A stray house cat or free-roaming dog is an astronomically larger threat to your family than a wild bobcat. Bobcats are naturally shy animals and do not naturally prey on humans, and a typical bobcat is the size of a very large house cat (about 18 pounds). Bobcat attacks on cats and dogs are rare,Continue reading “Are Bobcats Dangerous?”
Category Archives: General Info
Scary Opossums!
Opossums have more teeth than any other land mammal, and when they’re scared, they like to use those scary-looking jaws to make themselves look intimidating. But don’t let this face fool you: opossums are actually very gentle, timid creatures who almost never bite or attack. They’re also naturally resistant (though not 100% immune) to rabies.Continue reading “Scary Opossums!”
Trapping for Fur Isn’t a Job
For the amount of time involved in trapping, killing, skinning, and selling a fox, the $10-15 value of its pelt doesn’t even pay close to minimum wage. A 2015 study of American fur trappers, determined that essentially no one in the United States actually makes their primary living trapping fur animals. It is not aContinue reading “Trapping for Fur Isn’t a Job”
The Sensitivity of Raccoons
It’s easy for people to forget that wild animals, like raccoons, have feelings and families just like our pets. I would like to share with you, an example of the sensitivity I’ve seen from wild raccoons. Last April, I unfortunately witnessed the death of a raccoon kit who had been attacked by a dog. IContinue reading “The Sensitivity of Raccoons”
What to Feed Ducks
Feeding wild ducks isn’t usually a good idea. Even when the food is healthy, over-feeding tends to make ducks become dependent and can cause them to over-populate bodies of water. This leads to the overgrowth of algae and the mass death of fish, and can sometimes cause ducks and geese to become aggressive toward humans.Continue reading “What to Feed Ducks”
No Safe Litter
We’ve all done it at some point: tossed a banana peel, apple core, or sandwich crust out of our car windows. Many people believe this is safe because food scraps are biodegradable. Unfortunately, food waste has become a leading cause of death for wildlife. When you toss food out the window, it attracts hungry animalsContinue reading “No Safe Litter”
Bobcats: Black Panthers in the South
Believe it or not, it’s possible see wild black panthers, like this one here, naturally in the Southeastern U.S. Although most commonly applied to leopards and jaguars, the term “black panther” can refer to any wild cat with the melanistic (black-colored) mutation. This beautiful fellow is a melanistic bobcat. Only thirteen have been conclusively confirmedContinue reading “Bobcats: Black Panthers in the South”
Cats Hunting Wildlife Isn’t Nature
House cats are the domesticated descendants of the African wildcat (Felis sylvestris lybica). Our native cats, here in the Southeastern United States, are bobcats and pumas. These animals hunt to survive, not for sport, and their natural prey is well-adapted to survive their predation. The Southern U.S. ecosystem is NOT adapted to handle the massiveContinue reading “Cats Hunting Wildlife Isn’t Nature”
The Black Coyotes of the South
Four hundred years ago, the forests of the Southeast came alive every night with the howls of red wolves. These beautiful creatures often carried the melanistic gene, which gave them jet-black fur. Researchers believe this was because it provided an advantage when hunting in dark, densely wooded areas during the night. Mass deforestation, hunting, andContinue reading “The Black Coyotes of the South”
Foxes: Not a Danger to Kids or Pets
An adult fox weighs, on average, five to twenty pounds— the same size range as a domestic cat. Foxes eat small, easy prey like mice, rats, voles, moles, and rabbits. A fox will never attempt to prey on another carnivore, especially one that is larger than itself. Essentially all cases of non-rabid foxes “attacking” cats,Continue reading “Foxes: Not a Danger to Kids or Pets”
