Animal Tales

Late last night, I was walking down I st when I saw, 10 feet to my left, an abnormally large raccoon staring at me from the parking lot between Munson and JBKO.

I stopped in my tracks, and we shared a moment, staring into eachother's eyes.

He scampered off after he got bored, but his furry little face stayed with me all night. I began to recount all of the odd encounters I've had with animals at GW over the past two years, and there have been quite a few.

Like the time I walked out of Fulbright last year to see two ducks lazily crossing H st.

"Hello, Ducks," I said.

When I returned from class later on that day, the ducks were still there, chillin underneath a bush next to Fulbright. They were really cute.

Another day last spring, I was running near dusk on the mall on the far side of the reflecting pool, when I looked out over the large expanse of grass and saw a red fox chasing some birds. You expect to see dogs chasing tennis balls, but I never would have guessed there were foxes living in DC.

Not all of my encounters with animals have been pleasant. Take, for example, the times a female friend of mine would call and ask me to dispose of the mice caught in her traps. Eeeew.

Or the bunny I saw, wrapped in a knit sweater and forced around on a leash by some girl who thought it was cute. THE BUNNY HAS FUR FOR A REASON. PS IT PROBABLY HATES YOU.

Anyway, I can remember a few times in the past year when wild animals have caused problems on campus, like when a rabid bat was found in Funger or when birds in the Smith Center caused a blood drived to shut down.

But overall, random encounters with animals in the city are pleasant diversions from busy GW life. Anyone else have odd or enjoyable encounters with animals on our urban campus???

(pic credit: wikimedia commons)