If you’re going to turn to a life of crime, it helps to be cute.
A TikTok user showed how they were charmed by a pudgy little thief in their yard. The video, posted by Tara (@tcarm4), caught a groundhog red-pawed helping itself to the yard’s beautiful flowers.
“For weeks we couldn’t figure out what was eating our flowers, NOW we know,” the text overlay said. According to the caption, they’ve named this little intruder Edward. “He has been eating GOOD,” they noted.
Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are a widespread species in North America, with a range that extends from Alaska to the East Coast. They are adaptable little devils whose propensity for burrowing helps aerate the soil and creates a haven for other creatures. They are not actually very good at predicting the end of winter, but they help humanity in different ways.
Hepatitis B naturally occurs in groundhogs, and they’ve played a pivotal role in medical research. A groundhog in Pennsylvania accidentally uncovered a major archaeological site, according to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Finding little friends is one of the added bonuses of rewilding a yard with native flora, which creates a haven for pollinators and other interesting critters.
Of course, not every gardener is thrilled to see their hard work eaten, in which case it’s best to use natural remedies to chuck a woodchuck from your property. Penn State suggests using marigolds, mint, or sprinkling a little cayenne pepper on the edges of the yard to deter them.
The comments were all quite taken with the criminal.
“So precious,” remarked one.
“If I had these little guys around, I’d plant a special little garden just for them! Thank you for graciously sharing your lovely flowers with him,” another response said.
A third swooned, “The way he stopped chewing when you watched lol! What a cutie!”
For another commenter, sweet little thieves are just the price of having a beautiful natural garden.
“Oh yes, the treat tax,” they wrote. “If you want to exist, you have to pay the treat tax. They are such adorable furry friends.”
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