Reunite Wildlife!

Barn owls returned to their palm tree nest.

Young wild animals stand the best chance of living normal lives and surviving as adults if they are raised by wild parents, as opposed to being raised by rehabilitators in a captive environment.

From wild parents, young learn what to eat, where to forage, how to hunt, what to fear, where to shelter. They learn valuable social skills, in some cases their own dialect, and they are allowed time to disperse naturally into their home territory.

No human, no rehabilitation program - not even the best in the world, will ever be a fitting substitute.  ~ Rebecca Dmytryk

Anne Miller presenting on reuniting young raptors.

This week, WildRescue's Rebecca Dmytryk presented at the California Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators' symposium, held at Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite. She was accompanied by Anne Miller, founder of Reunite Wildlife, for a two-hour presentation focused on the benefits of reuniting.


The program, attended by 75 participants including representatives from the California Department of Fish and Game, was aimed at empowering rehabilitators to practice reuniting.

Every 'baby season' wildlife hospitals are inundated with 'orphans' - many of which are healthy and should never have been picked up. Some need to be returned to where they were found, others might need a lift back into their original nests, others might need to have their nests totally retrofitted.

A replacement nest made from a laundry basket.

Either way, reuniting baby animals takes time and is best carried out by a dedicated team of resourceful volunteers - something many wildlife hospitals say they can't spare. Each year, then, a significant number of healthy babies are raised in captivity, a paradigm Dmytryk and other advocates of reuniting hope to see change in coming years.


Dmytryk's years of hands-on experience has earned her recognition as a leading authority on reuniting wildlife. She has joined up with other leaders in the field to develop guidelines to encourage more and more rehabilitators to adopt the practice.

If we know being raised by wild parents is what's best, then reuniting has got to be part of every rehabilitation program. It mustn't be viewed as an option, but an obligation.

Next March, the group plans to speak at the National Association for Wildlife Rehabilitators.

Also at the conference, Dmytryk was acknowledged with a certificate in recognition of her 31 years of service in the field of wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.

Another Day At The Beach

By Deanna Barth

With rain in the forecast for Friday, I decided to do my rounds today, instead. This time I started at the Monterey Coast Guard Pier. As I searched the area, I picked up several pieces of loose fishing line but saw no pelicans.

Next, I drove toward the Municipal Wharf and was pleased to see 30+ pelicans diving for fish, just a few yards off Del Monte Beach. I stood on the beach, mesmorized by the powerful splashing as they each dove into the water. They all appeared to be healthy.

I walked along the pier and around the wharf and didn't see a single pelican.

My next stop was Fisherman’s Wharf, where I'd been finding most of the injured pelicans lately.

As expected, there were a number of young pelicans gathered near the fish cleaning stations, resting on the railings and on the docks. I was really pleased, every one of them looked fantastic. No bite wounds or hooks or line entanglements.


I put my bag back over my shoulder, preparing to leave, when I heard the whooshing of a pelican landing behind me.

I turned to look… and cringed. There on the railing was a pelican, balancing on its left leg and having difficulty remaining upright. Fishing line draping over its back and a silver weight dangling behind him, glistening in the sun.








I quickly put my bag down, pulled out my fish, and approached slowly. Thankfully this bird was eager for a meal and lunged for my hand. It was easy to grab.

I transported him to the SPCA wildlife center where staff noted at least 4 hooks and line entangling this poor bird.

I left, knowing he was in excellent hands.  (Thanks Evan!)

On my way home, I decided to take a detour. Earlier in the week I had seen a pelican at Moss Landing that concerned me. It showed classic signs of domoic acid toxicity. It was sitting awkwardly, weaving its head back and forth, and appeared confused, but when it saw me approaching it became frantic and flew to the water. I tried baiting it, but no luck - it showed no interest in food.

When I arrived, I was shocked at the number of pelicans on the breakwater! It was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack, I thought. 

Starting at the very end of the jetty, I began scanning each bird, looking for unusual behavior. I didn’t have to look long before spotting a very obvious bird in trouble. It was an adult pelican, like the one I'd seen days before, and it was hunkered down in the sand facing away from the water. It looked wet and appeared very weak.

