Future conservationists learning about the ecosystem

Simple activities that make a difference

Ecocentric activities can take a little or a lot of work. Some, such as not disturbing wildlife, not moving rocks (they may be sheltering someone) and staying on trails are passive activities. Others, including picking up trash (even if it isn’t yours), leashing dogs, removing their excrement and planting gardens to attract pollinators take more effort.

Pick a Flower and Trouble a Star

Everyone must be mindful of the effects that individual and collective actions have on the environment. The consequences of our actions ripple through the ecosystem. Even the seemingly innocent act of turning over a stone in a river can have devastating consequences and hasten the extinction of an endangered species¹

Larger projects carried out in open spaces including clearing trails and installing barbed wire fences and barriers across wildlife paths and corridors can fragment habitats, separate animal families and block food sources.

A new fence blocks a wildlife pathway.

A shoutout to the children

The 88-acre canyon that I love and write about, hosts a diversity of wildlife. Although a small habitat, it’s an important one. This wild space is part of a network of other natural areas, separated from each other by roads and buildings. The little canyon is also a popular hiking spot for the locals. It’s a perfect place to see how people’s activities impact the fragile environment.

There’s a wonderful eco-minded pre-school at the head of one of the trails that leads into the canyon. A few years ago, the young students started calling themselves The Jell-O Club.  The name wasn’t randomly picked. Like many preschoolers, the children were given mid-morning/mid-day snacks. After they and their eco-conscious parents noticed the plastic wrappers from their refreshments littering the canyon and floating down the creek, they asked the school’s director if they could have snacks that were in biodegradable packaging. These eco-minded youngsters didn’t stop there. They cleaned up the canyon trails, using pickers to grab up plastic, paper, metal and glass. To this day these little ones are still vigilante trail custodians. They are more than trail custodians; they are young conservationists in training, and they help keep the wildlife, dogs and hikers safe from the hazards of garbage and glass. The earth needs young vigilante conservationists like the Jell-O Club. They are making a difference.

Destruction of a shelter close to home

Until a few months ago, wildlife kept dry by crossing the canyon creek on a natural bridge made from branches intertwined between rocks, roots and the trunk of a large bay tree. The tangle of branches and leaves also provided shelter, cover and food for many species of wild animals. Generations of bobcats found the trunk and vegetation a safe spot to shelter and raise kittens. Although this was one of several shelters that the bobcat families used, they returned to it on a regular basis. Generations of kittens played, grew and learned essential survival skills on top of the branches and on the banks adjacent to the shelter.

Bobcats weren’t the only animals who hung out there. When the bobs weren’t around, possums would forage amongst the leaves and use the fallen branches and rocks as pathways to connect to the other side of the creek. Every night, dusky-footed woodrats, who are a species of special concern, ran over the tops of the large trunk that framed the creek. It worked well as a bridge, connecting to the bay trees where the woodrats built their large multi-generational homes.

For many years, this pile of rocks and branches played an important part in the lives of the wild residents. It supported many species for countless generations until one day a man with a shovel purposely destroyed it. It only took him one hour to eliminate it.

There were no reasons to demolish it. No human-made structures were nearby that could be impacted by the rising creek waters. Nature had successfully managed the creek for hundreds of years without this man’s help.

In addition to negatively impacting the animals, he destroyed part of a sensitive habitat that is home to species of special concern. Years ago, the county mandated that there can never be any building or modifications made in the canyon because it’s an environmentally sensitive riparian habitat. It is supposed to remain untouched.

Destruction of a wildlife crossing point and shelter

It was difficult to watch the videos of wildlife discovering that their familiar crossing point and shelter was gone.

Rat poisons

For ten years, an organization near one of the trail heads hired an exterminator to bait traps with 2^nd generation rodenticides. These deadly rat poisons remain in the tissues of the rats and travel up the food web. After eating the poison, the sick rodents don’t immediately die. The rats wandered into the canyon and neighboring yards and became easy targets for predators, including raptors, bobcats, pumas, coyotes as well as household dogs and cats.²

Bobcats help maintain a healthy ecosystem.

5 years ago, Slim, a beautiful mountain lion died after she ate a rodent that had eaten the bait. She had been frequently filmed late at night walking up the canyon trails, often hesitating at the junction where two two trails intersected.  Slim was one of many unintended victims of 2^nd generation rodenticide.

One person made a difference

Because of the perseverance of one man, the organization recently stopped using the poison. He successfully convinced the organizations board of directors to stop its use and dispose of the bait traps. He presented facts and suggested alternatives to 2^nd generation rodenticide for reducing the rat population.³ One person took action and made a difference.

You can make a difference

Although individually we may not be able to stop global warming, we can take actions that halt further destruction of the environment. We need to be mindful, think about the potential consequences of our actions and be aware of the ripple effect that our activities have on the ecosystem. We all need to do our parts to preserve and heal our fragile ecosystem.

1. Hellbender, an endangered species is in danger of disappearing forever. Because it makes it home under rocks in rivers, turning over, moving rocks displaces them “Once a nest rock is moved, hellbenders won’t ever use that rock again.” Stroup said. “There’s not a whole lot of clean, pristine habitat left for hellbenders. A lot of time we were damming rivers and creating lakes, we lost a lot of that riverine habitat for aquatic species.”
2. These rat poisons kill indiscriminately.  A study commissioned by California Department of Fish and Wildlife found 2^nd generation rat poison in 85% of the mountain lions, bobcats and fishers who were tested in California  In 2020, Governor Newson signed the bill which makes it illegal to use 2^nd generation rodenticides in California. Although it’s illegal, some people and businesses, including the canyon neighbor, hire exterminators, who place the lethal poison in bait boxes.
3. Rats are a problem, but there are better, safer ways of managing and reducing the population. You can make a difference and let natures’ exterminators do their jobs. Rats are regular parts of the predator’s diet. Additionally, remove food items, pick up dog and cat food and secure garbage cans and clear away brush will also help keep rats away from homes and businesses. For more information contact the following organizations:
   The Hungry Owl Project; Raptors are the Solution; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; Rodenticides Topic Fact Sheet

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can. Her focus is on how urbanization is affecting apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues.

