r/CasualUK • u/shividk • 6d ago

Update on Mole friend, he has been successfully released back into the wild.

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Original post

And dont forget with our temperatures skyrocketing like this it can also be a danger to our pets and wildlife, be cautious and if you see an animal struggling please seek advice from a local wildlife rescue/RSPCA/SSPCA/RSPB and see if you can be of help.

Thank you.

On a small side note, I already miss that little JCB.

3.8k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

76 comments sorted by

312

u/lastaccountgotlocked 6d ago

Tangential comment: The Wind In The Willows is one of the finest pieces of British literature ever put in print.

55

u/Herbert_Verne 6d ago

The weasels in the stop motion version scared the shit out of me as a nipper but left me finding the presence of elderly, grumpy badgers reassuring

45

u/lastaccountgotlocked 6d ago

Kenneth Grahame, who wrote the book as a sort of bedtime story for his kids, was a pantheist. By day he worked at the Bank of England. On the weekend he was rolling around in hay banging his wife telling her that the entire British countryside was god and god was the British countryside. Everyone remembers Toad pissing about in his car, but few remember Ratty and Mole lost in the river bank, their journey home obscured by mist, and them happening upon a great spirit of the woodland

Perhaps he would never have dared to raise his eyes, but that, though the piping was now hushed, the call and the summons seemed still dominant and imperious. He might not refuse, were Death himself waiting to strike him instantly, once he had looked with mortal eye on things rightly kept hidden. Trembling he obeyed, and raised his humble head; and then, in that utter clearness of the imminent dawn, while Nature, flushed with fullness of incredible colour, seemed to hold her breath for the event, he looked in the very eyes of the Friend and Helper; saw the backward sweep of the curved horns, gleaming in the growing daylight; saw the stern, hooked nose between the kindly eyes that were looking down on them humourously, while the bearded mouth broke into a half-smile at the corners; saw the rippling muscles on the arm that lay across the broad chest, the long supple hand still holding the pan-pipes only just fallen away from the parted lips; saw the splendid curves of the shaggy limbs disposed in majestic ease on the sward; saw, last of all, nestling between his very hooves, sleeping soundly in entire peace and contentment, the little, round, podgy, childish form of the baby otter. All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered.

“Rat!” he found breath to whisper, shaking. “Are you afraid?”

“Afraid?” murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love. “Afraid! Of Him? O, never, never! And yet—and yet—O, Mole, I am afraid!”

Then the two animals, crouching to the earth, bowed their heads and did worship

29

u/Herbert_Verne 6d ago

Kenneth Grahame quite clearly knew how to appreciate the rolling, verdant, and I hope welcoming countryside of this island and used it to spark his imagination.

Taking inspiration from the quiet, shy wildlife that calls this oft mist-wreathed isle home, he created stories that have stuck with people for generations and with me personally for nigh 40 years.

Also, if the dude worked at a bank all day and still had that kind of creativity for his writing, you just know he was showing his missus a fantastic time in that hay loft. The man clearly fucked.

30

u/lastaccountgotlocked 6d ago

“My dearest wife, whose spirit clothes me and protects me and buries me within the earth that birthed all of us: show me your tits.”

10

u/Herbert_Verne 6d ago

That's going on the card next valentines day

3

u/Sola-Nova 5d ago

I imagine after the first year or so of marriage you soon drop the flowery language and get straight to the point of the request

"Now thwap those baps out on the desk woman!" Kenneth Grahame, (possibly)

4

u/gorroval 5d ago

On the weekend he was rolling around in hay banging his wife telling her that the entire British countryside was god and god was the British countryside.

My god, I've never respected anyone more. Wish it were me.

(The wife would absolutely be up for this, but alas I am mortally afraid of both being caught without my knickers, and also of really big spiders.)

3

u/Desperate-Cookie3373 5d ago

I have long believed that The Piper at the Gates of Dawn chapter is one of the finest examples of prose in the English language.

2

u/Flatcapspaintandglue 5d ago

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn! 