Based on the bird's behavior and body posture, I decided less would be more. No need for bait or even a net.

The poor bird only opened its eyes every so often to see if I was still around. I waited, and when its eyes closed I walked away to position myself directly behind it and hopefully out of its line of sight. Then I waited. 

The pelican opened its eyes again, turned its head slowly, and when it seemed sure that I was gone it settled again.

I began to close in on the bird. When I was just about on top of it, it saw me and made a feeble attempt to snap at my arms. As I scooped it up, it barely had any strength to resist. It was wet, cold, and covered in lice. 

Back at the vehicle I placed the pelican in a crate, placed warming packs around its cold body and draped a sheet over it to help bring up its temperature. Usually, with adult wild animals, we need to keep our transport vehicles cool, but for this one, I had to have the heater on for the 25-mile journey back to the wildlife center. 

I called the wildlife center the following morning to see if it survived the night. It had, but its temperature was still below normal.

CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES!

Entombed

by Rebecca Dmytryk

It was about 7:30 PM when we heard some intermittent rustling noises coming from inside the wall next to our patio door. The cats were mesmerized, but Duane and I thought nothing of it - it was probably a rat or mouse - nothing alarming or unusual, as we live in an older house in the country.

The next morning, however, we could still hear sounds emanating from the wall, but now the noises were more frequent and repetitive. After listening closely to the pattern, we decided it sounded like a small animal jumping up and landing, again and again. The animal must be stuck.

We brought out the borescope for a closer inspection, and sure enough, we saw hair and whiskers - a little mouse was trapped in the wall... and it was not the first to be entombed. The scope also revealed twisted skeletal remains of other rodents to fall into this pocket.

To the rescue! Duane cut a hole in the wall. I donned gloves and started fishing around in the pocket.

At first, I didn't feel anything warm and furry and alive. The mouse had burrowed under the dry carcasses to hide. I pulled out about a dozen mummified corpse before reaching the animal. Once in the palm of my hand, I raised the mouse to safety. It was a female deer mouse.

The mouse looked in good shape, even though it had been trapped in the wall for a good 12 hours - and, that night the temperature outside dropped into the thirties. 

We placed the little mouse into a container with a large towel for it to hide in. We also provider her a tiny platter of food - seeds, fruits and veggies - a banquet.

We released her just outside that evening.

Mummified remains of rodents found inside the wall.

I think our experience can be a lesson for everyone. When you hear sounds in a wall, pay special attention to the time of day and duration, and listen closely for any pattern that might indicate an animal is trapped.

Rehabilitator Receives Royal Recognition

Trevor Weeks, founder of East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service was recently honored with a Medal of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his work, helping injured wildlife since the mid 1990s.

"I am glad I have proven so many people wrong about where I was going with my life and voluntary work,I might be poor but I am so much happier as a result."  

Congratulations, Trevor!!!!

Trevor should be celebrating, but it seems he's working harder than ever to raise emergency funds. After an exceptionally busy year, WRAS is in dire need of financial aid. Read Trevor's appeal letter, HERE. 

Please, please, consider supporting WRAS with a donation or gift from their Amazon Wish List. 

In Memoriam

One year ago today, we lost a great friend, and the world lost a leading expert on gibbons. Alan Mootnick dedicated his life to the great apes, founding the Gibbon Conservation Center in Santa Clarita, CA.

Help ensure his valuable conservation efforts continue by attending a festive fundraiser next Saturday at the Center.

Join 41 gibbons and friends for

Thanks-Gibbon

Saturday, November 17th 

9:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Details, HERE.

Like the GCC on Facebook, HERE.

Join us today in remembering Alan by listening to the sounds of his gibbons, HERE.

Threefer

By Deanna Barth

Finally, after weeks without my vehicle (major repairs), I was able to get back to doing my "rounds" after work. I decided to check out the Monterey Fisherman's Wharf to look for injured pelicans. It didn’t take long to spot one.