Marilyn is interviewed on podcasts, print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page.

The post You Can Make a Difference appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

Among the notable wildlife recorded this summer, we are privileged to watch as bobcat kittens, a mountain lion cub and a spotted fawn grow and mature.

New bobcat family in the canyon.

Puma family saga

It is not new news that mountain lions are regulars in the canyon. They have lived in the area long before the first peoples came to California. My cameras have watched the wildlife in this canyon for only five years—a brief minute when compared to the length of time pumas have lived here.  Until this year, they have documented only solitary lions, never family groups or pairings. This year it is different. For the first time since the cams have peeked into the lives of the inhabitants, the canyon is fortunate to host a small puma family composed of a female along with her one cub. The pair has been captured on film almost every month since February. The first glimpse I saw of the little family was when the cub was around three months old.

Youngsters stick with their mums until they are between 18-24 months old. Then they disperse, searching for their own territories. Puma moms have difficult jobs. It is not an easy task to teach their young ones’ important survival skills. Living solitary lives, they must protect, hunt and raise the cubs without help. Unlike our local coyotes, mountain lions do not live peacefully with each other; they don’t live in packs and they don’t hunt cooperatively. Nor do adults willingly share their meals with conspecifics, but there are exceptions.

The puma mom is doing a good job. As her cub matures, she gives him more independence. One indication of this is her increasing the distance between them. But she is always nearby, ready to intervene, just in case there is danger.

The most recent appearance of the little family was in June, filmed at the rim of the canyon.

Video courtesy of Eric Cheng

Bobcat soap opera

At least two litters of bobcats were born this year, probably from two different females. Usually, bobcats only have one litter a year. The kittens stay with their mums until they’re between eight to twelve months old and then disperse². Early this year three adorable bob kittens were recorded almost every day, playing with each other and annoying their mother. Although one of the babies had only one eye, he seemed to manage as well as his siblings.

Early this summer a new bob family was recorded in the canyon. The mom seems young; she may have been born about 18 months ago and possibly is the daughter of the female who, for at least four years, has claimed parts of the canyon as her core territory. Based on her behavior with the kittens, I’m guessing that this litter is a first for this girl. She doesn’t seem quite as vigilant as the older, experienced bobcat mum. Although she keeps track of the youngsters, they are a distance from her. Also, she only has two kittens. Young, first time mothers usually have fewer kittens then older females.³

The first time the babies were caught on film they were young, barely two months old. Mom may have been moving her little family to a new den. Kittens are frequently relocated, more when they are neonates, sometimes as often as every day to every few days. As they age they are moved less often. Predators also determine when it is time for a change of address⁴ because the little ones are vulnerable to predation by coyotes, raptors, puma and even male bobcats. The smell of the dens and the sounds of the kittens attract them.

The first time the babies were filmed, they may have been almost weaned, new graduates from the milk bar and barely getting accustomed to a meat diet. Around this time, they also start to learn to hunt. Bobcat moms have their work cut out for them: there are many mandatory survival skills these babies must learn in order to make it in a dangerous and competitive environment.

Mom is doing something right. Both kittens have survived another month—a hard task for a single mom. The little ones have grown and appear to be thriving. I love watching their immediate responses when their mom calls them. We definitely will keep a vigilant eye on those youngsters.

The camera at the fork in the trail is positioned at a popular spot for bobcats. Bobcats, like most felids live mostly solitary lives, they usually don’t socialize with other conspecifics unless they are juveniles ready to disperse, adults looking for mates or a queen raising kittens.

Coyote reality show

Coyote 09M was the canyon star for a few years. He was a joy to watch as he played and interacted with his mate and gamboled on the trail. 09M had a distinctive personality that showed through in the hundreds of videos of him.  The cameras lost track of him two years ago. Since he disappeared several coyotes have been filmed. None stayed for the length of time 09M did. While that boy lived in the canyon, he took a mate and produced at least two litters of adorable pups.

A bonded pair of young coyotes began hanging out in the canyon a few months ago. Tragically, the male was badly injured in July and lost a foot.  We can only guess the initial event—he could have gotten his foot caught in a trap or he may have been bitten by a rattlesnake. It is one of many wildlife mysteries that probably will never be solved. It is difficult for coyotes to successfully hunt when injured to that degree—sadly the survival rate is low. Now, only the female has been spotted.

Deer tales

There is a smorgasbord of vegetation for the deer to dine on in the canyon—a major attractant for a doe and her fawn. The two have found plenty to munch on, especially next to the creek, directly in front of one of my cameras.

In contrast to the bobs and lions, deer are highly social, and hang together in herds. There is safety in numbers—herds give deer some protection against coyotes and mountain lions. The characteristic of individual herds vary and are dependent on the ages, gender, familial ties as well as the season. Bucks group themselves in “bachelor groups” in the spring, but then become rivals when competing for the attentions of the does. Bachelor groups usually have three to six individuals in them. Ours has five members.

Wildlife dramas continue

The wildlife soap opera continues and because of technology, we are fortunate to be able to catch fleeting, 20 second glimpses into the fascinating lives of the canyon animals. It’s wonderful to watch as they live out their lives, hunting, playing and interacting with each other.  The cameras also play an important part in monitoring the behavior changes of our wild inhabitants caused by the pressures of urbanization and the fragmenting of their habitats.

1. Three to four trail cameras have been filming wildlife and human activity in an undeveloped 88 acre canyon for almost five years.  This canyon is surrounded by businesses, roads and homes. Footage from the cams document behaviors of the suburban wildlife being impacted by the pressures of urbanization.
2. Hanson, Kevin. Bobcat Master of Survival. 2007. Oxford University Press.
3. 4. Sunquist and Sunquist. Wildcats of the World. 2002. University of Chicago Press

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can. Her focus is on how urbanization is affecting apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for podcasts, print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet , CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

The post Summer Time Wildlife Dramas appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

The trail camera was strategically placed

The stolen camera was recently placed strategically for research. We are collecting data about the mountain lions and bobcats and I am writing about their behaviors. My articles are based on the videos of wildlife that are memorialized by the cameras, including the one stolen from us.

