It looks like an owl killed this hairy-tailed mole:
When I picked it up, you could see where the owl had tried to peck some of the meat out of its back, but I guess owls don’t much like mole meat.
It just pecked off a bit of meat and dropped it here.
Most things won’t eat these moles, so this one will likely rot and return to the soil in which it has spent its lifetime digging.
I had a dog that would dig these moles up at any opportunity.
She would kill them with gusto and then leave the carcasses to rot away.
So cute little things
Cats will often catch moles around here but they never eat them.
I don’t have a problem w/ the moles per se. They eat grubs and pupae in the soil and don’t cuse any real harm in most cases. Unfortunately, the #$@*! voles use the mole tunnels like superhighways to the grocery store (aka my vegetable garden.)
I’ve improved the tilth of my soil to the point that the moles/voles just never want to leave. I have to use pots and root cages for many (most) of my plants in order to get them to the point where I can harvest them.
I love Mr mole, although you have to sympatise with those who take pride in pristine lawns and verges. One of my mother’s most prized possessions, which my dad lovingly bought for her during a previous austerity era, was her moleskin coat. Mum wore it on every important winter occasion.
Time moves on and today there no longer seem to be many mole catchers on the rural scene.Moles were here before us and no doubt they will put out the lights when we are gone.