At one of the fish cleaning stations, I noticed one of several pelicans was sporting a bright yellow and orange feathered fishing lure.

I prepared for a successful capture, placing a bed sheet on the ground a few feet away. I then pulled out a fresh piece of fish I'd brought for baiting-in the birds.

I approached the pelican slowly, applying just enough pressure to encourage it to stand. At the same time, I held out the fillet, jiggling it a bit to entice the bird. It wasn't 30 seconds before it lunged for the fish.

In a series of moves, I grabbed the pelican's bill, guided the bird to the ground, folded its wings, covered its body and head with the bedsheet - all without letting go of its bill. I then lifted the bundle to my hip and headed for my vehicle.

On my way to the SPCA Wildlife Center, I was transferred a call from WildRescue's hotline regarding a weak pelican on Del Monte Beach. I dropped off the first pelican and headed out for the second.

The pelican was easy to spot. It was standing on the shoreline, dripping wet, head hanging down.

A lot of times, a bird in this condition will be too stressed to bait with food, but I took my bag of fillets with me just in case.

The young pelican kept his eyes on me as I approached. I was able to get fairly close. Kneeling down in front of the bird, I tossed some pieces of fish. To my surprise, the pelican showed interest, but as soon as I tried inching closer, perked up and walked away.

Since I wasn’t sure if it could fly or not, I backed off a bit, but kept beside it as it walked slowly down the beach. It stopped, I stopped. We strolled side by side for several yards.

Finally, I knelt down in front of it and tossed some fish again. He closed his eyes. I scooted on my knees, inch by inch, until it was within arm’s reach and then I quickly grabbed his bill. He was wet and cold and covered with pouch lice.

After dropping off the second pelican, I made my way back to the wharf again. There were a couple of pelicans I'd seen at the bait cleaning station that I wanted to get a better look at.

I returned to find a large group of pelicans, about 15 or so. They were anxiously watching as fishermen skinned and cleaned their catch.

Most of the pelicans were standing on the railings, watching the fishermen's hands intently. Others were walking under and around the stations waiting to grab scraps. They were all quite bold, reaching out to try and steal fish from the men’s hands.

I began herding the birds out from under the cleaning sink, which was now dripping with oily fish juice. In the process, I noticed a pelican with a pretty significant injury on its neck.

With his attention on what the fishermen were up to I was able to grab him quickly.

On my third and final trip to the wildlife hospital, the staff jokingly said “Nothing personal, but we don’t want to see you anymore today.”  It was time to head for home.

Even though I had pelican lice crawling on me, the long drive home to Hollister was pleasant. It gave me time to reflect on the rescues. After weeks of being unavailable for rescues, it felt good to be back at it, and to know that I made a difference in the lives of those three birds today. I felt really satisfied.

At home, I cleaned out my car thoroughly then headed inside. When walked in the door I was met with an audible gasp from my husband, "Ugh, what is that smell? Is that fish? Oh, my God... you stink... bad."

It was a good day indeed.

The Year In Rescues 2012

Reserve a seat, HERE.

Email Rebecca for more information.

Two Bucks

Corralitos, CA - This morning, WildRescue received a call about two entangled bucks - held together at the antlers by heavy-gauge telephone line.

By the time we arrived, one of the bucks was dead. The other was in pretty good shape, though, considering. He still had a lot of fight left in him, which was a good sign. His chances of surviving were pretty good if we could release him quickly.

As discussed in a previous post (Stuck Buck), wild animals, especially prey species, are susceptible to capture myopathy, where exertion to escape can kill them - instantly, or even weeks later.

Duane secured the telephone line to our rescue truck's winch and pulled the bucks up the hillside to a small oak tree. We moved in cautiously, using plywood shields (seal boards) to protect us from the deer as it lashed out. 

Using hardened wire cutters, Duane cut away at the thick messengered telephone line, working it off the buck's antlers.

Finally, he was free.

After speaking with neighbors, we found out that the abandoned telephone had come down with an old tree that fell a few weeks ago. Please check your yard for anything deer or other animals might get tangled in, and remember to be extra cautious on roads this time of year as autumn is mating season for our coastal mule deer.