A mountain lion mum and her growing cub periodically traverse the canyon. They are very adept at never being seen by people who use the trails—but the cameras see them. Recently Bay Area Puma Project/Felidaefund, as part of a broader DNA study, brought a scent dog into the canyon for the sole purpose of locating and collecting mountain lion scat for genetic and health research. The spot I placed the stolen trail camera is one of the areas the scent dog identified as a puma latrine. My next article, which I was working on before the camera was stolen, will focus on puma scat and the working scent dog.

Our trail cameras document wildlife

This canyon cannot be developed for any reason—it must be protected and remain wild. It is part of a network of other shrinking open spaces that wildlife relies on in order to access resources for survival and persistence. The canyon is also fortunate to shelter some special species of concern. These animals and their canyon habitat are protected: the county will not allow development of any sort to occur there. Our cameras are positioned to document the diverse animal species in the canyon as they live their lives and navigate between the fragmented open spaces.

Before the trail camera was stolen, it often filmed the dusky-footed wood rat–one of the species of special concern. This is one of their homes.

Community support

After years of filming, monitoring and writing about the canyon wildlife, we know that the majority of the residents support our work. Based on neighborly conversations through the years, we believe that most of you treasure the canyon and understand the importance of preserving it. Clearly, you love and respect the environment and understand the adverse impacts that urbanization has on wildlife. Unfortunately, at least one local person doesn’t feel the same way, if he did, our equipment would not have been stolen. I just don’t understand why someone felt entitled to steal our camera. The theft was not done on an impulse. The cam was secured to a tree with a locked, steel cable, a security box and a padlock.

To the neighbor who stole the camera: do the right thing, either return the trail camera, the memory card and the security box or pay for them. Place them at the base of the tree from where you cut the cable and stole them. Unfortunately, because of your theft, the valuable night footage cannot be replaced. Please support us, instead of hindering our research.

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can. Her focus is on how urbanization is affecting apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for podcasts, print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page.

The post Why Steal a Wildlife Research Trail Camera? appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

“As humans have developed and destroyed habitats worldwide, it is critically important to keeping remaining isolated patches of habitat connected to each other with corridors of similar habitat, to allow animals (and thus their genes) to move between them.  Conservation biologists refer to this as ‘connectivity'”. Laurence Frank PhD–Living with Lions, Kenya

Wild animals go where there is food and water. It doesn’t matter what service they provide in the ecosystem—predator and prey must eat to survive. Deer are drawn to areas where there is plenty of vegetation—generations follow the same wildlife paths, going back and forth between sites that are proven to be rich in vegetation. They browse and graze on leaves and grasses in one area, then move to others, eventually circling back to the original spot. Predators, including mountain lions and coyote follow them. It is vital that these wildlife routes are kept open and are not made impassible. Additionally, keeping these wildlife corridors accessible discourages inbreeding and may help to deter predators from venturing into urban and suburban areas.

This wildlife path has been followed for years by many generations of deer

Wildlife corridors

Barbed wire fences, barriers and tall fences in our neighborhoods often obstruct the natural movement of wildlife. This is becoming more problematic as expanding urbanization divide and limit animals from accessing wild areas. The neighborhood canyon is no exception. Because the 88-acre canyon is too small to fully support a diverse and healthy group of animals, wildlife cross the busy street that borders one side of the canyon to access the open space. They graze in the meadow, browse on the vegetation, hunt prey and drink the water from the creek in the pristine habitat that is managed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System). The canyon side of the corridor is vital for wildlife as well—it is also a riparian zone and provides food, water and shelter for the animals. One of my cameras is aimed at the crossover spot at the fence the animals go through when crossing between the two wild areas. For many years it’s faithfully recorded a variety of species crossing back and forth.

For years and countless generations, animals have consistently passed through the fence at this spot. Youngsters, watching and following their parents, learned that this is the best place to make the crossing. They wait, hesitating at the fence, blending in with the shadows from the trees until the road is quiet and free of traffic and then dash over to the safety of the canyon.  Families of deer as well as coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions have worn paths under the horizontal barbed wires to go back and forth between the two wild areas. That spot at the fence is rich with the familial scents of thousands of animals over many years passing under and through the wires. Until recently, it worked well.

Everything changed a few weeks ago.

The SFPUC blocked the wildlife corridor

The SFPUC, recently weaved strong twisted wire strands between the horizontal wires in the fence, making it impossible for the deer to squeeze through. This wildlife artery, used by many wild species for crossing back and forth between the canyon and the open space is now impassible and dangerous for many animals.

SFPUC Added vertical wire to the fence, blocking the wildlife corridor

The SFPUC most likely made the poor decision to add the vertical wires because they don’t want people trespassing into the open space. Based on years of consistently filming the spot, their trespassing concerns are unfounded. In the 3.5 years that the camera has filmed the fence, there have only been four occasions when people have squeezed through the wires into the open space. Twice utility workers picked their way through the barbed wire, another time a house painter climbed through the wires to urinate. In 2019 a couple of trespassers did maneuver their way through the fence, probably to take pictures. While the SFPUC concerns are understandable, it appears that they are not considering the environmental implications of blocking a well-travelled wildlife corridor. It also seems that they are not honoring their own policy “Water Enterprise Environmental Stewardship Policy” concerning native species habitats and enhancing ecosystem function.

I don’t know if the SFPUC is aware of the detrimental impact that adding vertical wires between the horizontal ones has on the wildlife. The wires are now locked in place, making it almost impossible for some of the animals to make those crucial trips between the canyon and the SFPUC land.

Does and fawns have it a little easier in some ways. Being smaller and not equipped with antlers, they can squeeze between the closely spaced wires, but at a painful price. They are frequently scraped and scarred by the sharp barbs.

