David (and the listserv),

Although it is an arguably odd question, it is complementary to a question I have had for many years. Between 1989 and 2002 I owned a black lab, a wonderful companion named Zelda. Zelda probably would have made a great hunting dog, since she was completely unperturbed by loud noises, firecrackers, freight trains and such. I don't hunt, but I would take her canoeing, geologizing. etc. She was good at finding ground hog holes, saving me some digging in the geological field. (rock chips in the tailings - a trick I learned from a previous dog)

Three times over the years she proudly emerged from the brush with the lower half of a rabbit in her jaws. I'm sure she didn't kill them herself, and they were only treasured bits of found carrion. But what had taken the upper half? I think it could only be owls or hawks. She found one of these half-rabbits at what we used to call the "factory field," the old site of the Capital Auto Parts plant at I-71 and Hudson in Columbus. After the factory was abandoned (c. 1990) it slowly progressed into a wild site, finally "improved" by the Crew Stadium, and ultimately a Lowes and other commercial development. Although it was a superfund site (due to underground storage tanks of pickling acids that were never cleaned out by the owners), the factory and the fairgrounds parking lot to the south were really an amazing pocket of urban wildlife: kestrels hunting snakes in the adjacent railroad bed, pheasants in the brush, once a possible coyote - pretty interesting stuff only three miles from downtown... I tallied 89 species of birds there, but never any owls.

Red-tailed hawks were attempting to nest in large oaks there when Zelda found the half-rabbit. I figured that the hawk probably couldn't carry the whole rabbit, tore it in half around the abdominal area, and flew off with the prize it could handle. 

I find it interesting that it was always the upper half that was missing in the three experiences I have had. Now I read your account of the missing rabbit head, and it brought back my old speculations, as well as treasured memories of a great pet and friend.

Thanks,

Bob Evans
Geologist, etc.
Hopewell Township, Muskingum County

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