Befriending wild chipmunks is quick and easy!
Befriending wild chipmunks is quick and easy!
Today I want you to meet my pal Stripes!
Stripes was a wild chipmunk that lived outside of my house in 2019 and 2020, and we were close friends!
But before Stripes, there was Chip! This all started when one morning I saw a chipmunk by my front door and I had the instinct to run and grab some almonds. I threw the almonds at him, and repeated this on the several days that followed. When he wasn’t around to catch my pitches, I’d instead leave a few nuts by the front door of my house.
As I fed him I’d go “Chip-chip-chip-chip-chip…” and I think eventually he did learn his name. It only took a week before I was able to feed Chip from my hand for the first time.
He also lightly nibbled on my finger there though, and rabies terrifies me, so I stopped feeding him without protection after that.
I continued to feed Chip whenever I saw him almost daily, and when he wasn’t out I’d leave walnuts by my front door if only so he knew to stay close. I switched to walnuts because that seemed to be his preference.
After two or three months though Chip seemed… different. He (she?) moved differently now and was also suddenly more skittish. I suspected that I was now feeding a different chipmunk, and I decided to call her Stripes. But eventually she warmed up to me too.
But before I could get to know her for long, winter came. Northeastern chipmunks hibernate per se, but they do sleep a lot, so I didn’t see her much. Still, I would leave walnuts out for her and later I’d find that the nuts had been replaced with little paw-prints.
But once the season turned to spring Stripes became more active. And soon she had babies! She turned her provisions into two litters that spring!
Each litter had 2-3 babies, but I don’t have good footage of that :c. It was really fun to watch 4 little chipmunks scuttle around outside at the same time I promise.
I also tried many novel activities with Stripes. Feeding her from a serving spoon was one of my favorites.
Especially because if I lifted the spoon high enough while she was eating, she would pull herself onto the spoon, and then I would have a chipmunk on a spoon!
When I tried the same thing with Chip, though, he
We also experimented with ladders!
And, here’s how my father would chill with Stripes:
I tried it too:
In the end, though, we had to part ways when I moved. I hope Stripe’s heirs are doing well:)
New here? You might like the rest of my blog.
Meet Stripes, the chipmunk friend
Wild and free, until the end
It started with a handful of nuts
Thrown towards Chip, with many guts
Feeding every day, leaving walnuts too
Soon Chip was different, a new Stripes in view
Through winter she slept, leaving prints in the snow
But come spring, Stripes had babies in tow
From serving spoons to ladders galore
Stripes and I tried so much more
But alas, we must part ways
Leaving behind memories and hopeful days
Farewell dear friend, I hope you're well
Until we meet again, time will tell.
[ChatGPT]
Oh my god that poem 🥲
Hah, what fun!