This is Polly — a rescued badger who serves as “education ambassador” at the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Amarillo, Texas.
As a non-releasable animal, Polly spends her days lounging in the rehab center’s cozy facilities, and interacting with staff and guests. But still, she’s not one to shy away from a little unauthorized adventure.
The other evening, rehab director Stephanie Brady thought everything at the center had settled in for the night — including Polly. But she was wrong.
“So, tonight I was working late, trying to catch up on admin work when I heard a loud bang followed by smaller bangs,” Brady wrote in a post.
At first, Brady thought someone might be trying to break in. However, while looking for the source of the sounds, she ran the unlikely culprit:
There was no thief. Turns out, without anyone noticing, Polly had broken out her enclosure to make some mischief.
“[Polly] had thrown herself a full-blown rager,” Brady wrote. “The fridge? Raided. Plants? Destroyed. Cabinets? Ransacked like a pirate ship. And the bag of Stuffies? Open, with SIX stuffed victims in her bed. The worst part? After I scolded her, she hit me with the poutiest, guiltiest little face. Now I feel like the bad guy. Mom guilt is the worst!”
If Polly felt any remorse for the mess she made, it likely didn’t last for long.
The video of Polly’s night of fun has since gone viral, helping to put the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center into the spotlight.
Since its founding in 2015, the center has cared for over 15,000 injured or orphaned animals who, like Polly, are no doubt grateful to have been given a second chance at life.
To learn more, and to find out how you can help, visit Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center’s website here.