We'd like to thank the Department of Fish and Game and their response to the call, and a huge THANK YOU! to the Lucido Family for donating their truck to us earlier this year. The truck's winch was invaluable!

Please help us continue our work with a donation of any size, HERE. Thank you!

History of Wildlife Rehabilitation Part I

Rachel Carson with pet cat, Moppet. 

In 1936, Rachel Louise Carson, became the second woman to fill a full-time position with the Bureau of Fisheries (now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). She became chief editor of publications in 1949, but left the agency in 1952 to focus on writing. In 1962, Silent Sprint was published. This book was a milestone for the environmental movement, generating widespread concerns over pesticide use and pollution, and inspiring grassroots activism.

By the late 60s and early 70s, the Save the Whales campaign was gaining momentum and the concept of rehabilitating wildlife began taking shape. 

According to Holcomb, a pioneer in the field, "There was a real shift in consciousness, and people started asking, 'Okay, we want whales to be free, well then why not these other species?', so, we started rethinking our methods of dealing with injured wildlife, but," he recalled "there were two major incidents that really brought us all together."

On January 28,1969, a Union Oil drilling platform located six miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, suffered a blow-out. An estimated 4 million gallons of crude oil surfaced, causing an 800-square mile slick.

With 35 miles of coastline marred and thousands of birds in peril, the community came together in force. Despite heroic efforts by self-trained volunteers, few oiled birds survived.

As President Nixon noted, the incident "touched the conscience of the American people" and fueled the environmental movement.

Months after the spill, at a United Nations conference in San Francisco, John McConnell introduced the idea of Earth Day, suggesting the vernal equinox for its global spiritual significance. "The first day of Spring, a day that historically has been celebrated by people of every creed and culture - is a day worthy of being a holiday of all of Earth's people."

McConnell also designed the Earth Flag.

March 21, 1970, marked the first official Earth Day, even though a month later, Senator Gaylord Nelson proclaimed April 22, as "Earth Day". Over the years, Senator Nelson's date has seemingly championed McConnell's, though the true Earth Day is always celebrated on the vernal equinox with the ringing of the Peace Bell at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

Over 20 million Americans participated in first Earth Day rallies across the United States. People were engaged and ready to take action for a cause...

Earth Day 1970

New York City: Union Square. Earth Day 1970

In Walnut Creek, California, a relatively small natural history center, Lindsay Wildlife Museum, was known for taking in injured wildlife - animals that were found by the public. Due to an increased need, in 1970, under the direction of curator Gary Bogue, the museum started one of the first formal rehabilitation center in the United States. Months later it would play a key role in helping massive numbers of oil-soaked birds.

On January 18, 1971, two Standard Oil tankers collided under San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, releasing 840,000 gallons of oil into the bay. Once again, citizens joined together in record numbers to help save their wildlife. Click HERE to read a firsthand account from one of the responders.

Lindsay Wildlife Museum was one of the dozen or so emergency bird centers set up throughout the Bay Area - another one was called the Richmond Bird Care Center. Alice Berkner, founder of International Bird Rescue (IBR) recalls the events leading up to the formation of her nonprofit in April 1971, HERE.

Poster made for International Bird Rescue Research Center in 1971.

Also in April 1971, the famous Keep America Beautiful PSA, People Start Pollution, People Can Stop It, aired for the first time.

The 1970s were very powerful times. People were impassioned, they felt empowered, and they took action - making things happen...

History of Wildlife Rehabilitation Part II

Hide and Seek

Watsonville, CA - Last week, a female opossum was found sleeping in a corner behind some plants, just outside a variety store. Before rescuers could arrive to assess the animal, it was assaulted with a boot and ran into the shop.

Inside the store, the opossum found many good places to hide and sleep during the day, until one day... when an employee was moving plastic crates filled with merchandise, and her fingers felt hair inside the box. Startled, she ran to the front of the store to get help. 

WildRescue's Duane and Rebecca responded, but could not locate the opossum. The next day, they returned with their tracking expert, Cooper.

