‘Tis the season! In winter, raccoons enter a hibernation-like state called torpor and will spend most of the season curled up in their cozy dens, resting and staying warm. For most raccoons, especially youngsters who have recently left their mothers, an attic looks like a ideal den. They’re dry, warm, insulated, and inaccessible to largerContinue reading “Keep Raccoons Out of Your Attic this Winter”
Category Archives: Coexisting
Do Coyotes Lure and Kill Dogs?
We humans have a strange urge to create monsters. For many, it’s not enough for believe in predators that hunt prey. We have to also project strange, sinister, and even supernatural forces onto the creatures who share our planet. Since the beginning of time, we’ve created and exaggerated stories of dragons that abduct maidens, giantContinue reading “Do Coyotes Lure and Kill Dogs?”
How to Avoid Hitting Deer this Fall
Most collisions between cars and deer happen in October through December, when deer are on the move more, and when their minds are clouded by hormones as they seek mates. Please do your part to keep deer safe from accident, and to protect yourself and your passengers at the same time! Be mindful that deerContinue reading “How to Avoid Hitting Deer this Fall”
Wildlife Rehabilitators Don’t Remove “Nuisance” Animals
The calls come several times a day. Angry and gruff and terse. “I have raccoons in my attic and need you to come and get them.” “A fox got my chickens. Come get it or I’ll kill it.” “I heard a coyote. Either you come remove it or I’ll put a bullet in it.” We’reContinue reading “Wildlife Rehabilitators Don’t Remove “Nuisance” Animals”
Rat Poison Causes Mange in Bobcats
Rodents aren’t the only ones who suffer from rodent poisoning! Predators like owls, foxes, hawks—and even pet cats and dogs— can become poisoned when they eat animals that are sick or dead from poison. For bobcats, secondary poisoning can have a strange effect. A bobcat who eats poisoned rats and mice will suffer from constantContinue reading “Rat Poison Causes Mange in Bobcats”
Raccoons Eating Birdseed: What to Do
We’ve heard people give a lot of crazy and cruel excuses for killing wild animals, but perhaps the most upsetting reason we’ve heard is, “It was eating my birdseed.” Several of our patients last year were orphans who came to us because the mothers had inconvenienced someone by nibbling some sunflower seeds. Folks, this simplyContinue reading “Raccoons Eating Birdseed: What to Do”
“Mean,” “Crazy” Bird Parents
Wildlife rehabilitators get a lot of calls in the late spring and early summer about birds described with words like “mean,” “crazy,” and “dangerous.” Blue jays, mockingbirds, geese, and robins are the ones most commonly considered aggressive— and it’s no coincidence that they’re the ones most likely to be nesting near our homes and businesses.Continue reading ““Mean,” “Crazy” Bird Parents”
A Fed Coyote is a Dead Coyote
A fed coyote is a dead coyote. Coyotes are naturally fearful of humans and other large predators, since they evolved in ecosystems where bears, pumas, and wolves ruled the landscape. We average five times their size and they know we’re boss! When you see a coyote that is overly confident around humans, that’s a learnedContinue reading “A Fed Coyote is a Dead Coyote”
Crows Deserve Love, Not Superstition
I have to admit: before I started working with wildlife, I had no idea that there were still people who had superstitious beliefs and fears about crows. It turns out these ideas didn’t get left behind in the Victorian Era where they belong. Even in 2020, a lot of people fear crows and some willContinue reading “Crows Deserve Love, Not Superstition”
Killing Coyotes Makes More Pups
Coyotes are among the most persecuted wild animals of North America. Have you ever wondered why they’re still very common, despite being heavily hunted? When an adult coyote is killed, the social structure of its family, and nearby families, will fall apart. Its pups will be forced to disperse sooner, its territory will become wide-open,Continue reading “Killing Coyotes Makes More Pups”
