What is a Stoat?
If you’re an animal person, then there’s no doubt that you’ll fall in love with a stoat. What is a stoat you ask? A stoat belongs to the Mustelidae family of carnivorous mammals which includes weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks, and wolverines.
You can easily identify one if you notice an orangey-brown back, creamy white throat and belly, and black-tipped tail. They are typically longer than a weasel and have a longer tail with its back arched as it moves around.
These furry friends are scattered throughout the UK in grasslands, heaths, and woodlands. When winter arrives, stoats that inhabit these cooler climates may turn almost fully white. They are more typically referred to as “Ermine” whenever they exhibit these features in the frosty weather.
A video clip gone viral with over 9 million views captures the adventure of Whisper the stoat. She was abandoned at nearly 4 weeks of age by her mom and was luckily taken in by her current caretaker, Robert. Her journey to normal life was documented throughout the clip and even more important, her first encounter with another baby stoat.
Little did she know that this would be a pivotal moment in her life
Whisper had everything a young 5-week old stoat could ever ask for: milk provided by her caretaker, a small crate for shelter, and a sleeping bag. You could see her body was a bit wobbly when held in Robert’s hand as to indicate fragility and an eagerness to develop. The petite little critter was definitely in good hands.
At 7 weeks of age, she was showing tremendous signs of growth and health.
Her enclosure got an upgrade since she was at an age where her playfulness would often take over.
However, there was a bit of a problem with all this comfort Whisper was being provided. Unfortunately, human interaction was not enough to give her a fulfilling life, and so Robert decided to take action.
“Someone contacted me from Norfolk. They found a baby stoat in their garden.” said Robert. “And with a few phone calls and a bit of driving, we’ve actually got the baby stoat here.”
The timing couldn’t have been any more perfect. The young stoat, named Stuart, was the same age as Whisper, but she was more timid. A slow introduction had to be done in order for the two to properly meet and greet each other. Neither of the stoats has ever seen another one of their brethren since they were both born with their eyes closed.
This is was going to be such an exciting moment!
The two immediately became rapidly acquainted with each other and soon enough the bond started to form.
“They’re getting really active now. They’re climbing, They’re fighting. They’re playing.” Robert said.
While Whisper was already doing really well with her surroundings, it took Stuart a bit more time to get fully comfortable. To help with this, Robert built them a small pond for them to play and frolic around as young siblings do. It’s such a wholesome sight that you’d have to see for yourself!
“Whisper and Stuart stayed in and around the enclosure for about a week before setting off for their new life in the wild. It’s been an amazing experience being part of these young stoats’ lives and I look forward to catching up with them in the future.”
No doubt that these two are too adorable for mere words to describe. The road will be long, but given that they’ve had the proper guidance, we’re sure that they’ll be just fine.
Catch the entire video of the two stoats below!
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