When Sid Saunders was walking through the woods some years ago, he made a discovery he would never forget.
Trying to avoid a puddle, he tripped over what looked like a normal stone. But at second glance, there was nothing normal about it...
A touching tribute
Upon closer inspection, Sid realised he had tripped over a tiny tombstone, so old it was now covered in moss and leaves.
He decided it deserved some further attention, so he returned the next day to clear away the leaves and tidy the area.
The engraving he found hidden below left the photographer in tears.
In memory of Duchie
It turned out that the grave was not the grave of a person. It was the grave of a pet. Sid at first thought the engraving represented a dog but soon realised it was a little rabbit called Duchie.
The tribute, dating back to his death in 1882, read, "In memory of the little Duchie. Born August 1896. Died December 1882."
There were no other tombstones to be seen, and there was no information about the family that had placed it there.
Complete with a rabbit engraving on one side, the 13-year-old rabbit had clearly been a much-loved pet.
