If you’d ever seen how quickly our raccoon patients can devour twenty pounds of acorns or forage through six inches of fallen leaves for bugs, you’d understand exactly why there’s no need to “clean up” the gifts trees leave us in autumn! Many native animals in our area cannot survive winter without the bounty ofContinue reading “Trees Don’t Litter”
Tag Archives: deer
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”
Don’t Kidnap Fawns! Mom Will Return Soon
Babies like this are often kidnapped by well-meaning people who mistake them for orphans, but this baby doesn’t need help. Mother deer will often leave their babies alone for up to several hours a day, often hidden in underbrush, tall grass, or leaves. The fawn knows to lie down and be very still, to avoidContinue reading “Don’t Kidnap Fawns! Mom Will Return Soon”
Bobcats: Powerful Predators
Bobcats in our area are only slightly larger than house cats, but they possess powerful jaws. Despite being only slightly larger than a house cat, a bobcat has a bite stronger than that of a fox, coyote, lynx, dog, cheetah, or snow leopard. Its total bite strength in Newtons actually surpasses that of some ofContinue reading “Bobcats: Powerful Predators”
Don’t “help” an injured adult deer!
It’s hard to see an injured animal without stepping in to help. But in the case of adult deer, the best way to help is to step back. Deer are extremely susceptible to a strange, complex disorder called capture myopathy. When captured, many of them simply die, even if they get the best possible care.Continue reading “Don’t “help” an injured adult deer!”
Disturbing Video Shows Children Feeding Bucks
This is a still from a viral video that has been making the rounds on social media today. The video shows children in a suburban neighborhood feeding bread to adult bucks. Although people shared the video saying that it was beautiful and inspiring— and although the children certainly look happy— this is disturbing for aContinue reading “Disturbing Video Shows Children Feeding Bucks”
Hunters Kill Wolves to “Protect” Deer
Whitetail deer are severely overpopulated in the United States, having increased from 300,000 deer in 1930 to 30 million deer today. This is bad news: deer overpopulation harms humans by contributing to auto accidents, harms forests by causing local ecosystem collapse, harms livestock when deer spread diseases that can wipe out an entire herd, andContinue reading “Hunters Kill Wolves to “Protect” Deer”
Melanistic (Black) Deer
This gorgeous buck was born with a mutation that causes melanism. Animals with this trait are extremely dark in color and lack all the characteristic shades of white and brown typically seem in white-tailed deer. Black deer can be seen in any part of the country, but, for reasons not fully understood by scientists, theyContinue reading “Melanistic (Black) Deer”
Suburban Coyotes Save Lives
In the entire recorded history of the United States, coyotes have killed exactly two people. While these deaths are horrific tragedies, they are extraordinarily unusual… especially when compared to the 150 Americans who die every single year as a result of car accidents involving deer, and the dozens of people who are attacked by bucksContinue reading “Suburban Coyotes Save Lives”
How Do Cactus Bucks Happen?
Deer like this are a rare sight, but have been spotted almost everywhere in the United States, and in almost every species of deer. These cactus bucks, as they’re called stand out because of their bizarre, deformed antlers covered in irregular growths. A cactus buck’s irregular antlers develop due to low testosterone levels, which causeContinue reading “How Do Cactus Bucks Happen?”