KQED's Forum Forum From the Archives: What Has a Wild Animal Taught You?
Sep 5, 2025
Chloe Dalton, a political advisor and author of "Raising Hare," shares her heartfelt journey of nursing an injured newborn hare. She discusses the profound lessons of trust and patience that emerged from their bond. Dalton explores the beauty of wildlife interactions, reflecting on how they teach us about love, loss, and mindfulness. Her emotional anecdotes invite listeners to consider their own connections with nature and the ordinary magic it offers. It's a touching reminder of the enriching relationships we can have with wild creatures.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Finding And Carrying The Leveret Home
- Chloe Dalton found a newborn leveret alone on a track during lockdown and carried it home wrapped in grass to avoid direct handling.
- She intervened after hours because she feared the leveret would be eaten or crushed before nightfall.
Hare Care Is Risky And Specialized
- Wildlife rehabilitators warned Dalton that hares often die from capture myopathy and rarely thrive in human care.
- That warning heightened her sense of responsibility and pushed her to learn what the leveret truly needed.
House-Roaming Leveret Leaves No Mess
- Dalton let the leveret roam freely in the house and noticed it never left droppings, only whiskers, due to hares' above-ground survival behaviors.
- The leveret learned to sleep under her bed and traverse stairs, then return outside each afternoon.
