One poor little muskrat was not getting much love yesterday morning after being cornered in a water fountain at Westfield Franklin Park.

Yes, a muskrat somehow made its way inside northwest Ohio s largest shopping mall. No, this is not an April Fool s joke.

It was a little muskrat, confirmed Kate Sachs, the mall s assistant general manager.

The muskrat somehow ended up in the water fountain outside Dillard s. Mall walkers and shoppers stared at the furry critter as they passed by. For much of the time, it was perched on a light in the middle of the fountain.

It looked like a baby to me. He was really cute, said an employee at one of the stores near the fountain. The employee, who did not wish to be identified, said the muskrat appeared to be sleeping most of the time.

Muskrats are relatively common in Ohio, though they generally prefer marshy areas outdoors. Ms. Sachs said she had no idea how the muskrat ended up inside the mall a first to the best of her knowledge.

The Blade asked for permission to take a photo of the muskrat, but Ms. Sachs politely declined the request: Yeah. I don t think so.

Ms. Sachs said mall employees somehow managed to capture the muskrat unharmed. She said animal rescue officials were going to stop by to pick up the muskrat and presumably release it in a more suitable habitat.

First Published April 1, 2006, 1:36 p.m.