squirrel funeral part 2
A little update: A few minutes after I lay the dead squirrel down at the roots of his favorite tree, a young squirrel came hopping across the yard to see what was up. It stopped about three feet away, stood up for a few seconds, then hopped away. Youth's response to death.
Later in the afternoon, a pair of adult squirrels approached the now-cold body. The first one used her hands to sort of fluff his fur, like someone searching a drunk for change or perhaps grooming a dead sibling. When she left, the other approached and lay a stick across the deceased's chest.
If this is not a squirrel funeral, I can't imagine what else it meant.
EDIT: Good news - the one who died wasn't one of my favorites, the crazy-acrobatic one. That silly boy still leaps from tree to tree, wheee!
Best,
Chris
Later in the afternoon, a pair of adult squirrels approached the now-cold body. The first one used her hands to sort of fluff his fur, like someone searching a drunk for change or perhaps grooming a dead sibling. When she left, the other approached and lay a stick across the deceased's chest.
If this is not a squirrel funeral, I can't imagine what else it meant.
EDIT: Good news - the one who died wasn't one of my favorites, the crazy-acrobatic one. That silly boy still leaps from tree to tree, wheee!
Best,
Chris