Octo Chipmunks Hitch Ride to Bay Area
Sunday, Jun 21, 2009 | Updated 12:46 PM PDT
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Eight baby chipmunks that hitched a ride from Tahoe City to Monterey this week are being cared for by officials at the SPCA for Monterey County's Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.
The 2-week-old chipmunks were nesting in a piece of carpet in a motor home owned by two brothers who drove from Tahoe City to Monterey on Thursday to compete this weekend in a Sports Car Club of America Regional Series race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
When one of the brothers pulled the piece of carpet out of the motor home, the babies were dislodged from their nest and scattered.
"The little guys ran everywhere," said one of the brothers, John Celauss, in a prepared statement. "Everyone was very helpful - it was tough race car guys dropping everything to chase chipmunk babies."
The chipmunks are now in an incubator at the SPCA Wildlife Center. They will eventually be released into a suitable habitat in Monterey County.
The SPCA for Monterey County is a nonprofit, independent, donor-supported humane society that has been serving the animals and people of Monterey County since 1905
Copyright Bay City News / NBC Bay Area
