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.

Fragments of the Wild

Although 88 Acres may seem like a large area to the people who live on the rim and walk the trails, it isn’t large enough to successfully supply enough food, territory and mates for many of the wild animals who are regularly filmed there. This small wildlife oasis is only a small part of a network of other wild spaces in this suburban-scape. These natural places are separated from each other by busy roads, highways, fences and structures. In addition to these splintered, wild areas there is a large open space managed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. In order to obtain enough food and to find mates, the animals have to travel between these green pockets. It’s dangerous for them; many do not survive past their first year, becoming victims of vehicles.

Share the space, avoid humans

Because of the size of the canyon, animals, including bobcats, coyotes, deer and mountain lions share the habitat with each other as well as the people who have discovered this small slice of paradise. Over the past 4 years, my wildlife cameras have recorded 1,000s of vignettes of wild animals hunting, patrolling, raising their young and living their lives along the trails that crisscross through the little wildlife oasis. Amazingly, the animals are mostly successful at avoiding people who hike, walk, jog and exercise their dogs on and off leash.

Mountain lion family

It is never predictable. Weeks can go by and only a few animals are captured on film, but then there are other times when the memory cards are full of extraordinary wildlife. Recently, the little canyon has been in for a treat. Along with the regular wild residents, mountain lions are visiting. Although we¹ regularly film pumas, this is the first time in 4 years that we are privileged to glimpse a little mountain lion family—a mom with her cub.

Lions in the hood

As a rule, pumas don’t want anything to do with humans and will attempt to time their visits to avoid us. Unfortunately, because of the increasing pressures of urbanization, it’s becoming harder for them to avoid detection. Their wild environments are shrinking, fragmenting and disappearing. As their habitats are squeezed, animals have little choice but to venture into nearby neighborhoods, seeking food, water and territory. Deer feast on plants around homes and the predators, including mountain lions and coyote, follow them. Felidae/Bay Area Puma Project conducted a study in the San Francisco Bay Area to predict the habitats that mountain lions occupy in these highly fragmented urban and suburban landscapes. The study found that instead of pumas being partial to areas with a high density of prey (deer), they prefer forested habitats that have sufficient cover that supports their stalk and ambush hunting strategies.

Human residents are seeing wild animals with increasing frequency. Recently, a home security camera located near the canyon filmed a large male mountain lion killing a female lion early in the morning and then dragging her down the street.

Mountain lions are highly territorial; males especially do not tolerate other lions in their territory. If their habitats weren’t shrinking and becoming increasingly splintered, the two may have never encountered each other. It is possible that both lions followed the deer into the neighborhood where the fatal confrontation occurred.

This may be a video of the male lion, crossing the busy road that borders the canyon a week after the deadly battle.

Usually our local mountain lions visit the canyon late at night, when people aren’t around. A study was conducted about five years ago that showed that even the sound of human voices was enough to startle them away from their meals. Confrontations with humans are rare. According to California Fish and Wildlife, there have been 19 attacks since 1984. Of those 19, three were fatal. The last fatality in the Bay Area occurred in 1909 in Morgan Hill and that mountain lion had rabies.

Although encounters between mountain lions and people are rare, it’s important to be cautious. Children should always be accompanied by adults and it’s safer to not hike alone. If you do happen to see a puma or a coyote, don’t run. Instead morph into a large, fearsome human—wave your arms, do jumping jacks and yell. Minimize your chances of crossing paths with predators by enjoying the wild areas only during the day. Pumas are generally the most active between dusk and dawn. Thousand of videos from trail cameras show wildlife activity occurring predominantly at night and in the early morning, before first light.

We are fortunate to have natural habitats adjacent to our communities as well as small wild pockets within some of our towns. Unfortunately, because of the increase in urbanization and the growing population, these habitats are disappearing, becoming increasingly fragmented and reduced in size. By themselves, they are not large enough to support and sustain healthy ecosystems—but, together they form a network. Wildlife has no choice but to travel across dangerous roads and sometimes into the neighborhoods in order to access these wild areas for food and mates. Although they want to avoid people, expect to occasionally spot wild animals on the roads, in your yards and on security cameras².

