Gruesome Puzzle

[hc4361]

I noticed my flower bed has been disturbed and a bulb appears to have been dug up.
On closer inspection I discovered a squirrel buried upright. I can see no sign of mauling.
Any clues? I have a photo if it would help

[rowanwitch]

Fox cacheing for later

[hc4361]

Buried upright as if posed? http://i39.tinypic.com/1znv2n6.jpg

The squirrel is posed so that it sitting upright on his haunches. No sign of any injuries.

[rowanwitch]

Fox wouldn't make a conscious decision.... unless you have annoyed someone locally it would still be my main idea.

[hc4361]

Okay, thanks a lot, Rowan.

[Mosaic]

I'd say satanic ritual, but does the dark lord not have a special fondness for squirrels?

[hc4361]

I shall keep a look out for witches dancing naked in my garden under the light of the full moon, Mosaic

[aelmpvw]

^ ^ ^ don't we all

[pixie373]

Oh, that's horrible. That does look like a person has done it. It's very neat.

[hc4361]

This is the excavated squirrel
http://i40.tinypic.com/28lchnq.jpg
:(

Poor thing

[pixie373]

Aaaw. Bless him. No idea, but i think an animal would have buried the whole squirrel. It's bizarre.

[hc4361]

There was a light dusting of soil on his head. It wasn't obvious it was a squirrel until I brushed the earth off.

[sandyRoe]

Are there any tall trees overhead? Maybe it fell and the force of the drop drove the poor wee critter into the earth.

[hc4361]

Errr, no.

[wolf63]

I must admit that my first thought was the same as Sandy's. The force of the fall shunted him far under the earth.

Methinks a human is responsible - but why?

[anneasquith]

reminds me of victor meldrew covered up to his neck in soil!!!!!!

[browntrout]

The only predators in UK, capable of taking a squirrel, that regularly bury (for later consumption) their victims is the mink. this is ingrained in them because in their natural habitat (the wilds of Canada/Siberia) food is scarce. when they find a source they try and kill it all and bury the surplus to eat later. this is why they have largely wiped out water voles and moorhens in many areas. the voles and hens are territorial, a passing through mink lingers in the area long enough to kill the lot.

[divegirl]

Bit late with my suggestion here...

I know there is a brick wall to be seen in the background but how deep are the foundations for that wall? Could the squirrel have dug up from the other side of the wall? Not likely if there is a pavement on the other side but maybe if there is just soil....
A very strange happening what ever way you look at it.

Lisa x

[emmie]

i was wondering that too, it crept under the wall, then simply got stuck, and buried, like people sometimes do in quicksand, very odd.

[mrs.chappie]

Bizarre though it sounds, it looks to me like a human has done that. :o(

You don't have any enemies, do you? Someone who doesn't like you feeding the wildlife, perhaps?

[hc4361]

Nice theory, but that is my house wall and the foundations are very deep so now chance of it tunnelling up and underneath the wall.

If the squirrel was the weight of an elephant I can see it might drive itself in to the ground if falling from a great height but it weighs around one pound I don't think that happened here.

:)

I do like the idea of tunnelling squirrels, though, and parachuting ones.