Within 3 minutes, Cooper pinpointed the marsupial's location. It was in between a stack of heavy windows. It took some time, but the team finally caught up with her.

Once captured, the team did a brief exam to make sure she was okay to set free. They quickly noticed  the blue crumbles between her teeth. She had been eating rat poison!

Management had recently placed bait blocks in the warehouse, thinking they had rats.

The blocks have since been removed.

The opossum was transported just a few miles away to Monique, with Native Animal Rescue, where she was treated with Vitamin K to counter the anticoagulant rodenticide.


UPDATE 10-26-12: The opossum is doing very well and should be ready to release any day.

Halloween: Scary for Wildlife

Just a reminder about holiday decorations. Woven or stringy material can be dangerous to wildlife. This is a picture of a Western screech owl caught in fake spider web.

Western Screech owl caught in fake spider web. Photo by Marin Humane Society / Dave Stapp

Long Lived the King

Drake king eider. Photo Credit Arthur Morris Birds As Art

In February 1996, a 300-foot long Japanese freighter collided with another ship off St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea. The collision resulted in a significant spill of bunker fuel that killed close to 1,000 birds.

One of the lucky survivors was a male king eider - Federal Band Number 1347-54921. He was one of 148 king eiders rescued and rehabilitated by International Bird Rescue (IBR) during the logistically complex event.

Every oil spill incident presents unique challenges. During the Pribilof Islands Spill, rescuers had to contend with freezing temperatures, snow and ice, and the 800 miles that separated the remote island from the rehabilitation center in Anchorage.

Oiled drake king eider. Credit: Paul Flint, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Another major challenge unique to this event was the rehabilitation of the heavy-bodied and heavily insulated eiders. International Bird Rescue's Jay Holcomb recalls how, after being cleaned of the oil, the eiders had to be kept in pools of ice water - "so cold you couldn't hold your hand in it for long," and even then they would pant.

Overall, the sea ducks adapted very well to captive life, according to Holcomb, and went through the rehabilitation process surprisingly quickly. Nearly 80% of the oiled eiders survived. On March 14, 1996, a group of 24 eiders was transported back to St. Paul Island and released.

Trevor Peterson with the banded eider. 

Just recently, IBR found out that one of those eiders was recovered earlier this year - Band Number 1347-54921

On January 15th, just after first light, one of the kings was taken by a hunter. Estimated to be 17 years old, the bird was near the end of its lifespan. He had lived a long life, wild and free, thanks to the heroic measures taken to save it in 1996.

Should he have been euthanized, instead?

Every once in a while, the rehabilitation of oiled wildlife is criticized, claiming it more humane to euthanize the animals than put them through the cleaning process. What critics often fail to see is that they share a conviction with those they denounce - to do no harm - unaware of the processes in place that assure balance between science and compassion, and that many, many animals are euthanized because carers know the animal would suffer unfairly.

For wild bird rehabilitators, marking their patients with numbered leg-bands upon release helps them track their success.

"One of the best indications that our methods work," says Holcomb, "is when we get reports of rehabilitated animals thriving years after being released. This king eider is an example of that. But," he cautions, "not enough rehabilitators conduct post release studies."

Professional rehabilitation has come long way in the last 40 years. Stay tuned for next week's Wild Byte for a look at the history of wildlife rehabilitation in the U.S.

Freedom at last...

Today, three young coyotes, a three-pack, were released onto a large parcel of private land in Corralitos today, after nearly 4 months of foster care at Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley.

One of the pups was a youngster we rescued after it was hit by a car on Green Valley Road, less than three miles away. Check out the original post, HERE.

Here's the video of their release.

MANY THANKS TO THE WILDLIFE CENTER OF SILICON VALLEY FOR RAISING THESE WONDERFUL CREATURES!!!

Please consider donating toward their Predatory Mammal Program, HERE.

Swift Response

Vaux's Swifts are small insectivorous birds that spend much of their time on the wing. In fall, they gather in large groups as they journey south from their Pacific Northwest breeding grounds to Mexico and Central America, making a return trip in spring.

