Stoat and rabbit

[The Parson]

Hi I am new to all this but I thought you might like to hear about what my wife and I have just seen. We recently moved to Northumberland from Kent and the wildlife here is so totally different. Today we were taking our dog for a walk on the beach at Cresswell when we saw a stoat dragging a small, obviously dead, rabbit across the sand dunes. It passed no more than 2 yards in front of us and was so intent on its meal that I am sure it never saw us. This is the closest I have ever been to such a delightful animal and was wondering if this is a common event. Unfortunately I didn`t have my camera with me so I am unable to show any pictures.
Your replies would be most welcome.

[big bill]

Hello and welcome to the site and enjoy it is a mine of information from the more experianced members who will help out,as to your question not sure my self but it must have been a great experiance and a site to see well done like you said no camera its always the same when an opertunity arises like this.

[Dogghound]

Hello welcome to WAB. The rabbit is a key part of the stoat's diet, it is killed with a precision bite to the back of the neck. As for the behaviour, most stoats tend to run away if seen although some are brave, some like in your case are possibly very hungry so are reluctant to give up the important meal.

[Kayleigh]

Hi and welcome to the site..your lucky to see a stoat that close. I have only seen them running fast into cover..

[helen253]

I had the misfortune as a child of being bitten by a stoat which clung on for dear life until I regrettably threw it about thirty feet in the air (it landed on grass and got up and ran off though!) so I can testify to their bravery!

Still have the scar...it was so cute though!

[jamie1976]

hi just a new member last week me and my work mate watched a stoat dragging rats from there holes on a water treatment site it was brilliant to see ,so much power in these things it was no more than 10 foot away it new we were there but it was so involved in getting its prey it let us stand there ,fantastic site ill never forget it

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by jamie1976

hi just a new member last week me and my work mate watched a stoat dragging rats from there holes on a water treatment site it was brilliant to see ,so much power in these things it was no more than 10 foot away it new we were there but it was so involved in getting its prey it let us stand there ,fantastic site ill never forget it

hmmmm are you sure it was a stoat and not a mink? Stoats do prospect around rat or vole burrows but they usually run away from people whereas a mink will often ignore you. I also can't help but hope it was brown rats and not the increasingly rare water vole?

[dragonfly]

sounds like you were very lucky to see such a thing so close to
remember to take your camara everywhere nature dosent do scripts

[SteveHL]

It is not something you see every day thats for sure. Its also not something that happens very often when you've got a camera with you , but occasionally you may be lucky and have it happen in front of you. I only got one shot!

Click on the image to enlarge.

Cheers
SteveHL

[dragonfly]

Thats Realy Good

[jamie1976]

100 % sure it was a stoat and not a mink ,and also really sure it was no water vole just dirty filthy rats ,the mink is larger than the stoat it was a stoat for sure ,i no stoats will run from humans but to be fair it was in a fight

[helen253]

yes, my childhood stoat stood it's ground too...it let me get close enough to touch it....then attached itself to my thumb. could it have been defending it's babies?

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by helen253

yes, my childhood stoat stood it's ground too...it let me get close enough to touch it....then attached itself to my thumb. could it have been defending it's babies?

Possibly, it would also have seen you as a massive threat, these animals are fearless and often kill animals much larger, so do show alot of courage. You reaching out to touch it was a threatening move and it bit you to protect itself more than anyhing. A couple of years ago now i encountered a stoat that ran at me several times trying to intimidate me, i stood still it came rite upto my shoe, and eventually calmed down when it assesed my level of threat and left, quite an amazing encounter.

[helen253]

it hurt like hell at the time but i remember it fondly as a lesson well learned - just because it looks adorable, it still may have sharp teeth!

[ron1863]

Hello and a warm welcome. I watched something similar on TV the other night - a gardening programme about Prince Charles' country house, Highgate. David Attenburgh was the narrater and showed a 5 minute segment of a Stoat dragging a dead rabbit a few hundred yards back to it's burrow at the foot of a tree. It was fascinating as the rabbit weighed something like three times the weight of the stoat.