1. Years ago I started monitoring cameras in this canyon solely for the Bay Area Puma Project (Felidae Conservation Fund)–one of our scientists identified it as good location for research. After a few years, BAPP turned it over to me and although it’s still part of our research, it is the primary focus of my articles. 
2. Thank you Zara McDonald for fact checking.  

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 A Wildlife Oasis in Suburbia appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

Wolf or fat coyote? Picture by Marilyn Krieger

Most of the alleged wolf sightings are not confirmed with photos and videos, but some are. A few people sent me pictures and my trail cameras snapped a series of excellent videos of one of these large canids.

Wolf reports

As it turns out, I’m not the only one who has been contacted about “wolves” roaming the bay area. I checked with Jonathan Young, the wildlife ecologist, at the Presidio Trust in San Francisco who specializes in coyotes and Kent Laudon, the Senior Environmental Scientist, wolf specialist for the California Dept of Fish and Wildlife. Both scientists told me they’ve received reports of sightings of wolves and giant coyotes. Young wrote me that he’s gotten calls and e-mails from locals, claiming that there are wolves and German shepherd sized coyotes in the city that weight at least 100lbs. One San Franciscan wrote him “it was certainly a wolf that I saw, believe me, I have a vacation cabin in Montana, I know wolves.” Despite these reports, Young said that coyotes are surprisingly light-weight. A few years ago he weighed a female who tipped the scale at 34 pounds. Although there aren’t many pictures accompanying the wolf and giant coyote claims, someone in SF posted a picture of one on the Nextdoor social media platform, titling it the Wolf of McLaren Park.

Wolf or fat coyote?—photographer prefers to remain anonymous

Remember the woman on her way home from the board meeting who told me that she saw a wolf disappearing into the canyon? Fortunately, he and his mate trotted by my trail cameras, triggering a series of videos. He looks out of place next to his mate, who is a typical-looking, lanky, leggy coyote. He’s large, solid and kind of fat—she is diminutive in comparison to him. He could easily be mistaken for a large German shepherd or a wolf or a hybrid until you see his face and snout.

People from all over California contact Laudon, claiming they’ve seen wolves. He always checks the reports and has found that 99% of the sightings are not wolves—they’re coyotes or dogs. But, what about the other 1%?

99% of the sightings are not wolves—they’re coyotes or dogs. Picture courtesy of Kent Laudon

Wolves in California

Grey wolves are historically native to California—they lived here until they were hunted to extinction for sport and to control predation. The last known grey wolf in California was trapped and killed in Lassen County in 1924. Lassen County is a long way from San Mateo County. Did wolves live in the bay area? It is believed that they once were here. Based on anecdotal evidence from explorers in the 1800s, wolves inhabited the coastal ranges, the central valley and the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Wolf. Photo by Patrice Schoefolt from Pexels

There hadn’t been wolf sightings in California for almost 100 years. That changed in 2011, when a wolf, fitted with a radio collar and named OR-7 dispersed from his natal pack in northeastern Oregon into our state. He was the first known wolf to venture into California, travelling as far south as Tehama, Shasta, and Butte Counties.

Since 2011 there have been a handful of other wolves who have gone on walkabouts into California, seeking mates, traveling thousands of miles in pursuit of love. A recent and well-publicized traveler was OR-93, he was the first wolf in 200 years to be seen as far south as San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties. His impressive 1,000 mile journey ended tragically on November 10, 2021, when he was killed by a car on Interstate Highway 5.

OR-93 traveled down to the central coast. Photo courtesy of Kent Laudon, California Fish & Wildlife

Although wolves are gradually dispersing back into California, they have not made it to the Bay Area and they probably won’t. According to Laudon, they are forced to make a hard stop at the highways, notably I5 and I80.

Hybrids? Wolves or Fat Coyotes?

