Carkeek Pt. 3: Extraordinary Animals
While on my walk at Carkeek, I saw several amazing animals. First, I saw an adorable chipmunk scamper across the trail! In Seattle, we have many squirrels frolicking around the city. They swirl around trees, chasing each other, daintily prance across telephone wires and stroll across fence tops. The squirrels in Seattle are brave and brazen. They perch on nearby fences as we walk past and look at us with cute but defiant twinkles in their eyes.
The next animal I saw was an itty-bitty black mole! It was an amazingly cute little creature. I've never seen a mole in the wild. They are really interesting animals. Their fleshy long noses and big paws make for an interesting looking little creature. Moles are often described as blind, but they can indeed see. They just have bad eyesight and are color blind. They rely more on the scent receptors on the end of their noses to make sense of the world. (A)
The last amazing creature I saw while at Carkeek was a bald eagle. The bald eagle swooped through the trees with a tiny wriggling animal in it's mighty beak (I really hope the wriggling creature was not the chipmunk or mole I saw.)
Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of any of the animals I witnessed, but I did get pictures of a bunch of beautiful scenery!
One thing I love about Carkeek park is the way I can be so immersed in nature while still being in the city of Seattle. It was especially fun to see wildlife. I love animal sightings! Even in the more city-esque parts of Seattle, I've had cool animal sightings. At least once a week while waiting for the bus in the morning, I will see a rat dash across the street. I know people dislike rats, but they are super cute! If I saw one rummaging through my lunch I would not be happy (but I don't like it when my cat Mue Mue rummages through my lunch either!), but out and about in the wild...they are darling! Another common animal seen in Seattle are raccoon's. I love raccoon's! They are one of the cutest animals. Plus, I am charmed by their mischievous nature.
Raccoons are more otherworldly then we give them credit for when we see them rummaging though garbage or lumbering across the road in the wee hours of the night. When raccoons are hairless, they transform from an ordinary (yet adorable) animal to an unexplained creature.
In Texas, a couple found a strange creature in their cornfield, peacefully munching on some corn. The creature was bizarre and unlike any they had witnessed before. They suspected the creature was the Chupacabra! (B) Everyone seemed to be amazed and awed by the chupacabra raccoon. Raccoons already have it tough in the admiration department, as many see these charming and mischievous creatures as little more then garbage mongering nuisances. And hairless animals also tend to make people uncomfortable with all that rough skin exposed, and none of that furry fuzz that cloaks most animals with an immediate appearance of 'cute'. So this raccoon, against all odds, inspired bouts of fanciful musings and hopeful speculations. The little guy wasn't suspected to be an ordinary animal, but something more, something of legends and ancient tales.
Sources:
A. Bradford, By Alina. "Facts About Moles." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 24 Sept. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2016 <http://www.livescience.com/52297-moles.html>
B.Krebs, Natalie. "Experts: The Texas "Chupacabra" Was Definitely a Raccoon." Outdoor Life. N.p., 11 Apr. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. <http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/newshound/2014/04/experts-texas-chupacabra-was-definitely-raccoon>