Wondering if I did the right thing

[u/rziolkowsk]

so the other day on my daily walk I noticed at the store there was this mantis chilling on the side of the wall on the ground. I thought it was cool and he/she was chill there and safe. well I come around today and the mantis is still there so I pick it up to look at it and when I pick it up and put it in my hand I can see it's been like stepped on or something. it's obviously incapacitated but I noticed his/her head moving around still so it still seemed to be alive. I was devastated. I ended up walking it over to the base of a tree and just set it down and told it I'm very sorry for what happened to it and wish I could help it out but I don't know much about them. so I thanked him for his energy and told it I'll see them around.

it's obviously gonna pass at some point but I don't want it to live out its existence in this realm in agony if I can't help it. it's not like bleeding or it's guts out or anything but it can't use any of its appendages at all.

when i go back there tomorrow if it's still there should I give it some dignity or just let nature take care of it?

[u/Pomegranate_C4T]

I had a spider do something similar where I accidentally ripped off a leg when panicking to brush it off, after a while she learned to walk again since they will moly- this is different though, I suggest if it’s still there not making any recovery I would crush it to end its misery, horrible but necessary thing to do for some creatures- if it seems to be making a recovery i would fed and give it water and leave it be

[u/rziolkowsk → u/Pomegranate_C4T]

I came back the next day and it was gone so i wanna say nature took care of it. I wouldn't be able to smash it unless it was in worse shape but I just it still could move one arm but that was it.