Woman Catches Backyard “Thief” Running Off With Her Flowers
One decorative garden in upstate New York became the scene of repeated robberies, as resident Robin Pierce Draper kept finding her possessions stolen over and over. Flowers and other decorations had a habit of vanishing without a trace. Draper decided it was time to find the culprit, and she didn’t have to look far for answers.
The thief was living right on the property.
Draper recently looked outside and caught a groundhog helping himself to a bouquet of artificial flowers she had arranged inside a flamingo-shaped planter. She captured the animal making off with his prize in a Facebook video.
The theft apparently wasn’t an isolated incident. Draper told The Dodo that the groundhog lives beneath the family’s very own shed. It just so happens he also developed a habit of taking things from around the yard, dragging them out of sight.
The Thief Has Expensive Taste
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“I’ll recover the artificial flowers, [but] he did take more things,” Draper told The Dodo, which reported on the story on Sept. 11.
She recalled leaving small American flags outside that she intended to use as decorations. When she went back for them the following day, they had disappeared.
Draper didn’t witness that particular heist, so the case of the missing flags technically remains unsolved. Still, she told The Dodo that she has a prime suspect.
Groundhogs getting into gardens is considerably less unusual than one making off with artificial flowers. The University of Maryland Extension says the animals eat a wide variety of plant material, making them a particular headache for vegetable and flower gardeners. Especially when a groundhog causes mischief over and over, day after day, causing a serious case of déjà vu—someone should make a movie about that.
Living Under The Shed is Classic Behavior For This Particular Brand Of Bandit
The groundhog’s choice of home also fits the species remarkably well. Groundhogs are incredibly strong when it comes to digging, allowing their burrows to reach about five feet deep. They are so efficient that they can build multiple entrances, according to the University of Maryland Extension.
Those burrows sometimes turn up beneath sheds and other outdoor structures. Penn State Extension likewise notes that woodchucks—another name for groundhogs—can damage gardens while living remarkably close to people.
To be a gardener means to engage in a near-constant struggle to keep animals, such as groundhogs, squirrels, and deer, away from prized plants. Fences are a typical tool of the trade, although simply putting up a short barrier may not be enough.
The University of Maryland Extension recommends a strong fence at least four feet in height (for groundhogs), buried about 12 inches underground. Those dimensions are recommended because groundhogs can both dig and climb.
