The tide was rising, and she didn’t have much time …
Quick Thinking Saves Rabbit Trapped on Rising Tide
The day before Thanksgiving, wildlife rescuer Karenlynn Stracher was standing in line at a Long Island bakery waiting for a holiday pie when her phone buzzed with an urgent alert. A wild rabbit was stuck in a dangerous spot, and time was running out. Stracher grabbed her dessert and rushed to help.
A local resident who lived along the waterfront had spotted a small, fuzzy shape wedged deep in a gap along her bulkhead. When she looked closer, she realized it was a rabbit trapped just above the waterline — and with the tide on its way in, the little animal was at serious risk of drowning.
Since Stracher happened to be only minutes away, she arrived quickly with her rescue gear. The homeowner guided her out onto the dock while Stracher carried a net and an animal carrier, hoping she wasn’t too late.
“When I finally saw him, my stomach dropped,” Stracher told The Dodo. “He was much lower down than I expected, so I had to extend the net all the way. The farther it reaches, the harder it is to control.”
Despite the challenge, she steadied her nerves and lowered the net toward the frightened rabbit.
“I knew I only had one shot,” she said. “His life really depended on getting it right.”
With one smooth motion, Stracher managed to slip the net around the bunny and lift him safely up to the dock. After checking him over, she was relieved to find that he had no injuries and was perfectly healthy.
Moments later, the rescued rabbit darted back into the brush — exactly where he belonged.
“Watching him hop away was incredible,” Stracher said. “It’s one of those rescues where you know, without a doubt, that you changed the outcome for that animal. That’s the heart of wildlife rescue.”