As the birds traverse what is now mostly an urban landscape, instead of roosting at night in tree hollows, they have taken to sheltering in man-made structures, like chimneys and smokestacks.

At dusk, thousands can be seen whirling and funneling into a chosen location. A spectacular sight to see. Check out this great video.

Much to the dismay of onlookers, it's not uncommon to see crows, ravens and other predatory birds plucking an occasional meal from the whirling mass - like a grizzly bear snatching salmon from a waterfall.As they travel through Southern California, over the last few years, the swifts have roosted in the brick chimney of the 86-year old Chester Williams Building at Broadway and Fifth in downtown Los Angeles.

Unfortunatley, on October 12th workers placed a rain guard on the chimney, preventing the birds from entering that evening. Many of the birds found shelter in a nearby chimney, but another lot of them ran into a bit of trouble.

That same night, an officer with the Pasadena Humane Society responded to a call about a mass of birds inside a chimney in Arcadia. When he arrived, he found nearly 200 swifts clinging to the sides of a residential fireplace. Thinking they were non-native starlings, he collected them in boxes and returned them to the station to be dealt with in the morning.

Thankfully, Ashley Herman, Wildlife Management Specialist with the Pasadena Humane Society quickly identified them as swifts and immediately released them back where they were found. 

Photo by Mike Danzenbaker avesphoto.com

Thanks to Jeff Chapman, Clare Marter Kenyon, Laura Garrett, Martha Benedict, Greg Martin, Councilmember Jose Huizar and Jessica Wethington McLean for their quick action to get the cap removed.

The following night, the swifts returned and were observed using both chimneys, but the fate of their roost remains uncertain.

Hopefully, the swifts will be guaranteed a forever-stopover in downtown Los Angeles.

More on these wonderful creatures at Vaux's Happening. 

That time of the year

Fall and winter months are the safest for tree trimming, brush clearing, and home repairs with the least amount of impact on neighboring wildlife.

This is the time of year to inspect the perimeter of your home for signs of uninvited 'house guests'.

Look for broken vents, and holes that lead into attic areas or under a home's foundation. Look for dirty paw prints, or 'grease marks' indicating 'high-traffic'. Check for bat droppings on siding, or on the ground below overhangs. Bat feces resemble mouse droppings, but easily crumble to powder.



Even though it's not breeding season for animals like raccoons, you still want to take precautions so you don't entomb an animal inside your home!



Here's a trick. If you find a broken vent, don't just seal it. First, stuff the hole with wadded up newspaper - solid enough that it won't fall out, but loose enough an animal can easily dislodge it.

Scent the outside portion with citronella or peppermint oil.

The next morning, if you find the newspaper disturbed, pack it in again. Repeat the process until the newspaper remains in place, preferably for two nights in a row.

Then it's a good bet that whatever was in there is out, and the vent can be repaired.






If you'd like a wildlife professional to perform an inspection, or if you'd like their help in devising the safest, most humane, and non-lethal method of evicting wildlife, or discouraging their residency, please contact one of the following businesses.

CALIFORNIA

A Wildlife Exclusion Service (Sonoma) 707-992-0276

Humane Pest Control (Monterey/San Jose) 855-5-HUMANE

WildCare Solutions (San Francisco) 415-456-7283

San Diego Wildlife Removal (San Diego) 619-446-7438

COLORADO

Urban Wildlife Rescue 303-40-4911

FLORIDA

Wild Neighbors Solutions 954-495-3484

INDIANA

Humane Wildlife Choices 765-430-1582

OHIO

SCRAM 614-763-0696

OKLAHOMA

The Skunk Whisperer 918-261-4444

TEXAS

911-WILDLIFE 713-287-1911

WASHINGTON D.C.

HSUS Humane Wildlife Services 866-9-HUMANE

Baby Elephant Rescue

Nairobi, Kenya - Yesterday, experts from the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, came to the aid of an eight-month old calf that was trapped in a manmade well. These pits are dug by the Maasai to water their cattle.