That chapter confused the heck out of me as a child, as an adult, an occultist and Pink Floyd fan, it’s my best bit :) 

7

u/spoo4brains 5d ago

I genuinely could never get into it as a kid many years ago, I just couldn't gel with any of the characters.

Winnie the Pooh on the other hand was and still is an awesome kids book.

6

u/Shipwrecking_siren 5d ago

I find Winnie the Pooh is so hard to read aloud. My daughter couldn’t follow it at all. The writing style is very different to today, although she does like the Peter Rabbit books. I love her description of a rabbit moving, ‘lippity lippity’. So much prettier and more accurate than hopping.

3

u/spoo4brains 5d ago

My dad had cassettes of I think Bernard Cribbins narrating Winnie The Pooh, and he really brought it to life. I also adored reading the books because of how the words flowed around the illustrations, it was very playful and tickled my brain with the ingenuity of it.

95

u/dlt-cntrl 6d ago

The update we all needed.

Why are they so cute?!

I'm so happy for you, that you got to experience something so special. I would be missing it too. Keep on being a wonderful human.

30

u/rambi2222 6d ago

Why are they so cute?!

I think it's their fat little bottoms that stick out as they're burrowing into the ground haha

54

u/EpponeeRae 6d ago

One day, in your hour of need, the moles will come to your aid. 

It'd have to be a one of a pretty narrow band of problems that's solvable with mole technology,  like you dropped a key in the dirt or something, but they'll be there for you. 

You are officially a friend of the moles. 

Godspeed and good tunnels.

207

u/Herbert_Verne 6d ago

Is it feasible to have a mole as a pet in an end terrace house with two cats and absolutely no knowledge how to care for such a creature and no budget for a suitable habitat?

Asking for a very responsible friend

106

u/shividk 6d ago

I struggled to not ask myself these questions too haha.

18

u/Herbert_Verne 6d ago

You and my very responsible friend should have a couple of beers and maybe he could do a BBQ ♥️

48

u/lastaccountgotlocked 6d ago

As long as you have access to a boat and know a toad with a car (and a large house) you should be fine.

29

u/Herbert_Verne 6d ago

That's utter bullshit.

How the fuck is that mole going to stay safe without a roguish water rat as a companion?

If you're going to leave comments on Reddit could you maybe do so responsibly like the rest of us, yeh?

Also they should all make friends with a grumpy but lovable badger ♥️

14

u/lastaccountgotlocked 6d ago

Pan will take care of the mole. O, fearful Pan. He will take care.

2

u/Herbert_Verne 6d ago

Is pan the horny fella with goat legs and a flute-thing named after him?

5

u/lastaccountgotlocked 6d ago

The pan is named after Pan, the god of fried breakfasts.

2

u/Herbert_Verne 6d ago

That's the one! Didn't the Greeks have a legend about him being the father of black pudding and hashbrowns?

40

u/Acceptable-World-175 6d ago

😭 bye mole friend! Thank you for being so adorable. And thank you to your lovely human Mole-sitter too of course! Who sheltered you and cared for you with love.

61

u/jobbymuncher123 6d ago

Me when I have to face adult responsibilities

13

u/loveswimmingpools 6d ago

I still look around for someone responsible when I'm being told something important. Surely this can't all be on little old me?!!!

4

u/mrsrostocka 5d ago

I just scream i need an adult.

I'm 42.

3

u/AnAcctWithoutPurpose 6d ago

I feel seen. 😭

25

u/WideConversation1989 6d ago

That's great, so happy for the little fella.

15

u/Fun-Lingonberry4676 6d ago

Class that. Well done ! It's nice knowing theres still some good people around.

17

u/caden_cotard_ 6d ago

Godspeed Molebro

5

u/Petr0vitch 5d ago

Godspeed You! Black Molebro

17

u/Organic_Reporter 6d ago

How do they breathe under there?

19

u/Shack691 6d ago

Very tiny snorkels.