In addition to the fence being almost impossible to pass through, bucks can get their antlers tangled in the barbed wire.  Tragically, bucks who are trapped by the fence, can become easy targets for coyotes or may die from starvation. They are particularly vulnerable right now because it’s fall, the rutting season, when the males are intent on finding mates. They wander more, increasing the possibility of getting entangled in the fence as well as being stuck on the road. Although a few does have managed to fit through the small openings between the wires, some of the members of their groups can’t—leaving them in dangerous and precarious situations on the road.

Finding safe passage

Of course, there are other places they can use to cross over between the canyon and the open space, but they aren’t as safe as the familiar spot in the fence: animals must walk a distance on the road and risk being hit by cars and trucks.

Mature buck can’t get through the fence–he’s stuck on the road

A possible solution to avoid blocking wildlife corridors

The SFPUC needs to stop blocking these important wildlife corridors with injurious fences and barriers. There is a solution that is low-cost as well as relatively easy to implement and it can include local communities. First, the SFPUC needs to identify these important wildlife corridors. These access points and corridors are easy to spot—they are the paths where the vegetation has been flattened and the soil hardened by many generations of hooves and paws. Wildlife cameras should be strategically placed to document the wildlife using the trails to cross between the wild areas. An added plus is that the cameras serve as a deterrent to trespassers. A lot of this work has already been done.  Local conservation/wildlife groups including the Felidae Conservation Fund has identified many wildlife corridors and has been monitoring them for many years. Additionally, the SFPUC can solicit volunteers from the community to monitor cameras and submit and analyze the data. Instead of blocking these spots, cameras can continue to monitor them. When appropriate, signs should be placed on roads, indicating to drivers where the wildlife crossings are located.

What is occurring to the wild animals in the neighborhood canyon is not a unique situation. Tragically, wildlife corridors are being blocked in suburban and urban edge communities throughout the west. Who knows, maybe the local community and the SFPUC can set an example that might eventually be widely adopted, benefiting wildlife and helping people successfully cohabitate in areas that are shared by wild animals.

*The term “wildlife corridors” may not be scientifically accurate. According to the following definition, the term refers to a strip of natural habitat connecting populations of wildlife otherwise separated by cultivated land, roads, etc. 

Thank you Laurence Frank. PhD for reviewing, fact checking and commenting.

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can. She is focusing on how urbanization is affecting apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues and helps clients change their cats’ unwanted behaviors though on site and remote consultations. She is also frequently interviewed for print and on-line publications. Additionally Marilyn is guests on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page

The post The Devastating Impact of Blocking Wildlife Corridors appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

I created a spreadsheet, comparing videos from one camera during the same 13-day period in 2019 with those from the same dates in 2021. The data tells the story, and it is not good. It’s a tragedy to see the canyon trails, once a paradise vibrant with a diversity of wild animals, changed into a ghost town.

It probably isn’t a coincidence that at the same time there’s been a dramatic decrease in wild animals, there is a substantial increase of people, bicyclists and off-leash dogs that are racing through the sensitive habitats. People’s response to Covid19 is most likely behind this upsurge of activity. Comparing the footage from the 13 days in 2019 to the same period in 2021, it’s noted that in 2019 there was only one dog off leash, 18 walkers and one bicyclist filmed in the canyon. It’s a different story in 2021. During the same period, 62 dogs ran off-leash, 499 people walked the trail and there were 33 bicyclists. Most likely, the consequences from the increased usage, especially from the dogs who are allowed off-leash is significant enough that many animal residents have vacated. Unfortunately, Coyote 09M, his mate and pups have disappeared. The last puma was filmed in November and the last coyote was recorded in October 2020. And during the recent 13-day period only a couple of bobcats, one deer and a few skunks were filmed.

Comparison of number of people for same 13 day period in 2019 and 2021–18 people in 2019, compared to 499 in 2021. See spread sheet

Dogs and people

Many of the people who are accompanied by their four-footed companions are responsible dog people. Their dogs are leashed, and their excrement is bagged and removed. As a rule, they control their dogs and don’t let them run off the trail. Thank you for being mindful and doing your part in preserving the canyon and attempting to keep it safe for its wild inhabitants.

Unfortunately, most of the dogs are uncontrolled and race off the trails. All of these dogs have people trailing a distance behind them. During the 13-day study period in 2021, 62 dogs were filmed running off-leash while only 40 sported leashes. The off-leash dogs tore through the canyon, chasing deer and other wildlife and destroying dusky-footed woodrat homes.

Dogs running off leash comparison for same 13 day period in 2019 and 2021. 1 dog ran off leash in 2019, 62 in 2021. See spread sheet.

The dusky-footed woodrat has been designated a species of special concern. This special mammal lives in the canyon and is the main reason that the canyon is not allowed to be developed. Their homes can be 60 to 70 years old—and up to 6 feet high.

Dusky-footed woodrat home

Although it took years for dusky-footed woodrats to construct this home, it probably took less than a minute for it to be destroyed.

Destroyed Dusky Footed Wood Rat home

The wild animals have left

The increase of people and uncontrolled dogs may not be the whole story—there might be other factors that also contribute to the wild animals vacating the area. Although correlation does not imply causation, based on the comparison of videos from the same time periods for the two years as well as the reports from other nature preserves and parks, the upsurge of people, off-leash dogs and bicyclists are most likely the primary reason for the wild animals to now avoid the trail.

Wildlife sightings comparison for same 13 day period in 2019 and 2021. 46 Wild animals were filmed in 2019, 18 in 2021.See spread sheet

I realize that people want to see me post videos of the latest wildlife that uses the trails. I can’t post any for you simply because there aren’t any. Although the wild animals are conspicuously absent from around the canyon trail, every week we have hundreds of new videos that are populated only with people, dogs and bicyclists. The cams are purposely aimed at an angle to avoid recording faces—we do see legs, knees and shoes. And the cams regularly film people engaged in a range of mostly healthy activities including walking, running, exercising, singing and dancing. Sometimes unexplained events are also filmed such as these people carrying shovels. I hope they are using those shovels to fill in the areas on the trail that now have erosion issues and that they aren’t removing native plants. And why move the stick?

