I was under the impression that my bamboo would be able to live peacefully in our yard, and all the animals would leave them alone. However this has not been the case this year.

Exhibit 1 (Ph. Nuda):

This is a picture the first day it was planted, I don't know exactly how it grew such a large clum and got so deformed, I think it sprouted during shipping (which took a week).

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Two days later:

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Exhibit 2:

Picture of the same plant, which luckily was putting up another, non deformed shoot this year:

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A week later I find this:

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Exhibit 3 (Ph. Atrov):

Happily sending up new clums, minding their own business:

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And then just today, I find them all bent out of shape (it was worse before I took the picture):

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However the suspect did leave a clue behind, the legs, and one wing of a small bird: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34059148@N05/3585859205/

Now I do have a bunch of suspects. The Nuda for example, the previous day I got into a heated staring match with the ballsiest deer I have ever encountered. He see's me, comes towards me, stops about 20 feet away (right next to my bamboo) and stamps his left front leg on the ground repeatedly. I did the same, but he just stood there. I then chucked a large rock in his direction, he dodged it, but eventually retreated back to the woods. It was the next day the top of my bamboo was chewed off. He didn't even eat it, just ripped it off, and left it there. Suspect #2 in the Nuda case is rabbits. I always see them loitering around my Nuda, just sitting there, wiggling their noses. I wouldn't be surprised if the were working for the deer...

In the case of the Atrov and the bird murder, I immediately questioned my cat, who has been charged with similar crimes before:

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He wouldn't talk, and eventually the judge threw out the case. At least he only bent my clums (as far as I can tell), however the Nuda was not so lucky.

Am I really going to have to cage off my plants if I want anything to make it past spring? Or will they leave them alone once they get bigger? If my nuda gets any worse, I will be forced to put a bear trap around any new clums!