We were alarmed and saddened yesterday to see the tragic news about a dromedary camel in Obion County, belonging to Shirley Petting Zoo. The animal went on a rampage and killed two men, trampling a police vehicle before finally being shot to death. This comes just a few months after a similarly bizarre and shockingContinue reading “Camels Kill More Tennesseans than Copperheads”
Category Archives: General Info
Protect Rhea County’s Bears
We were excited today when we received photos of bear poop and tracks from the Evensville area of Rhea County, about forty miles north of Chattanooga. It’s very common for bears to be more active this time of year as they emerge from winter inactivity and try to regain the weight they lost over theContinue reading “Protect Rhea County’s Bears”
Euthanized Pets Endanger Wildlife
If you’ve recently had to make the decision to send a beloved pet to the Rainbow Bridge, wild animals may be the last thing on your mind. But, if you’re not careful, your pet’s death could actually cause even more suffering. Sometimes, particularly among people who live in apartments and don’t have appropriate places toContinue reading “Euthanized Pets Endanger Wildlife”
Beware of Poaching for the Pet Trade
Spring is on its way, and that unfortunately means that we’re close to the time of year when our native wild animals are at the greatest risk for an under-recognized, under-reported, and under-enforced form of poaching: the illegal capture of wildlife for the pet trade. People tend to think of poaching as something from theContinue reading “Beware of Poaching for the Pet Trade”
Check for Bunnies before Mowing
If you’re here in the South, you’re probably getting ready to break out the lawn mower for the first time this year. Please be sure not to harm any baby bunnies when you mow! Cottontail rabbits’ reproductive cycles are timed to match the growth of their main foods, like grasses, clover, dandelion, and other softContinue reading “Check for Bunnies before Mowing”
No Milk for Baby Birds
As we get closer to baby bird season, please help spread the word that orphan birds should never be given any kind of milk! This is extremely dangerous, because birds are not made to digest milk of any kind. A surprising number of people find baby birds and want to help by feeding them. MostContinue reading “No Milk for Baby Birds”
The Opossum Rabies Bluff
Opossums are great fakers. In addition to very convincingly “playing dead,” their other common defense mechanism is to stagger, sway, drool, open their jaws, and hiss when frightened. To anyone with a passing familiarity with rabies— even if only from old movies— it’s easy to mistake these behaviors for symptoms of a serious and fatalContinue reading “The Opossum Rabies Bluff”
How Feeding Pets Outside Hurts Wildlife
Are you one of the people who tends to leave bowls of cat and dog food outdoors at all times? As strange as it sounds, this seemingly innocent act is one of the most harmful things that can happen to wild animals. Before leaving pet food outside, please consider this: Outdoor pet food spreads diseaseContinue reading “How Feeding Pets Outside Hurts Wildlife”
Food Litter Kills Owls
Ever tossed a French fry, sandwich crust, or apple core out your car window? Please, please never do it again! Your food waste is actually causing many wild animals to die, and owls are among the most likely victims. That sandwich crust you threw in the road is likely going to stay there until evening,Continue reading “Food Litter Kills Owls”
Coyotes: Not Very Big!
Human perception is a funny thing. We can’t count the number of times that someone has brought us a “huge, twenty or thirty pound” fox that barely weighed seven pounds, or reported a coyote “the size of a German shepherd” that was actually smaller than a border collie. For whatever reason, people’s minds play tricksContinue reading “Coyotes: Not Very Big!”