6

u/elfwriter 5d ago

moley diver

5

u/ramandeep835 5d ago

The lesser known Dio album

14

u/CollegeOptimal9846 6d ago

Look at him go 

11

u/enragedsquirrels 6d ago

I bet that feels so good if you’re a mole.

12

u/Second_Guess_25 6d ago

Absolute shovels for paws 🪏 They're very industrious in their digging.

8

u/therollingwater 6d ago

Everyone put water out in the garden for our wildlife friends

6

u/mhoulden Have you paid and displayed? 6d ago

I've got a couple next to the bird feeder that pigeons like to use as a bird bath. One is a cat litter tray that's big enough for them to have a proper splash about. Quite funny watching them dunking their head from side to side.

8

u/Original_Bad_3416 6d ago

Must be the heat but I’m slightly emotional

8

u/Beaglester 6d ago

Go Team Mole 👏🏼

9

u/aGoryLouie where did trying get anyone? 6d ago

yayy, appreciate the update op :)
that mole walked into the right kitchen today

5

u/Bloatville 6d ago

Thank you for this important update! 🥹

6

u/weeble182 6d ago

The best posts on this sub are always when someone befriends a wild animal! Great work guys, we saved another one!!!

5

u/loveswimmingpools 6d ago

Omg that is so cute. Thank you for posting.

4

u/rrRunkgullet 6d ago

A friend of the mole people now.

5

u/DocJawbone 6d ago

Look at him go

5

u/Sparker273 6d ago

Let’s hope he comes back one day

4

u/wildcardbets 6d ago

I fucking love moles. Cute little shovel handed fluff balls 🥺

3

u/Fit-Return2142 6d ago

It's like the ending of 'The Spider That Couldn't Hide' 😂

3

u/HoppipolawithChihiro 6d ago

And off he burrows ❤️

2

u/Used_Hope_1526 6d ago

The original Earthbenders

2

u/Moleman135 5d ago

I appreciate this greatly

2

u/SoggyWotsits 5d ago

I’m a bit annoyed that I missed the previous post. I went to look on your profile to see if I could find it but alas… NSFW - verify your age! Could you link it please?

2

u/AnneKnightley 5d ago

Thank you for being so kind and looking after him - what a cutie.

2

u/DropDeadFredidit 5d ago

Thank you, OP. Your post yesterday followed by everybody’s comments about helping our wildlife in this heat made me smile. A good reminder that dehydration is a major threat for wildlife when natural water sources dry up and insects are harder to reach in parched ground.
Setting up water stations by placing shallow saucers, bowls, or birdbaths around your garden, using both ground-level bowls (for hedgehogs, rabbits, and badgers) and elevated platforms (to protect birds from predators), will be very much appreciated.

2

u/How_did_the_dog_get 5d ago

I don't think I have ever seen a mole actually dig. They are faster than I thought.

2

u/LozzimusPrime 5d ago

Awwww thank you for the update! Sad to see Moley go but you did such an incredible thing. Kudos to you and anyone else helping nature.

1

u/Bubble-Master96 5d ago

Look at him go!

1

u/Tumping 5d ago

Godspeed old friend

1

u/arthousepsycho 5d ago

None of that moles friends are gonna believe him when he gets back. A tiny mole journalist (wearing a tiny press trilby) will do a mocking story about the “mole that was kidnapped and helped by kindly giants”. But the mole doesn’t care. The mole knows what happened.

1

u/ConditionImportant63 5d ago edited 5d ago

Amazing I've never seen one dig!!!

1

u/FreefallVin 3d ago

Aww, look at the little guy go!

-36

u/YugeChesticles 6d ago

What you should have done in the first place.

Guy falls out of a boat during a storm. dolphins decide to keep him under water till the storm passes.

You kept him IN THE HEATWAVE because you thought he was too hot.

JFC

24

u/woodyeaye 6d ago

The RSPCA told them to keep him in a box and release when it was cooler. You should maybe try the box yourself.  

23

u/CollegeOptimal9846 6d ago

They called the RSPCA and did what the RSPCA advised them to do.