Not in Central Park

Today the landscape is bursting with baby rabbits so small they could sit comfortably in the palm of your hand. Photograph: Donegal Browne

No there are no rabbits in Central Park. There are rabbits in Prospect Park in Brooklyn but none in Central Park. Doesn't that seem odd? Particularly odd as people do release unwanted "wild" pets into the Park. Therefore one knows any number of those endearing cute baby bunny Easter presents, now large and possibly nibby RABBITS have, without out a doubt, been released here. Why haven't they done the thing they are so famous for? You know, *&##ing like bunnies?

Grandpa Chipmunk lives under the steps in Harry's Yard. Dad Chipmunk lives under the garage and Mom and her brood, live under the woodpile. Photo: Donegal Browne

Nope. There's not one Chipmunk in Central Park.

(Nor are there Groundhogs. Though up until a few years ago I'm told, there was one left. What happened is unknown but this is the problem with small isolated populations. If there is some kind of species catastrophe, the population is not renewed. )
Today's factoid: How do you tell a Chipmunk from a Ground Squirrel? Chipmunks climb trees.

A frog rises out of the muck in the marshy section of Storrs Lake. Photo: Donegal Browne

Frogs? Are there frogs in Central Park? I don't know. There must be. But come to think of it, I've never seen one. But then again, I've usually got my eyes on the sky and the tree tops hoping to spot Pale Male or Lola.

Number 3 braces her tail and stretches her legs. Photo Eleanor Tauber

Not in Central Park? Of course they are. CP has a plethora of turtles. But there are very few in Wisconsin these days. While not so many years ago the place was crawling with them. It's surmised that all the recreational use of the water's edge here and the busy highways have decimated the population. Turtles aren't able to sprint out of a car's way after all. Though Number 3 looks to be warming up just in case.

Donegal Browne