Is it possible that our local, oversized, super coyotes are hybrids? Did over-amorous dogs and coyotes have liaisons? Laudon says that there is no DNA evidence of hybridization occurring in the West between dogs and coyotes or between wolves and coyotes. Additionally, wolf and coyote encounters do not bode well for coyotes. Wolves do not tolerate coyotes—they kill them. It’s in the best interests of coyotes to avoid wolves¹.

Fat coyotes in winter coats

Wolves, coydogs or coywolves have not moved into the neighborhoods. The huskier, solid-looking canids that people are seeing are our familiar coyotes—they are well nourished and have grown thick insulating winter coats. One theory about why our coyotes are looking larger than their usual svelte, lean selves could be weather/temperature related. California has been in a drought for years. Until this winter, the coyotes that cruise the neighborhoods have been lank and leggy. It’s been a long time since coyotes have been seen with thick winter coats. This year is different—California has been drenched with rain and it’s cold. Laudon also thinks that there’s a psychological component to the sightings, that people wanting to see wolves, mis-identify the well-padded coyotes as wolves.

Local coyotes have become accustomed to sharing the neighborhoods with humans. Although they typically avoid people, they are sometimes spotted during the day, trotting down the street, looking for food and mates. It is easy for them to find nourishing food in our urban and suburban environments. Coyotes are efficient ratters, but being opportunistic eaters, they also eat garbage, fruit, dog food, cat food and unfortunately, they can target dogs and cats². It’s common to see coyotes in the neighborhoods—most look well nourished and they’re sporting thick, insulating winter coats³.

1. It’s a different story for the eastern coyote. Javier Monzon, an evolutionary biologist analyzed the DNA of 437 eastern coyotes and found that 64% of the eastern coyote’s genome is coyote (Canis latrans), 13% gray wolf (Canis lupus), 13% Eastern wolf (Canis lycaon), and 10% dog (Canis familiaris).
2. Living on the on the wildland-urban interface in the Bay Area means that residents need to expect that coyotes and other native wildlife will periodically be seen in our neighborhoods. Take proper measures to protect your pets and hobby animals. Keep your pets safe indoors. When walking dogs, walk them on a leash. Cats should not be allowed outside—the exceptions are enclosures and catios.
3. Thank you Zara McDonald for fact checking and proofing. Thank you Kent Laudon and Jonathan Young for answering my incessant questions and for fact checking. 

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC) and author 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.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page: The Cat Coach.

The post Wolves or Fat Coyotes? 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.

It’s always a delight to review the memory cards. Sometimes all we see are people, dogs and deer, other days, we are treated to videos of bobcats, the occasional mountain lion, coyotes and dusky footed woodrats.

During the last 10 days, bobcat kittens, rabbits and deer were the trail cams urban wildlife stars. The largest predators that were recorded were adult bobcats. Mountain lions, coyotes and foxes did not venture in front of the cameras.

Bobcat kitten

A bobcat kitten was repeatedly filmed bopping up and down the trail for a couple of days. The little one was not accompanied by mum or siblings—perhaps he was separated from his family. I hope that this baby eventually reunited with his mum. He’s too young and vulnerable to be out alone.

The next day he’s filmed again, but this time heading in the opposite direction on the trail. There are five more videos of this sweet baby alone.

Something startled this youngster. He might be the same little solitary bobcat kitten from a few days ago, but the ruff around his face seems more prominent than the kitten’s. This little one is so frightened, he momentarily freezes in place, then hurries away, keeping as low to the ground as possible, trying not to be seen. No possible threats were recorded before or after.

More bobcats

This gorgeous bobcat is frequently filmed near the creek. Check out the stripes on the inside of his back legs.

Deer

Deer are frequent visitors, often whole families show up, looking for vegetation to munch on.

Possum

These prehistoric looking marsupials fill an important niche in the eco-system. They are cleanup crews, eating an assortment of stuff, dead and alive, including garbage, snails and mice. Thank them—they also eat ticks. Unfortunately, the cams haven’t filmed any possums with babies riding on their backs.

Rabbit

There is at least one rabbit who lives at the fork in the trail. It’s amazing he hasn’t caught the eye of the resident predators. Rabbits are part of the diets of bobcats, coyotes and raptors. Usually he’s filmed at night, seldom during the day. I am rooting for his continual survival.

