Another brief escape

We still have (or rather have again, after an FMD-extended sojourn in another part of the Forest) Crunchie on loan from Michael and Anne Jones. One long night in September we all had rather too much excitement. Having discovered Sabina and Crunchie were missing we finally located Sabina alone at dusk outside the fence, pretending to be a badger and looking for smooth snakes. Further investigation revealed that they had fallen through the fence. While herding Sabina back we heard an awful screech of tyres on the nearby road, followed by a loud thump and silence. Crunchie had been hit by a car! Fortunately, the driver was unhurt, but there is now one less Sierra hatchback in the world. Crunchie had been hit broadside, swept off his feet and rolled up the bonnet and into the windscreen. He then rolled back off and stood rather dazed in the road before wandering off into Ringwood Forest, closely followed by Rue and a somewhat nervous policeman. We feared the worst when Crunchie lay down suddenly and refused to move for nearly an hour, but one sight of the vet's stethoscope and thermometer and he leapt to his feet! There followed a bizarre three-quarter-mile procession back to the enclosure for an extended check-up and treatment, with vet and police in attendance (the latter concerned that we hadn't got a FMD movement licence to re-cross the road--this was the least of our worries!) Thankfully Crunchie was only bruised, shocked, and grazed and was soon fully recovered.

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