Baby rabbits rescued from drowning by teenage boys

While walking our dogs of this afternoon we met two teenage boys crouched on the ground, digging with their hands to save five baby rabbits from drowning in their burrow. The ground was oozing with water and so were the bunnies.

The boy's eyes were tender with compassion as they lifted each of the five babies from the flooded burrow. The last to be retrieved looked dead, but cupped in the warmth of one of the boy's hands, it came to life -- slowly.

We left the baby rabbits in the protection of clumps of grasses, where sunshine fell on their lightly furred bodies: warming, drying. We feel certain that the parents will return, and move their family to a drier place, but I will check in a few hours to make sure this happens.

With dramatic flooding occurring throughout Australia, this small act of compassion -- by teenage boys -- towards helpless creatures warmed my heart; gave me hope for the future.