Update (Friday, May 19)
OPP investigators have identified the three youths involved in this incident and have ruled out any criminal behaviour.
The police investigation has revealed that the local area youths had discovered the injured muskrat at the shoreline earlier in the day and taken it home where they (and a parent) attempted to contact the local animal shelter.
After having no success, and on the advice of that parent, they returned the animal back to the shoreline in a box lined with a towel, in the hopes its mother would find it and nurse it back to health.
Police are not ruling out that the injuries sustained by the muskrat are a result of a confrontation with another animal. The police have deemed the investigation complete, pending new information that would cause further police involvement.
Original story
The Northumberland Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are seeking the public’s help in identifying three people suspected of deliberately injuring a muskrat, which has since died from its injuries.
On Monday (May 15) at around 7 p.m., a woman fishing on Plank Road in Gores Landing at Rice Lake noticed three teenagers exiting a car at the boat launch area, one of them carrying a “Huggies” diaper box. One of the teens placed the box near the water’s edge at Rice Lake and the teens then left the area, laughing.
When the woman investigated and opened the container, she found a muskrat, not moving and obviously injured. The woman called the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, who directed her to Soper Creek Wildlife Rescue wildlife rehabilitation centre.
Soper Creek Wildlife Rescue took the muskrat, who they named “George”, into their care. Staff determined the muskrat was suffering from serious injuries: the sides of his mouth had been cut, his teeth were broken, and he had significant damage to his left eye. They set up a crowdfunding campaign to offset the cost of veterinarian bills; to date, the campaign has raised over $3,300.
Unfortunately, on Wednesday (May 17), George succumbed to his injuries.
On May 17th, the OPP Northumberland Detachment entered into an investigation of the incident. Police have provided more details about the alleged perpetrators. The three teenagers are two females and one male, all between 16 and 18 years old. They were driving a mid-sized four-door blue sedan.
Police are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the three teenagers in the vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call the Cobourg OPP Detachment at 905-372-5421 or toll free 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call the Peterborough/Northumberland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-847 7 (TIPS) where you may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000 and not have to appear in court.
Soper Creek Wildlife Rescue will be using the funds collected through their GoFundMe campaign to pay for George’s veterinary bills as well as a detailed autopsy. His remains will be sent off to the Ontario Veterinary College located in Guelph. In honour of George and animal welfare, Soper Creek Wildlife Rescue will be building a specific rehabilitation enclosure for semi-aquatic mammals that come into their care for rehabilitation.
