A Tale of Two Stoats: Watch as They Become Fast Friends

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What happens when two stoats meet for the first time? Well, in the wild, you’d likely get a very different answer. However, in the attached video, we are introduced to a pair of baby stoats, and it makes for a rather heartwarming interaction. If you’re new to stoats, let’s dive a little more into what makes this interaction between this pair noteworthy.

Meet Whisper

The primary focus of the attached video centers around Whisper, a baby stoat who was abandoned by her mother at around 4 weeks of age. This is a critical period for the development and nurturing of any animal, and thankfully, Whisper had Robert Fuller in her corner when it came to care. Stoats are typically born into litters of five to eight kits, so the early stages of life are fundamental for honing instincts and development.

Thankfully, Whisper got a proper playmate when Stuart came to live with her.

Are Stoats Social?

As kits, stoats are very much social animals. However, when looking at fully grown stoats, they’re typically solitary creatures. Despite their cute and cuddly appearance, stoats are ambitious and quite aggressive predators. However, when they’re young, this is when kits need to fight and play to hone their instincts to become better hunters.

Typical Stoat Behavior in the Wild

Stoats are aggressive predators and can pose ecological hazards when introduced to new environments. Males are extremely territorial, often fighting against rivals to secure food and mates alike. Unlike the heartwarming meeting between Stuart and Whisper in the video, these two meeting in the wild as adults would likely have a very different outcome.

Do Stoats Prefer Being On Their Own?

Yes, stoats aren’t what we could call social hunters. They’re quite aggressive when seeking out prey, which largely consists of smaller rodents and other animals. Food is a huge motivating factor as to why stoats remain rather solitary creatures. Social bonding as adults is primarily left to seeking out mates, rather than the playful nature of animals like wolves.

Conclusion

These two stoats meeting for the first time demonstrates the importance of being part of a litter for these pint-sized carnivores. Thankfully, Stuart and Whisper were able to make contact and better hone their instincts before venturing out into the wild. It is also a good thing that people like Robert Fuller are around to care for and eventually release these animals into the wild where they belong.