Anyone interested in this story and rats in general will appreciate my experiences with one of my resident pack rats. The resulting documentary absolutely proves to me that rats are intelligent, social and even initiate friendships with people.
I have been live-trapping and releasing my resident pack rats since I moved to northeast Oregon twelve years ago. I know sometimes they almost beat me back home. Last year I released a rat who immediately sprinted to my car, looked up the right rear tire, climbed inside somewhere, and then hitched a ride back home! I have him doing this on film FOUR times - one time I even parked the car in the opposite direction. He ran directly to my car and climbed up the left front tire. I opened the hood and found him sitting on the spare tire!
Using footage from my camcorder, I made the short film, "BUDDY - The Amazing Pack Rat" which received three Honorary Mentions and was screened at 2011 film festivals. In addition to all of his returns to the car, this true story shows Buddy doing the “pack rat” thing (collecting “gifts”) in broad daylight, and connected to an oxygen machine so that a tick could be removed at the veterinary clinic. The 13-minute short documentary reveals rare or never-before-seen footage of wild pack rat activities as Buddy and Bonnie develop an unbelievably unique and heartwarming friendship.
Please check out www.buddytheamazingpackrat.com. I am very excited about sharing my experiences with “Buddy” and increasing awareness about animals in general.
I have been live-trapping and releasing my resident pack rats since I moved to northeast Oregon twelve years ago. I know sometimes they almost beat me back home. Last year I released a rat who immediately sprinted to my car, looked up the right rear tire, climbed inside somewhere, and then hitched a ride back home! I have him doing this on film FOUR times - one time I even parked the car in the opposite direction. He ran directly to my car and climbed up the left front tire. I opened the hood and found him sitting on the spare tire!
Using footage from my camcorder, I made the short film, "BUDDY - The Amazing Pack Rat" which received three Honorary Mentions and was screened at 2011 film festivals. In addition to all of his returns to the car, this true story shows Buddy doing the “pack rat” thing (collecting “gifts”) in broad daylight, and connected to an oxygen machine so that a tick could be removed at the veterinary clinic. The 13-minute short documentary reveals rare or never-before-seen footage of wild pack rat activities as Buddy and Bonnie develop an unbelievably unique and heartwarming friendship.
Please check out www.buddytheamazingpackrat.com. I am very excited about sharing my experiences with “Buddy” and increasing awareness about animals in general.
Bonnie Norton