM To: Charlie From: Cora
Subject: Re: How is the Rabbit?
The rabbit is at Paws for Reflection Ranch right now while we are out of town. But he is doing very well and loves carrots! We think he is an elderly rabbit, and he is so very calm and tame that it has been easy to take care of him and help him recuperate!
I have not heard from former owners, but I will start looking for possible homes for him soon. If we don’t find any eager takers, we’ll probably keep him.
Thanks again to the super master naturalist crew for helping with the great bunny capture!
August 21, 2012 7:38 PM To: Charlie From: Cora
Subject: Re: How is the Rabbit?
Charlie – I have to tell you the rest of the bunny story! After a couple of weeks of attempting to find the owner of the bunny, I started emailing my friends to see if anyone would be interested in keeping him. I finally found someone – a teenager – who wanted to take him. Great! So we shipped him off, with “have a good life little bunny!” well wishes. Then two days later, one of my friends wrote me back and said that she had just now read my e-mail, and, funny thing, she had lost a black lop eared bunny a few months ago. We decided there was no way it could be hers – she lives in Steeple Chase (surely too far away) and the bunny had been gone for six months (how could it survive the heat?). But, she said she wanted to go see it just to make sure. So she went to the teenager’s house to visit and lo and behold, that was her little lost bunny. !!!!! What are the odds that 1. the bunny would make it that long in the wild and 2. that one of her friends (me) would find the thing and 3. that she’d get it back!!! (she did get it back – the teenager graciously gave him back to his rightful owner)
So that is my bizarre bunny story.
I just love a happy ending, don’t you?