Freedom at last...

Today, three young coyotes, a three-pack, were released onto a large parcel of private land in Corralitos today, after nearly 4 months of foster care at Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley.

One of the pups was a youngster we rescued after it was hit by a car on Green Valley Road, less than three miles away. Check out the original post, HERE.

Here's the video of their release.

MANY THANKS TO THE WILDLIFE CENTER OF SILICON VALLEY FOR RAISING THESE WONDERFUL CREATURES!!!

Please consider donating toward their Predatory Mammal Program, HERE.

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Swift Response

Vaux's Swifts are small insectivorous birds that spend much of their time on the wing. In fall, they gather in large groups as they journey south from their Pacific Northwest breeding grounds to Mexico and Central America, making a return trip in spring.

As the birds traverse what is now mostly an urban landscape, instead of roosting at night in tree hollows, they have taken to sheltering in man-made structures, like chimneys and smokestacks.

At dusk, thousands can be seen whirling and funneling into a chosen location. A spectacular sight to see. Check out this great video.

Much to the dismay of onlookers, it's not uncommon to see crows, ravens and other predatory birds plucking an occasional meal from the whirling mass - like a grizzly bear snatching salmon from a waterfall.As they travel through Southern California, over the last few years, the swifts have roosted in the brick chimney of the 86-year old Chester Williams Building at Broadway and Fifth in downtown Los Angeles.

Unfortunatley, on October 12th workers placed a rain guard on the chimney, preventing the birds from entering that evening. Many of the birds found shelter in a nearby chimney, but another lot of them ran into a bit of trouble.

That same night, an officer with the Pasadena Humane Society responded to a call about a mass of birds inside a chimney in Arcadia. When he arrived, he found nearly 200 swifts clinging to the sides of a residential fireplace. Thinking they were non-native starlings, he collected them in boxes and returned them to the station to be dealt with in the morning.

Thankfully, Ashley Herman, Wildlife Management Specialist with the Pasadena Humane Society quickly identified them as swifts and immediately released them back where they were found. 

Photo by Mike Danzenbaker avesphoto.com

Thanks to Jeff Chapman, Clare Marter Kenyon, Laura Garrett, Martha Benedict, Greg Martin, Councilmember Jose Huizar and Jessica Wethington McLean for their quick action to get the cap removed.

The following night, the swifts returned and were observed using both chimneys, but the fate of their roost remains uncertain.

Hopefully, the swifts will be guaranteed a forever-stopover in downtown Los Angeles.

More on these wonderful creatures at Vaux's Happening. 

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That time of the year

Fall and winter months are the safest for tree trimming, brush clearing, and home repairs with the least amount of impact on neighboring wildlife.

This is the time of year to inspect the perimeter of your home for signs of uninvited 'house guests'.

Look for broken vents, and holes that lead into attic areas or under a home's foundation. Look for dirty paw prints, or 'grease marks' indicating 'high-traffic'. Check for bat droppings on siding, or on the ground below overhangs. Bat feces resemble mouse droppings, but easily crumble to powder.



Even though it's not breeding season for animals like raccoons, you still want to take precautions so you don't entomb an animal inside your home!



Here's a trick. If you find a broken vent, don't just seal it. First, stuff the hole with wadded up newspaper - solid enough that it won't fall out, but loose enough an animal can easily dislodge it.

Scent the outside portion with citronella or peppermint oil.

The next morning, if you find the newspaper disturbed, pack it in again. Repeat the process until the newspaper remains in place, preferably for two nights in a row.

Then it's a good bet that whatever was in there is out, and the vent can be repaired.






If you'd like a wildlife professional to perform an inspection, or if you'd like their help in devising the safest, most humane, and non-lethal method of evicting wildlife, or discouraging their residency, please contact one of the following businesses.

CALIFORNIA

A Wildlife Exclusion Service (Sonoma) 707-992-0276

Humane Pest Control (Monterey/San Jose) 855-5-HUMANE

WildCare Solutions (San Francisco) 415-456-7283

San Diego Wildlife Removal (San Diego) 619-446-7438

COLORADO

Urban Wildlife Rescue 303-40-4911

FLORIDA

Wild Neighbors Solutions 954-495-3484

INDIANA

Humane Wildlife Choices 765-430-1582

OHIO

SCRAM 614-763-0696

OKLAHOMA

The Skunk Whisperer 918-261-4444

TEXAS

911-WILDLIFE 713-287-1911

WASHINGTON D.C.