Thousands of videos filmed in the canyon since 2018 chronicle the usual seasonal cycles of the wildlife. Unfortunately, they’ve also recorded a huge decrease of wild animals on the trail. Based on the data comparisons from the two years, it appears that the consequence of increasing human activities, especially dogs running loose into the fragile habitats has driven the wild animals to abandon the areas around our canyon trails.

*San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat, California red-legged frog, pallid, bat, potential nesting grounds for coopers hawk, white-tailed kite and yellow warbler from EIR Report, December 2008 Impact Science, Inc

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can, while learning how urbanization is affecting the apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for print and online publications. Additionally, Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page.

The post Where are the Wild Animals? appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

A scrape made by a mountain lion.

Kiosks, sign posts and community scrapes have a lot in common; they communicate important information from the posters to the community without the necessity of physical interaction. The location the pumas choose for their communication center isn’t random either. They strategically pick specific spots in the forest to convey messages to other pumas who patrol and visit the area. It also isn’t a coincidence that we perfectly aimed one of the Bay Area Puma Project’s trail cameras to record the puma action at this special place.

Mountain lion checking out a scrape

Anatomy of a mountain lion scrape

Watching videos of mountain lions scraping is reminiscent of watching movies in slow motion. The puma’s back legs and feet slowly and deliberately rake leaves, soil and twigs into small piles on one side of bared earth. Then they squat and either defecate or urinate on top of them. Vital information is conveyed about the scraper from the excrement and possibly through scent that is deposited from the underside of paws.

Location, location, location

Community scrapes are often located in places where mountain lion territories overlap and at shared borders. Scrapes are multi-functional; they warn other lions away, time stamp visits and help attract mates. This behavior is most often seen from male pumas. Because of urbanization, the available wild spaces are shrinking and the rules are changing. The size of territories are decreasing and becoming substantially fragmented by highways, residential development and other structures.

My guess is that this is affecting wildlife behaviors. Although, I haven’t found a published study about it, it’s possible that the local mountain lions are being forced to time share and overlap more of their territories with their puma neighbors than they have in the past. In order to avoid unpleasant encounters with each other, pumas may be making and using community scrapes more. Scrapes aren’t just found grouped together; pumas will also scrape on trails that they travel on.

Although many of the adult lions who visit the site scrape, the more dominant male often scrapes regularly. Generally, juveniles will check out the scrapes but will not leave their calling cards—it’s in their best interests not to announce their presence to unfriendly resident adult males.

The most dominant male usually scrapes and marks the most.

Prime directive of male pumas

Pumas, especially males, don’t practice diplomacy: encounters often lead to serious injuries and death. Because the prime survival directive of adult males is to reproduce and hunt, they habitually have a zero-tolerance policy for others of the same sex. In addition to food, males compete for a limited number of females who are in estrus at any given time. Not surprisingly, male mountain lion territories can overlap and include those of a small number of females—pivotal spots for the boys to advertise their availability for mating by scraping.

Prime directive of female pumas

Female mountain lions have different agendas than the males. Theirs is to survive, reproduce and care for their offspring until they are equipped enough to survive on their own. Usually, young mountain lions leave their mums to search for their own territories when they’re between 18 months and two years old. All of mom’s energy and intention goes into raising those precious kittens—she has no interest in boyfriends and usually won’t go into estrus until they disperse, unless a determined male kills her young with the sole intention of having her return to estrus and be ready to mate again.

Mountain lion family. Photo courtesy of Felidae Conservation Fund

Mountain lions looking for dates

Normally, after the youngsters leave their mums, females go into estrus and become obsessed with finding boyfriends. And, adult male pumas are open to the idea. It’s an all-consuming occupation. The girls visit the community scrapes, checking out the messages left by neighborhood and transient lions. They are seeking out the strongest males to mate with. Generally, the most successful boys are chosen. They are the ones who scrape the most frequently, depositing pheromones through their excrement on the scrapes. The girls readily ID them through a scenting process called the flehmen response. All felids, including our household cat companions have olfactory organs known as the vomeronasal organ located in the roofs of their mouths. Felids make a very distinctive face when they’re taking in the scent—their mouths partly open and their nose wrinkles.

It’s not just the boys who scrape, girls will too occasionally. Although they sometimes make their own fresh scrapes, when canvassing for boyfriends, they may urinate on the top of scrapes made by males who are candidates for mating. In addition to broadcasting their availability, it also helps to deter competitors. Of course they also advertise for romantic liaisons through calling.

The lines of communication are open

Although mountain lions are highly territorial and spend most of their lives alone, they still need each other to survive. For their survival as well as the species, it’s imperative that the lines of communication are open with other pumas in the hood as well as those who are passing through. Community scrapes work well—they provide ways for mountain lions to advertise for mates, delineate territories and time stamp their visits without direct confrontations.*

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can, while learning how urbanization is affecting the apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page.

*The following resources were used extensively in writing this article:
Some of the visuals that are included here are courtesy of Felidae Conservation Fund. Please check out Felidae’s work at www.felidaefund.org.

Hornocker and Negri. Cougar Ecology & Conservation. 2010. The University of Chicago Press

Maximilian L. Allen, Heiko U. Wittmer, Paul Houghtaling, Justine Smith, L. Mark Elbroch, Christopher C. Wilmers. The Role of Scent Marking in Mate Selection by Female Pumas (Puma concolor). https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0139087 October 21, 2015.

