Posts tagged "wildlife"

What do you do if you're a wildlife biologist trying to track an elusive snake inside a vast swamp? You call in the dogs.

Researchers in Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge recently employed a dog named C.J. to help sniff out threatened indigo snakes inside the refuge, the (Georgia) Cherokee Tribune reported.

Reaching seven feet in length, indigo snakes are the longest snakes in North America, according to the University of Georgia. Once common in the southern U.S., the snakes have become threatened with extinction due to habitat loss.

Refuge scientists knew that the slippery black snakes make their homes in the swamps of Okefenokee, but they weren't sure how many were there or where they were living, wildlife biologist Sara Aicher told the Cherokee Tribune. To help them with their reptile census, Aicher and her colleagues called in C.J., a 7-year-old chocolate Labrador, to sniff out the snakes.

C.J., who was rescued from a shelter, has had lots of experience locating wild creatures, the Cherokee Tribune reported. He's also sniffed bats in New Mexico, monkeys in Nicaragua, and big cats in Brazil. But he's not the only dog with a nose for wildlife. Conservationists are increasingly turning to sniffer dogs to help them track wild animals.

In New England, researchers studying endangered whales have even brought in dogs to sniff out whale poo, the Boston Globe reported. That's right -- whale poo. Scientists collect the dung to study what parasites and toxins might be harming the endangered whales.

Snakes, bats, monkeys, whales... what's next? When it comes to protecting wildlife, it seems, the dog's nose knows.

Beware the squirrel! Those fluffy-tailed, acorn-loving rodents aren't all sugar and spice. Squirrels were among the top five animals to attack and injure companion pets in 2008 according to a survey released by the Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI).

VPI reviewed reports of more than 500 wounded pets to figure out which wild animals are most likely to attack cats and dogs as they roam the 'hood.

Top 10 Animals To Attack Pets
1. Snakes
2. Coyotes
3. Raccoons
4. Squirrels
5. Scorpions
6. Javelinas
7. Porcupines
8. Groundhogs
9. Skunks
10. Rats

Pets ambushed by wild critters typically need treatment for lacerations, bite wounds, and soft tissue trauma. Poisonous snake bites can require treatment with antivenin to counteract the toxin.

Attacks by javelinas (pig-like mammals also known as peccaries) and scorpion stings were isolated to the state of Arizona, but between snakes, skunks, rats and raccoons, curious pets can get into trouble with wildlife just about anywhere.

"Whether in urban or rural areas, pet owners should be aware of the danger posed by wild animals," Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI, said in the report. "Always make sure that a pet's rabies vaccine is up to date. And if you know that potentially dangerous wild animals are present or you're in an unfamiliar area, take extra care to keep your pet close and secure."

Source

Wildlife photog Steve Kozlowski recently got up close and personal with a spirit bear, the rarely-seen off-shoot of the American black bear population revered by native tribes in its home of British Columbia. The bear is, in fact, not albino, but merely the blondest of its kind.

"I emerged from my tent and was confronted with [it]," said Kozlowski. "The bear was startled and it charged at me over a log, its hair up, ears back, snapping its jaws.

Kozlowski escaped safely before setting up a hidden camera to take advantage of capturing the animal in its natural habitat.

And, yes, we know it's crazy, but how much do we want to give that big guy a hug? (...Okay, well when we really think about it...)

Source

Our post about Leslie Cain, the woman allegedly facing jail time for rescuing an orphaned fawn, generated such a large response, we decided to follow up with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources about the details of the case. Dave Kohler, a representative of the ODNR-Division of Wildlife, addressed our questions.

A lot of the comments on our story focused on the law Cain broke prohibiting the transportation of deer across state lines. Known as the Lacey Act, the law is in place primarily to protect animals against trafficking (rather than preventing disease.) That said, when Cain moved the deer, she did break the law, despite her good intentions.

"Channel 5 ran a story that we wanted to kill the fawn and test for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)," Kohler says. "But that wasn't the issue. There is no viable test for CWD in a deer until they are at least 1 1/2 years old, so that was not our goal. The real issue is that this fawn was most likely not an orphan until it was removed from the vicinity of the adult doe. In addition, when people handle fawns, they may lose their fear of humans. In most instances, the best chance wild animals have to thrive in the wild is if they are left alone."

According to the DNR website,"A fawn alone and hidden in a meadow, woodland edge, or even a backyard flower garden is most likely not an orphan. The doe deer often leaves her young alone in an out-of-the-way spot when she is off feeding. Since the doe cannot be in two places at once, a fawn may be left alone several times a day."

Kohler explains that Sunny probably wasn't actually an orphan in the first place, but after the fawn was being bottle-fed for a few days, Sunny's mother most likely would not have returned with people surrounding him. The concerned neighbors who were caring for Sunny were told to "let nature run its course" and "leave the fawn alone," which they interpreted as meaning leaving the baby deer to die. But according to Kohler, this simply meant that the fawn should be left alone so he could be reunited with his mother.

"The problem with a fawn that loses its fear of humans is that it won't be a fawn for long. When the fawn grows to maturity (1 1/2 years old), you could have a big buck with antlers," Kohler explains. "We had a case recently of a deer kicking a toddler. Now why is a deer that close to people? A deer that loses its fear of humans can be dangerous."

So why would the fawn be euthanized if found? According to Kohler, white-tailed deer are notoriously difficult to rehabilitate; many don't survive the rehabilitation and most of those that do are killed by cars, canines, or other causes within 60 days of release. The remainder sometimes become problem deer. In rare cases, truly orphaned deer may be adopted by other does, but if not they aren't equipped to survive on their own. When that happens, the DNR opts for euthanasia following American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) standards.

"There have been no charges filed against Ms. Cain," Kohler tells us. "I think she was just made aware of the maximum penalty possible, but no charges have been filed. If the deer's in Kentucky, that's their jurisdiction."

As cute and vulnerable as Bambi-like little fawns might seem, the DNR stresses that leaving them alone is safer for them (and us). When all is said and done, according to Kohler, "this unfortunate situation could have been avoided and was blown out of proportion, but it gives us an opportunity to educate folks about how wild animals function."

For more information on white-tailed deer and other wildlife, visit wildohio.com.