Protect the urban wildlife

Thank you to those of you who appreciate wildlife and understand the importance of keeping your dogs on leashes, not allowing them to run through the fragile habitats. You set a good example.

The cameras give us small windows for viewing the fragile eco-system. They let us glimpse vignettes of canyon wildlife and how it’s impacted by humans as well as natural events.

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. 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. 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 post A Ten day Glimpse of Urban Wildlife in the Canyon appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

A mountain lion visits the canyon on a weekly schedule. He was first filmed months ago, patrolling the trail in the early mornings, long before the joggers, walkers and dogs are out. The main trail camera is in the perfect spot to record him hesitating at the trail junction before continuing on his way. He usually stops for only a second or two, scents the air and scans the trail for potential threats. This boy is not the only mountain lion who regularly visits the canyon. A female is also an occasional visitor. In addition to the two pumas, the canyon appears to be hosting an increasing number of wildlife.*

A surge in canyon wildlife

After months of animal absenteeism, the canyon appears to have once again become a popular wildlife hot spot. Since late spring, the memory cards are filled to capacity with vids of dusky-footed wood rats, mice, rats and rabbits—magnets for predators. There is also a noticeable increase of deer hanging out in the canyon, observable with and without trail cameras. When walking slowly and quietly, you may catch a glimpse of deer off the paths munching on the vegetation. It is not a mystery why the mountain lions are drawn to the canyon—they follow the food and venison is their top menu choice.

For close to a year the trail cameras filmed only a few wild animals. The timing of the decrease of wild animal sightings coincided with the increase of people who discovered the little suburban paradise during the pandemic. Instead of the usual canyon wildlife, the memory cards were filled with videos of people, bicyclists and hundreds of dogs, many off leash, racing through the sensitive habitats.

After a long and painful year, we are finally on the other side of the pandemic. It appears that the unfortunate trend of dwindling wildlife is slowly reversing. Although many hikers and joggers still favor the trails, the cameras are filming fewer of them. Additionally, sightings of bicycles and off-leash dogs have decreased. This shift in human activity may be one of many reasons animals are either increasing in the canyon or making more appearances.

Mountain lions

Although the two lions, a male and a female, have not been filmed together, they do seem to time share the area, walking the same trails on different days. Pumas are territorial—especially the boys who have zero tolerance policies for other males. They compete for a limited number of females and food. For obvious reasons, males are at times more accepting of girls and it is not unusual for their territories to overlap those of females.

Mountain lions, like other members of the Felidae family, communicate a broad range of information about themselves and they also delineate their territories by marking. These include scraping dirt into piles with their back paws and then urinating or defecating on them and scratching objects, such as trees and logs. Although I searched for evidence of puma territorial markers, I have not found any in the vicinities of where the cats have recently been filmed.

Mountain lions are foodies—they love venison and for the last few months there has been plenty of it in the canyon. On an average, pumas usually take down one deer a week. It is not devoured in one sitting—one deer can feed a lion for a few days. On an average, they eat about 8-10 pounds of meat a day. The carcass is cached, covered with leaves, brambles and debris. Mountain lions do not usually travel too far from the carcass, that way they can snack on it when they’re hungry. The carcass feeds more than the lion—other opportunistic scavengers and predators, such as raptors, coyotes and smaller animals benefit from successful mountain lion hunts.

Bobcat sightings

The canyon bobcats are a continual source of entertainment, especially because I recognize a few of the individual cats. During the last few years, I have sketched out the placement and shapes of the spots on their front legs.

Patterns, placement and shapes of spots that are on the front legs of 3 different bobcats

Although, it appears that parts of the canyon are the core home ranges for at least two female bobs, a couple of males have also been filmed occasionally in the girls’ core zones. Core ranges are located inside much larger ranges. These smaller core zones include successful hunting spots, numerous shelters, water sources, and safe areas for birthing and raising kittens.

