Chipmunk Patrol

CHIPMUNK PATROL
by A. Richard Miller
11135 visits since 040908; last updated 060830.

Eastern Chipmunk (generic image) Chipmunks are very common in New England, although their population varies from year to year.

Chipmunks make good pets. When I was in college, I knew a girl who took one to classes with her at Vassar College -- in her sweater! It would pop its head out now and again, and was very friendly.

We like the wild chipmunks that scamper through our yard and the nearby woods in Natick, Massachusetts. Years ago, Jill patiently trained a wild chipmunk to come when she called. Here's how. First, she left a few sunflower seeds at the corner of our back porch every day, and then next to where she'd sit and read a book. Once the chipmunk dared take the seeds from next to her, it was only a matter of time until it would take one from her hand, opened on the ground. Within a few days, the chipmunk trusted Jill enough to let her lift it up in her palm while it took the seed. After that, soon it would leap up into her palm for its sunflower-seed reward. Within a week or two, it would try anything: scampering up her arm to take a seed from her shoulder, from her shirt pocket, even from her lips with a kiss. Guests were astonished. It was a great show!

Kids: Chipmunks may be illegal as pets. And wild animals must be handled carefully; you can hurt or scare them, and they can bite. If you want to learn to work with wild animals, ask someone who knows.

This afternoon (September 8th), Jill went out back after a heavy downpour. A large childrens' swim tube was lying on the ground, and its center depression had filled high with rain water. To her dismay, inside it was a little chipmunk, swimming for dear life but unable to get up its slippery sides!

The chipmunk must have jumped on and then slid down into the too-deep water. Its thrashing was slowing down, and Jill could see that it was close to drowning. She hurried over and lifted it out. She set it on the grass. It just lay there, shivering violently. So she brought it indoors in her hand -- limp, shivering, eyes closed, fur all wetted down and bedraggled. Jill called for me to help. What to do?

We put a dish towel next to the kitchen sink, put the little chipmunk on it, and covered it with another. Jill gently dabbed at its fur, drying it as well as possible. It was still shivering violently, and barely opening its eyes. So we put one of the towels into our microwave oven. Fifteen seconds turned out to be about right, to warm a damp towel enough to warm a damp chipmunk. It was still shivering, but less and less.

Chipmunk recovering

After perhaps a half hour, and many towel trips to the microwave oven, our little chipmunk began to perk up. We had a bucket ready for it, to ease its way back outdoors. But suddenly it bolted for the far corner of the counter, and beat Jill to the draw! We finally coaxed it out from behind the food mixer. It jumped onto the window ledge behind the sink, then made a reassuringly healthy leap back towards the mixer -- where Jill was able to scoop it into the bucket, give it one towel to cuddle under, and the other towel for a lid. We gave it a walnut half, too. We sat it near the back door for another hour to let it recover further, then put it, bucket and cover towel and all, on our open porch for a while longer.

Before Jill and I said goodbye to our new friend, we remembered to empty the water from the swim tube and to stand it on edge.

We think our little chipmunk is better. After we left, it left the bucket. In a day or two, perhaps it will come back for another visit under less harrowing circumstances.

If you enjoyed this, we think you'll also like:
The Chipmunk Chronicles, by Toni Will-Harris

Angst in August, by Ron McAdow backhome

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