In the video below, behavioral ecologist Vicki Fishlock uses her Land Rover to drive off the calf's mother, Zombe, so rescuers could reach the baby safely. The video ends with the heartwarming reunion of mother and calf.

The following day, another baby elephant was found in the same pit. Unfortunately, before rescuers arrived its family was driven off by Maasai herdsmen. The orphan was transported to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Orphan's Project.

When you have time, check out the orphans' profiles, HERE. Warning: you might not be able to stop clicking More for details of their individual rescues and to watch incredible videos like this one, HERE. Please consider supporting their good work by fostering an orphan, HERE.

Stuck buck

Day before yesterday, we were forwarded an emergency call about a large deer entangled in netting - soccer netting. The animal had been stuck for a few hours, maybe longer.

In California, deer are classified as big game mammals and handling them is strictly prohibited under Title 14 without authorization by the Department of Fish and Game(Wildlife), and rightly so. Like all game species, they are extremely difficult and dangerous to handle. Dangerous to themselves as well as handlers.

We dispatched a team to, first and foremost, keep people away from the animal. En route, our team notified the Department and received authorization to initiate a rescue if they felt it was safe to do so.

Once on scene, the team found a good sized buck with its antlers horribly tangled in netting. It had backed away from the soccer field and into some brambles.

The team cleared the area, making room to work safely.

Using a long-handled hook, Duane tested the animal's responsiveness and to see if there was any chance of slipping the material from the buck's antlers but netting was wound tight around its rack. The team was able to secure the deer, somewhat, but they needed help.

They called local game wardens to assist. Two wardens arrived within minutes and helped subdue the frightened animal. During the process, the deer's eyes were covered to reduce visual stressors, and its body was sprayed down to help prevent capture myopathy.

One of the greatest risk to the wild animals we try to help, is their fright. Their innate fear of us can kill them. Especially prey species.

Capture myopathy, also known and exertional myopathy, is a condition induced by extreme fear, anxiety, or exertion.

When an animal is placed in what it perceives to be a life and death situation, where it must flee of fight for its life - a series of chemical changes occur, starting with the release of adrenaline into the bloodstream. The animal's heart rate increases, breathing accelerates, and blood is diverted to the large muscles to help the animal escape danger.

In short bursts, these changes in an animal's metabolism can be beneficial to its survival, but extreme and prolonged exertion can be fatal.

Simply put, while under pursuit, restraint, or severe stress, if an animal's body can't supply enough oxygen to its muscles, the muscles start to die.

Onset of capture myopathy can be sudden, within minutes, or over days, even weeks after an event, and there is no cure. If the animal survives, residual signs may last months. With this in mind, even though the buck was freed and it eventually made its way to the woods, its survival is questionable.

Juvenile mule deer in Carmel Valley, CA.

Today, we received another call about an entangled buck. This one was caught on a hammock in the Bonny Doon area. Unfortunately rescuers arrived too late. The buck died as a result of fighting so long and so hard to get free.

For coastal populations of deer in California, October is typically the beginning of their rut, or breeding season. This could explain the recent hammock incident. Perhaps the buck tried rubbing his antlers on the hammock, or maybe it was pursuing a  doe and happened through the resident's backyard when it got hung up on the material.

As for the buck on the soccer field - there had been a huge fireworks display the night before at Seacliff State Beach, about half a mile from the field. The explosions could certainly have been a factor.



In conclusion, these two bucks were harmed by manmade objects. For the safety of wildlife around your homes, please take a moment to check your yard for things that animals might get tangled up in, like netting, webbed material, string or rope.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME WARDENS WHO ASSISTED WITH THE RESCUE OF THE BUCK!!!

Support BABS

Introducing the Bay Area Bobcat Study (BABS) - a project of the Felidae Conservation Fund - launching this Winter! BABS will track how bobcats move through the area's fragmented landscape, locating pathways and identifying obstacles with the hope of improving connectivity for a healthier population. 

Support the project HERE - be sure to note it's for BABS!

Beauty. Magnificence. Inspiration.

We were forwarded this link of a video created by Trish Carney, and wanted to share it - it's so beautifully done. Enjoy.