Bart J. Harmsen, Rebecca J. Foster, Said M. Gutierrez, Silverio Y. Marin, C. Patrick Doncaster. Scrape-marking behavior of jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor). https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/91/5/1225/902019 Journal of Mammalogy, Volume 91, Issue 5, 15 October 2010

Maximilian L. Allen a,∗ , Heiko U. Wittmer and Christopher C. Wilmers. Puma communication behaviours: understanding functional use and variation among sex and age classes. Behavior Brill, December 30, 2013

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A mountain lion named Slim

The wildlife cameras filmed her in March of 2018, the first week we set up the camera in the canyon. She was beautiful—a stunning female mountain lion walking down the trail in the rain. She made more appearances after that, usually once a month. Although the canyon was a relatively safe place to visit, she was mostly drawn to it because of the abundance of her favorite food—venison. She didn’t stick to the canyon though; she occasionally toured the surrounding communities. Neighborhood security cameras filmed her making the rounds, usually late at night or before dawn.

Slim tours the hood

Her name was Slim. She earned her moniker because her tail was thin, due to a lack of fur. A captain in the local police force who loves wildlife named her and it stuck. We compared Slim sightings, tracking her as she moved through her territory. She was a pleasure to watch. One day she walked into town, right in the middle of the residential district; a nice neighborhood with manicured lawns and sidewalks. Someone looked out their front window and instead of seeing the familiar kids riding their bicycles to school and people leaving for work, they saw a mountain lion strolling up the street.

California Fish and Wildlife, BACAT and the Santa Cruz Puma Project were called and quickly responded. Streets were cordoned off and residents were instructed to stay inside their homes with their pets. Slim was tranquilized, weighed and given a quick health check. She then received an ear tag and a tracking collar. Her health wasn’t great—she was malnourished and had mange, which explained the furless condition of her tail. After taking her vitals, she was placed on a truck, transported back to the open space and released.

Slim, the first mountain lion the cameras filmed, patrolling the trail.

Slim continued to frequent the canyon. Sadly, the canyon cams filmed her deteriorating—it was heartbreaking to watch. She lost weight and fur. The last time we saw her was at the end of July. A couple of months later she died. A necropsy performed by California Fish & Wildlife found she was malnourished and riddled with sarcoptic mange—both are classic signs of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning. Some months earlier she must have eaten an animal who had consumed poisoned bait or ate another poisoned animal. The anticoagulant rat poison, traveling up the food chain, compromised her immune system and finally killed her.

California Fish and Wildlife released a study documenting high concentrations of second-generation anticoagulant rat poisons in predators in California. More than 90 percent of the tested mountain lions and 88 percent of bobcats have the poisons in their systems.

Enter the lion

For months the canyon was missing an important player—a mountain lion. Then about six months after Slim died, our cameras filmed a male lion on the trail. The three canyon cams caught him, sauntering up and then back on the trails. He was the largest puma I’ve every filmed.

The large lion became a regular on the trail, marking his territories by scraping the ground with his back feet and defecating in it as well as by spraying. He makes the rounds every 2-3 months and sometimes he sticks around for a few days. It’s easy to understand why he visits the canyon—it’s full of deer. It’s good he comes by—he, like all mountain lions, is important for the health of wild eco-systems. When he eats, many others do too.

Mountain lion #2 walking the trail

Mountain lions generally kill around one deer a week, which is enough food to last a few days. Lions don’t eat the whole deer in one sitting; they enjoy many meals every day over the course of a few days if left undisturbed by humans. Between meals, they cache the remains in a shady spot, covering it with leaves and debris. In theory, this makes it harder for other predators to discover the carcass and it helps keep the meat fresher. Although it may work to some degree, even I, a human with limited smelling capacity, knows when our lion has cached his meal near the trail.  I assume that our local carnivores, including raptors, coyotes, and bobcats can also easily detect the remains and help themselves to it when the canyon lion isn’t around. All eat well when a lion does.

We have footage of Coyote 09M racing down the trail with a deer head clutched firmly in his mouth the day after our lion had a successful hunt.

Like clockwork, the lion visits the canyon every two-three months. This is the last video we have of him from last week. He doesn’t look as robust and healthy as he did on previous visits. I hope, like Slim, he didn’t eat a poisoned rodent.

A couple of days after he was filmed last week, the mountain lion was killed on the highway. Although I treasure all of them, the canyon lion has a special place in my heart and I pray it isn’t him. Too many of these magnificent animals have become the unintentional victims of urbanization. Some are killed on roads and highways, others poisoned by second-generation rodenticides. Something needs to be done to stop the killing.

*Update: I needed to know if the mountain lion was our boy, so I pestered lots of people for information. It isn’t good news no matter how it’s sliced—it’s heartbreaking when lions are killed. My persistence paid off. The puma was a female: it wasn’t the canyon lion. Although I’m happy to hear this, I’m also sad.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page.

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant. Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can, while learning how urbanization is affecting the apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

The post Life Stories of Two Canyon Mountain Lions appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

Along with the reduction in predators, the cameras have only caught a couple of woodrats and rabbits—favorite menu items for coyotes and bobcats.  Hopefully this is just a natural cycle and not a situation influenced by humans.  Wildlife, when left to their own devices, are efficient conservationists. Predators have large territories that include different areas with abundant prey. After chowing down on available prey in one area, they move to another good hunting area in their territories. They don’t eat all of the prey—there are always some that escape the hungry predators, quickly reproducing and repopulating the area over time.

Bobcats

We almost stepped into a pile of poop last week next to the primary camera. Some animal had purposely scraped and defecated in the middle of the trail, marking territory. I thought either a bobcat, fox or a Chihuahua. One of the other cameras cleared up the mystery.

Another way bobcats mark is by spraying. This is a popular spot that bobcats spray almost every time they go by it. This short trail, ends at the edge of the creek next to a clear pool of water.

Check out this bob crossing the busy street during rush hour traffic.

Wow! Impressive canines.

Bobcat walking to the creek

Coyotes

I’m glad to see that 09M is sticking around the canyon. Although the cameras film him frequently, lately, they’ve rarely caught him with his mate. It’s also been about one month since we last recorded the puppies.

Deer

A sharp, loud noise startled this deer. Turn up the sound and listen to the beginning of the video, it sounds like a gun. What do you think?

One of the canyon’s resident deer attempts to cross the busy road. She does this often, but this time is startled back by a car. Good for her, she’s cautious and has street smarts.