The two canyon girls might be related. When bobcats are 9-10 months old, they leave their mums to seek out their own territories. Males disperse further than females and have larger ranges which often purposely overlap the ranges of girls. Depending on available terrain and other critical necessities such as food, water, shelter and safety, the girls may stake out territories near their natal neighborhoods. Sometimes the outer reaches of their ranges are adjacent with their mums. Like most felines, bobcats live solitary lives, hunting and raising their young alone.

Bobcats don’t just hang out in their core home ranges—they patrol their whole territories. The canyon bobs often cross the dangerous road that borders one side of the canyon, accessing protected open space to hunt and possibly fraternize with the opposite sex.

At least two batches of kittens have been born, nurtured and raised in the canyon this year. Typically, litters start out with three kittens, but it is not set in stone. Unfortunately, it is rare for all to survive. Despite vigilant mums, it is a dangerous world for youngsters. Note the smallest kitten on the far right in the first video. Only one eye reflects light back into the camera. This little one may have a serious problem which may negatively impact the odds of successfully surviving into adulthood.

They are so cute bouncing down the trail.

I hope the trend the cameras are recording of an increase of wild animals in the canyon continues. Although there are many factors contributing to this latest shift in occupancies and visits, most likely it’s not a coincidence that the decrease of people, bicycles and off-leash dogs is making a major impact on the wildlife.

*You will note that the date stamp on some of the vids says the year 2020 instead of 2021. Unfortunately, one of the cameras does not display the date correctly and keeps defaulting to the wrong date.

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. 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 post Summertime Brings Changes to the Canyon Wildlife 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.

Two mature males fighting–it’s rutting season

During the months of September, October and November, the cameras recorded enough wildlife activity to see the effects that natural and manmade events have on the canyon eco-system. Devastating wildfires, drought, dogs running through sensitive and vulnerable habitats, poisons, apex predator changes and the season greatly impacted all the canyon residents.

Mountain lion

Mountain lions aren’t new visitors to the canyon. The cameras have filmed puma activity here since they were set up three years ago. Until recently, pumas were recorded walking the trails and occasionally marking about every three months. The canyon has probably always attracted them because of the abundance of their favorite food—deer.

The first mountain lion I wrote about was “Slim”, she died after she ingested second-generation rodenticide. After her death, other lions occasionally ventured into the canyon. That changed in August when the devastating wildfires drove the animals to seek safety from the deadly smoke and flames. Many found sanctuary in the canyon and by necessity, had to share the 90 acres with the already established residents. Last August, one male puma found the canyon an ideal spot to hang out for a few months—there was an abundance of deer as well as places to shelter. Since 90 acres is too small of an area for a mountain lion, he’d travel outside the canyon into the neighborhood late nights and early mornings. On November 25th, his regular appearances stopped.

I received a text late on Thanksgiving evening. It was a short text, stating that there was a dead mountain lion on Interstate 280, not too far from the canyon. We searched the freeway for hours without finding the carcass.  At first light the next day, I continued the search, walking the area, looking in the underbrush, but with no luck. It’s possible that the body was picked up by CalTrans the day before. Sadly, since Thanksgiving, none of my trail cams or the neighborhood security cameras have filmed the canyon mountain lion on his usual patrols. Although, I’m holding out hope that I’ll see him again, the odds are that his life was prematurely cut short on Thanksgiving Eve. Tragically many of our beautiful mountain lions along with other extraordinary wild animals lose their lives on the highways.

Bobcats

The trail cameras are usually packed with videos featuring bobcats. I’ve learned to recognize individuals from the unique patterns of spots on their legs. Earlier this year, a young resident female, who was born in 2018, had three kittens. This may have been her first litter, only one kitten survived. The other two may have fallen victim to other predators, vehicles or second-generation rodenticides. Kittens are vulnerable.

Bobcats, like most felids, live alone, hobnobbing with other bobs in only a few circumstances. Not surprisingly, when females are in estrus they hang out with the future fathers of their kittens. Bobcat moms have difficult jobs. They must keep their kittens safe, provide food for them as well as teach them important survival skills necessary for living in a dangerous world. It’s hard work and the mums have to do it alone. The little families usually stay together about 9-12 months, then the adolescents disperse, leaving mum’s protection to look for their own territories. Often when kittens disperse, siblings stick together for awhile, than finally go their separate ways.

