As emergency workers race to fight the wildfires burning in California, one small act of kindness is getting a lot of attention.
The dramatic video was all over the news last week: cameras captured an unidentified man in a red hoodie running towards the fires, before scooping up a rabbit and dashing across a highway with the animal in his arms. But whether you saw the video as a rabbit rescue or an act of stupidity depended on your point of view.
Many shared the video, saying it showed a good deed by an animal lover, while others slammed the anonymous rescuer for putting himself in danger. They argued that the man was putting himself at risk, along with emergency workers in the area.
Even celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres took sides, with the TV host sharing the video on Instagram with a message saying "To everyone who, in the chaos of these fires, is taking time to look out for animals, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Now, the man in the video, 21-year-old Caleb Wadman, is telling his side of the story, and revealing what you don't see in the viral video. Wadman was driving down California's Highway 1 when he passed the Thomas fire, the largest and most intense wildfire, which is still raging right now.
Wadman spotted a rabbit running towards the flames and pulled over, but the video doesn't tell the whole story of his daring rescue.
As you can tell from the video, the rabbit was reluctant to run to Wadman, and he had to wave his arms and shout to get its attention.
But when the rabbit ran away from the fire, it stopped just in front of him, and he took his chance to scoop up the animal.
"I just ran out," Wadman told the HuffPost about the rescue. "I had faith... and that's when the bunny ran back towards the flames. And I was like, 'No, baby bunny, I'm here. I'm going to take care of you.'"
Wadman took the animal to a nearby veterinary hospital, where experts say it's doing well.
While he understands the criticism he faced this week, Wadman insists he made the right call by rescuing the animal.
Duane Tom, the director of animal care at the California Wildlife Center, backs up his claim, saying the rabbit was in serious need of medical treatment when it arrived at the animal hospital.
Another man, 19-year-old Oscar Gonzalez, stepped forward last week saying that he was the man in the viral video, but staff at the veterinary hospital confirm that Wadman brought in the rabbit. It's likely that Gonzalez rescued another rabbit threatened by the same fire, but wasn't caught on camera.
Rabbits are one of the few wild animals that normally survive wildfires, because they burrow underground. Whether you're in an emergency situation or not, emergency workers and animal experts say it's best to leave wild animals alone.
Did Wadman make the right decision? Share this story and tell us!
[H/T: Daily Mail]