HSUS Humane Wildlife Services 866-9-HUMANE

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Baby Elephant Rescue

Nairobi, Kenya - Yesterday, experts from the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, came to the aid of an eight-month old calf that was trapped in a manmade well. These pits are dug by the Maasai to water their cattle.

In the video below, behavioral ecologist Vicki Fishlock uses her Land Rover to drive off the calf's mother, Zombe, so rescuers could reach the baby safely. The video ends with the heartwarming reunion of mother and calf.

The following day, another baby elephant was found in the same pit. Unfortunately, before rescuers arrived its family was driven off by Maasai herdsmen. The orphan was transported to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Orphan's Project.

When you have time, check out the orphans' profiles, HERE. Warning: you might not be able to stop clicking More for details of their individual rescues and to watch incredible videos like this one, HERE. Please consider supporting their good work by fostering an orphan, HERE.

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Stuck buck

Day before yesterday, we were forwarded an emergency call about a large deer entangled in netting - soccer netting. The animal had been stuck for a few hours, maybe longer.

In California, deer are classified as big game mammals and handling them is strictly prohibited under Title 14 without authorization by the Department of Fish and Game(Wildlife), and rightly so. Like all game species, they are extremely difficult and dangerous to handle. Dangerous to themselves as well as handlers.

We dispatched a team to, first and foremost, keep people away from the animal. En route, our team notified the Department and received authorization to initiate a rescue if they felt it was safe to do so.

Once on scene, the team found a good sized buck with its antlers horribly tangled in netting. It had backed away from the soccer field and into some brambles.

The team cleared the area, making room to work safely.

Using a long-handled hook, Duane tested the animal's responsiveness and to see if there was any chance of slipping the material from the buck's antlers but netting was wound tight around its rack. The team was able to secure the deer, somewhat, but they needed help.

They called local game wardens to assist. Two wardens arrived within minutes and helped subdue the frightened animal. During the process, the deer's eyes were covered to reduce visual stressors, and its body was sprayed down to help prevent capture myopathy.

One of the greatest risk to the wild animals we try to help, is their fright. Their innate fear of us can kill them. Especially prey species.

Capture myopathy, also known and exertional myopathy, is a condition induced by extreme fear, anxiety, or exertion.

When an animal is placed in what it perceives to be a life and death situation, where it must flee of fight for its life - a series of chemical changes occur, starting with the release of adrenaline into the bloodstream. The animal's heart rate increases, breathing accelerates, and blood is diverted to the large muscles to help the animal escape danger.

In short bursts, these changes in an animal's metabolism can be beneficial to its survival, but extreme and prolonged exertion can be fatal.

Simply put, while under pursuit, restraint, or severe stress, if an animal's body can't supply enough oxygen to its muscles, the muscles start to die.

Onset of capture myopathy can be sudden, within minutes, or over days, even weeks after an event, and there is no cure. If the animal survives, residual signs may last months. With this in mind, even though the buck was freed and it eventually made its way to the woods, its survival is questionable.

Juvenile mule deer in Carmel Valley, CA.

Today, we received another call about an entangled buck. This one was caught on a hammock in the Bonny Doon area. Unfortunately rescuers arrived too late. The buck died as a result of fighting so long and so hard to get free.

For coastal populations of deer in California, October is typically the beginning of their rut, or breeding season. This could explain the recent hammock incident. Perhaps the buck tried rubbing his antlers on the hammock, or maybe it was pursuing a  doe and happened through the resident's backyard when it got hung up on the material.

As for the buck on the soccer field - there had been a huge fireworks display the night before at Seacliff State Beach, about half a mile from the field. The explosions could certainly have been a factor.



In conclusion, these two bucks were harmed by manmade objects. For the safety of wildlife around your homes, please take a moment to check your yard for things that animals might get tangled up in, like netting, webbed material, string or rope.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME WARDENS WHO ASSISTED WITH THE RESCUE OF THE BUCK!!!

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Support BABS

Introducing the Bay Area Bobcat Study (BABS) - a project of the Felidae Conservation Fund - launching this Winter! BABS will track how bobcats move through the area's fragmented landscape, locating pathways and identifying obstacles with the hope of improving connectivity for a healthier population. 

Support the project HERE - be sure to note it's for BABS!

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Beauty. Magnificence. Inspiration.

We were forwarded this link of a video created by Trish Carney, and wanted to share it - it's so beautifully done. Enjoy.

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