The resident bobcat in the following video knows she’s not alone. Check out how she is walking and glancing to the left. Look at her tail, especially when she starts to crouch down. At the end of the video there is a second bobcat that appears at the upper left of the screen. I’m fairly certain that this is an admirer.

Deer dramas

The canyon has always been full of deer –there is an abundance of vegetation to munch on as well as a creek to drink from. Although the deer attract coyotes and mountain lions, it’s worth the risk for food.

Fall is usually a dramatic time for deer, especially for mature males. It’s rutting season; bucks have an increase in testosterone and the does may come into estrus. Mature males are amorous and challenge other competing males for the affections of the does. One of the cameras was in the right place at the right moment and filmed a violent encounter between two bucks and boy did they get into a rumble. It’s rare to catch such extraordinary action.

Bucks don’t fool around—these are violent fights that often result in injuries that can end in death. One of the bucks sustained a serious injury to his side. I hope he survives.

Disappearance of Coyote 09M and his pack

The presence as well as the absence of apex predators influences all of the resident and transient wildlife. It’s not a coincidence that when the canyon cams repeatedly film mountain lions, they don’t film coyotes. Most likely, not wanting to confront a puma, the coyotes moved outside the 90 acres favoring a safer, open space. Soon after the male puma started favoring the canyon, Coyote 09M, his mate and puppies disappeared. I hope they are safe.

Although 09M has not been seen, we filmed a fascinating sequence of a coyote hunting an underground rodent not too far from the canyon. Coyotes are amazing. Their hearing is so acute they can hear rodents scampering and squeaking in their tunnels deep underground. The first video shows the coyote hearing the rodents—note how he turns his head to listen.

After the coyote is certain that there is a possible meal under his feet he starts digging. The whole sequence is about three minutes long. Hunts aren’t always successful—he didn’t catch a rodent this time.

More wildlife in the canyon

Since 09M and his pack have moved out of the canyon, other animals are either moving in or feeling bold and venturing out more. Foxes are now running up the trail almost every night. Check out that tail!

There is always an abundance of squirrels, but this poor squirrel is furless. He might be suffering with notoedric mange or inflicted with a genetic condition or perhaps he has a fungal infection. He seems to have fur only on his tail. We also have videos of a squirrel with fur on his body but not on his tail.

Thank the Dusky-footed Woodrat for the preservation of the canyon. Because of them, there can be no development here. These precious animals are listed as a California Subspecies of Special Concern. And, they really are special. After 09M claimed the canyon they were rarely seen. Although bobcats and foxes also dine on them, since the coyotes have vacated the canyon, the woodrats are frequently being filmed.

The cameras show how busy this little canyon is. Every day people walk and jog on the narrow trail that follows the creek through the center of the canyon. Although they enjoy spending time in this small natural space, most of the people are unaware of the rich drama that is continually unfolding around them—how can they know? The wildlife in the canyon instinctually adjusts schedules and routes in order to avoid humans. Because of the images from the cameras we can see some of the dramas and the impact of natural and human-made events on the sensitive eco-system.

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 post A Snapshot of Wildlife in the Canyon: Fall of 2020 appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

After George died, the usual vibrant colors on the trail became dull

Life continues on

Despite the traumas and the natural and human made disasters that affect our world, life continues. In the midst of devastation, wildlife does its best to adapt, survive and regenerate. The life dramas in my favorite canyon still unfold and are continually recorded by my trail cameras. It’s all there, objectively imprinted on little memory cards which are copied and saved into the cloud. Thousands of 15-20 second videos document expected natural wildlife scenarios as well as the reactions of animals to unexpected events such as wildfires and the human responses to the pandemic.

