On Wednesday afternoon, the crows took a Chihuahua puppy away. Fudge was small enough to fit in the palm of a hand and was outside Sinden’s home in Melbourne’s outer east. However, despite the chihuahua owner, Heather Sinden remains hopeful. That is despite Fudge being snatched and carried away by crows.
Fudge's Disappearance
Melinda Pride, Sinden’s daughter, informed the Lilydale & Yarra Valley Leader. That the dog had spent most of its time indoors but was allowed outside to urinate. Moreover, Pride mentioned that her mother had seen the crows at the Astor Court address and had become concerned.
Then, Pride heard Fudge screaming and witnessed the crows carry the dog away. Moreover, according to Pride, Sinden has lung cancer. She was given the puppy for companionship two months ago and collapsed from shock. Then, Sinden expressed concern for the dog's safety, saying, "If anything happens to this little dog, I don't know what I'll do," as revealed by Pride. Moreover, Sinden was very attached to the little dog.
Search for Fudge
Pride was hopeful that Fudge landed safely. In an interview on local radio, she said members of the community were scouring the area for Fudge. “We’ve had people walking around everywhere; it’s just amazing the feedback we’re getting. People are going to parks and everything, trying to find her, but there’s no sign of her at all. Pride stated that they were hoping Fudge fell safely from the bird and landed without any injuries.
People made calls for Fudge’s safe return on social media. And the story was shared on Chihuahua Rescue Australia's Facebook page.
Precedent for Chihuahuas Being Carried Away by Birds
And the comments below the post revealed that chihuahuas were previously carried. Away by birds of prey in Australia. Mandy Knox commented, "I have eagles that hang around our house and I have a three-month-old chihuahua; I’m always on the lookout for those buggers." Lauren Jackson's chihuahua was picked up by a crow while at the park. Anyway has later dropped about 500 meters away, with a happy ending to the story.
Risk to Chihuahuas
Natalie Brabham, the founder, and president of Chihuahua Rescue Australia had cautioned chihuahua owners about the danger. Particularly for those who live in rural areas. “There are hawks, eagles – you hear stories in the US frequently about chihuahuas taken by wedge-tailed eagles, bald eagles, even crows.” She said she had trained her own chihuahua, Valentine, to dislike birds: “He will always bark when they come onto the property. I have that fear ... we have magpies in Victoria that swoop.” Brabham mentioned that Fudge could weigh as little as 700g at four months old and that the dog's survival chances depended on whether she had been dropped and the location of her fall.
Chihuahua Rescue Australia to the Rescue
Chihuahua Rescue Australia coordinated a "small puppy police patrol" in the area to search for Fudge. They hoped to utilize social media and people-power to help locate the dog. So as time was of the essence, especially if she was dropped and injured.
Crows Are Intelligent Creatures
Crows, known for their intelligence, are the only non-primate species that create tools, like sticks and hooks, to obtain grubs from logs and branches. A study carried out by the University of Auckland on wild New Caledonian crows two years ago revealed that these birds were as intelligent as seven-year-old children in terms of reasoning abilities.
Source: The Guardian