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Bobcat love

A couple of months before the video showed her in the advanced stages of pregnancy, the mom-to-be had at least one suitor. Although adult bobcats, like most felids, are solitary and self-reliant, they solicit the company of the opposite sex during their breeding seasons. Adult female bobcats are receptive to males for only a few days during their cycles. The whole neighborhood is aware when bobcats are looking for boyfriends because they fervently advertise for them through loud, distinctive caterwauling. In addition to long distance calling, scent marking, scraping and physical posturing helps get the word out. It’s not just the girls who are on the make, adult males also verbalize their desires and ardently scent mark in high profile spots, such as the center of trails.

Both sexes mark using urine and feces—the frequency increases with the urgency to mate. The feces and urine of females contain chemicals that broadcast their receptive reproductive state to available males. They also scrape the ground with their back paws and then urinate or defecate in the scrape. It seems that there is an increase in bobcat feces deposited in the middle of the trail during breeding seasons. Another way they mark is by rubbing objects with their cheeks—there are glands on the felids cheeks and the corners of their mouths that produce pheromones.

Typically, breeding season is between February and April, but depending on the climate and the environment, love can occur any time. When liaisons are fruitful, kittens are born on an average of 63 days later.

New life in the canyon

Shortly before her kittens were born, the expectant mom found a well hidden spot to deliver them. The birthing den was up the side of the canyon, overlooking the creek. It was in a dry sheltered spot, either in a hollowed out stump or a place protected by brush. She chose the location for safety and it was near a rich hunting area. In late May or early June, three adorable bobcat kittens became part of canyon life.

Like all felids, the bobcat kittens were born helpless, relying on their mum for food and warmth. Although their eyes were closed and they couldn’t hear, the neonates were guided to their first meals by the vibration of their mum’s purr. In addition to functioning as a navigation system, purring helps keep kittens relatively undetected by hungry predators. Predators are less likely to hear vibrational purrs, whereas squeaks, meows and chirps are readily picked up by their sensitive ears.

Young bobcat kitten

Life as a single parent

Bobcat mums are single parents—they must feed, protect and teach kittens the art of survival without help. It’s not an easy job to do in a dangerous environment. Although well camouflaged by their spotted coats, the little ones are vulnerable and might be found by other resident predators. Also, male bobs, including the kittens’ fathers, are notorious for killing little ones—doing so brings the female into estrus again.

Growing kittens demand lots of nourishment. Typically, they nurse for seven to eight weeks and then begin eating fresh meat.  While mom was away on hunting forays, the kittens stayed close together, not venturing far from the protection of the den. Periodically she moved them to other shelters she had previously scoped out that were safer, cleaner and had plenty of prey nearby.

The bobcat kittens learn survival lessons

The kittens were around eleven or twelve weeks old when they started accompanying their mum out on the trail. It’s her job to teach them the lessons that will help them survive in a harsh environment. They had lots to learn.

The youngsters had to be alert and obey their mum’s visual and verbal signals. Their lives depended on it. Flicks from her short tail, ear movements, body language along with chirps, mews and growls signaled when to wait, hide, follow and run. They also served as warnings as well as other communiqués. Check out this video and turn up the sound. Mamma bobcat signals visually and verbally to her youngsters to wait and then to proceed after she does a security check at the fork of the trail.

Not all bobcat kittens survive into adulthood. Our little family didn’t beat the odds. One of the three didn’t make it, possibly falling victim to a coyote. Early one morning, the cameras filmed the mom hurrying up the trail towards the den, carrying a red shouldered hawk firmly in her mouth. A few hours later, a coyote trotted from the direction of the den, clutching the same bird. After that incident, the cams recorded only two kittens.

The canyon kittens, like all felid neonates, weren’t born successful hunters. Hunting is a skill they had to learn. One effective teaching tool is play. In addition to being fun, playing with siblings as well as mom helped them develop coordination and learn the finely tuned skills of waiting, stalking, pouncing and catching prey.

When the little bobs were mature enough, mom gave them another lesson which helped develop their hunting skills. She dropped a wounded woodrat in front of them to pounce on, catch, kill and eat.

The bobcat kittens are evicted

The little family stayed together for about 9-10 months. By that time the kittens had honed their hunting skills and learned how to survive in a competitive environment. School ended, lessons were learned and it was time for them to leave their mum.  She made it clear with growls that they were being evicted—the little female was in estrus again and male bobcats were courting her. Although, sad to watch the two adolescents being rebuffed, her actions may have saved them from having serious confrontations with her male suitors. For awhile after the rejection, the siblings were periodically filmed together on the trail. Finally they dispersed to find their own territories. Males typically disperse further than the girls. Girl bobs sometimes claim areas that are adjacent to their mothers. We hope they’ve learned their lessons well and live long, healthy lives.

This year’s liaisons between the girl bob and her boyfriends were successful. A couple of months ago the wildlife cameras filmed the little bobcat again going through the stages of pregnancy. If she hasn’t already, soon she’ll have another family to protect, teach and feed. We’re looking forward to seeing her again on the trail with a new litter of kittens following close behind.

Sources

Hanson, K. (2007) Bobcat Master of Survival (Oxford University Press)

Ryden, H. (1981) Bobcat Year (Lyons & Burford)

Sunquest and Sunquist. (2002) Wild Cats of the World (University of Chicago Press)

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about different Feline species on her Facebook page.

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant. Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. Her interest in felid behaviors began with household cats, but then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can, while learning how urbanization is affecting the apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

The post The Bobcat Kittens Grow Up appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

Etching by Nicholas Collins

Rat poisons kill more than rats

Rodenticides are designed to attract animals—they’re not selective. In addition to rats, pets and wildlife sometimes sample the bait because it smells and tastes good. Sadly, all the animals who ingest it become victims of the primary poisoning—none are exempt.

In addition to killing the targeted rodents, second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides also kills non-targeted wildlife.  Because they kill slowly, rodents keep eating them even after they’ve ingested a lethal dose. When they do die or are close to dying they have many times the fatal dose in their systems. After ingesting the poisons, rodents typically wander off to other areas to die, where they are easily caught and eaten by predators, scavengers and other animals.

Rat poisons travel up the food chain, compromising immune systems and eventually killing those who eat the poisoned animals. California Fish and Wildlife recently released a study where they found high concentrations of second-generation rat poisons in bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, skunks, fishers, hawks, crows and owls. The study documented second-generation anticoagulant rat poisons in more than 90 percent of the mountain lions and 88 percent of bobcats that were tested.

Anticoagulent rodenticides travel up the food chain. Diagram created by Christine Danner for Urban Carnivores

More than wildlife is killed by second-generation rat poisons. Sometimes rats seek shelter in yards and gardens within reach of household pets.

Rat poisons in the special canyon

In the middle of San Mateo there’s a special 93-acre canyon—a wildlife corridor where a diversity of animals, including coyotes, bobcats, an occasional mountain lion, raptors, deer, woodrats and other prey animals live, hunt and patrol.

Rodenticides are taking their toll on the wildlife in the canyon. We’ve recently found dead squirrels and moles in the same location within a three-week period —we’re presuming they ingested poisoned bait that may have been placed next to a nearby building.  Secondary poison has also affected the canyon predators. In 2018 a female mountain lion regularly patrolled the canyon. It was heartbreaking when she was filmed gradually deteriorating, losing fur and becoming thin. This is the last video we have of her; a few months later she died. A necropsy performed by California Fish & Wildlife found she was malnourished and riddled with sarcoptic mange—both are classic signs of secondary poisoning from rodenticides. Most likely, other wildlife in the canyon are also adversely affected by rat poisons.

California regulations in a nut shell

In 2014, the California Department of Pesticide Regulations (DPR), a division of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA), prohibited residential consumers from buying rodenticides that contain four of the active ingredients that can cause secondary poisonings¹. They weren’t banned entirely. Certified/licensed professionals are allowed to use them and, even though they are prohibited from being sold to consumers, some homeowners have found creative ways to obtain them. Additionally, consumers can buy poisons that contain first generation ingredients. Clearly, the 2014 law doesn’t go far enough. 4 years later, the reported rates of accidental wildlife exposure to these rodenticides doesn’t seem to have decreased.

The DPR, aware of the problem, is addressing it. A spokesperson for the DPR told me they’ve formally started a process that re-evaluates pesticides. According to the spokesperson, the new process “forces the manufacturers to provide the DPR with data related to second generation anticoagulant rodenticide exposure rates, as well as any resulting risk of adverse impacts to non-target wildlife. It could ultimately mean more restrictions on these pesticides.” The DPR also believes that there should be a variety of other options, besides poisons available.

Alternatives to rat poisons

Although common rats don’t win popularity contests, killing them with super-toxic rat poisons is over-kill.  There are other, effective ways to eliminate rats from the hood without poisoning animals further up the food chain.

One immediate way of discouraging rats from hanging out is to remove what attracts them. Pick up trash, shut and secure the lids of garbage cans and dumpsters and don’t leave food around. Don’t free feed pets outside—dog and cat food provides a smorgasbord for rats. Also, pick up pet feces. Wretched as it sounds, rats gravitate to feces. A little yard maintenance will go a long way: sweep up bird seed, pick up fallen fruit and clear away dead shrubbery from gardens.

Rat proofing will keep the unwanted guests outside. Place screens on open pipes, vents and seal up holes that might double as rat by-ways into buildings. A little preventative action can make a big difference. For in-depth information, check out how to rodent-proof your home.

Pick up trash, shut and secure the lids of garbage cans and dumpsters.

Don’t forget natural predators. They are highly skilled at thinning out rat populations. Rodents are primary menu choices for coyotes, bobcats and raptors (please keep your pets safe inside, especially at night). Depending on property locations, one solution may be to encourage raptors to cull local rodents by installing nesting boxes and perches. The Hungry Owl Project, a non-profit organization, sells nesting boxes for owls, kestrels and other birds. They also have plans available for building them.  Another great resource is Raptors are the Solution 

Non-toxic products when used with other safe approaches might also help repel rats. They contain plant-based products such as castrol oil and mint oil. Rats don’t like them and will avoid areas where they’re used. Attics and basements are popular spots to apply them.

Only when these solutions aren’t working consider humane traps² that kill instantly. These traps should be used only where other animals can’t reach them. Don’t use glue traps, they are inhumane—deaths are long and painful. Additionally, never use live traps. Your neighbors don’t want the rats either and releasing them in open space preserves can create an ecological imbalance and may introduce diseases that are fatal to the native animals.

We are fortunate to live in an area where there are nearby natural habitats. These are fragile ecosystems where many animals who live in them are the unintended victims of poisons.  In order to protect the wildlife that lives in the wild places we need to look at the whole ecosystem and see how our actions, including using poisons, impact the environment. It’s up to us to be responsible, use alternative solutions and refrain from using poisons, especially those that travel up the food chain.

For more information:

The Hungry Owl Project
Raptors are the Solution
Urban Carnivores
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
National Pesticide Information Center
Rodenticides Topic Fact Sheet

¹ In 2008, the EPA declared that second-generation rodenticides containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, and difenacoum posed an “unreasonable risk” to children, pets, and wildlife, and gave manufacturers 3 years to cease selling directly to residential consumers. But it left a gaping loophole by exempting large-quantity sales (such as farmers) and tamper-proof bait boxes used by exterminators. Predators, scavengers, and pets are no less poisoned if they eat rodents that consume bait from sealed boxes or bait set out by farmers—Zara McDonald, President, Felidae Conservation Fund.

² Other safe alternatives include single- and multiple-entrance snap traps and electrocuting traps.

Marilyn Krieger, CCBC, The Cat Coach, LLC® and author of Naughty No More! helps solve cat behavior challenges nationally and internationally through on site and remote consultations.

Marilyn enjoys educating people about cat behavior. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio. She has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS,  ABC, KGO and others.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions on her Facebook page

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