Pandemic reset button

In addition to hoarding toilet paper during the initial pandemic months, people rarely ventured far from their back yards and front doors. Everyone was in lockdown. Streets became deserted, restaurants and businesses temporarily closed, downtowns were abandoned.  Urban centers transformed into ghost towns. Earth seemed to take note of the lack of human activity and momentarily reset herself. For the first time in years, the predominant sounds were bird calls and gentle breezes. The skies transformed into a rich blue and the mountains were no longer shrouded in brown smog. The air was so clear that the rock formations on the Farallon Islands were visible from the coast all day.  Many animals also responded to the absence of humans, changing their patterns and schedules, venturing into cities and neighborhoods at all hours.* This wasn’t just a local phenomenon, it was the same story throughout the world.

The memory cards were rich with images. They recorded more than the usual residents. Species that we’ve never seen before in the canyon were filmed. The animal’s schedules also changed—many, who before Covid-19 were typically recorded only late at night and early mornings, were filmed at all hours. Wild turkeys showed up and there was an increase in visits from coyote 09M, his mate and a couple of pups. Bobcats made a number of appearances regardless of the time of day. Although it proved to be a temporary re-wilding, it was refreshing to see.

People wanted out

The re-wilding was temporary. There’s only so long that humans can maintain their sanity restricted to their homes. At first, binge watching on Netflix, cleaning closets and socializing on Zoom help distract and eat up the hours, but after a couple months it took an emotional and psychological toll. Desperate to return to normalcy, people started driving again and they also searched for green places to walk. The local canyon trail was a little slice of wild almost in their back yards. Wanting to connect with nature, they over-crowded the trails.

Most everyone was respectful, keeping to the trails, enjoying nature and not tossing trash around. Many brought dogs with them—the majority of the dog people were responsible, keeping them leashed, on the trails and cleaning up after them. One conscientious walker unknowingly scooped up and bagged Coyote 09M’s poop—other predators may have appreciated the gesture. The cameras filmed it all.

The wildlife cams also caught walkers who let their dogs run off leash. Dogs were recorded trampling sensitive habitats and scaring the wildlife. The impact was immediately obvious—only a few wild animals were filmed.

Please be respectful and protective of the few wild areas that are left. Keep your dogs on leash—don’t let them run loose. It makes a big difference for the wildlife. Between our human developments and California’s wildfires, their habitats are dramatically shrinking.

The disasters keep coming

4 million acres have burned in California this year and it’s only the beginning of the fire season.  One of the fires, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire began the morning of August 16^th. It burned more than 86,500 acres in San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties and was finally contained on September 22nd. Tragically, many animals perished while others fled for their lives—finding sanctuary in the remaining open spaces, near urban centers and in small patches of undeveloped wild spaces, including the little 90 acre canyon.

Because of the devastating fires that burned throughout the state, the quality of the air deteriorated. For weeks it hovered between hazardous and very unhealthy, sending people back into their homes where they could breathe. For a few days, the San Francisco Bay Area had the worse air quality in the world, some locations topping 500. During this time the cameras recorded an upsurge in animals and a decline in people. One lion was filmed frequently on all of my cameras. He hung around for about 3 weeks, having plenty to eat because the deer were abundant. Predators follow their food and venison is the mountain lion’s favorite meal. Note that this stunning lion is easy to distinguish because of the markings on his cheek.

Not surprisingly, very few coyotes were filmed while the lion favored the canyon. Although both are apex predators, lions are a threat to coyotes so they will avoid confrontations with the larger predator. The bobcats did stick around though; a number of them were filmed, including a little bobcat family. Originally there were 3 kittens in this family, unfortunately, only one survived.

During the last 8 months, the world turned upside down, and not in a good way. Every event, whether natural or manmade has repercussions on the environment and the eco-system—everything is impacted. Although, there are positive consequences, there is an over-abundance of negative ones.  It may seem out of our control, but there’s plenty we can do as individuals. Even though change needs to occur at government and corporate levels, we individuals can also make a difference. Actions as simple as picking up trash, keeping dogs on leashes in sensitive habitats, using renewable resources, recycling and planting trees are examples of a few activities that each of us can do that will help heal the earth.

*The Bay Area Puma Project is analyzing data they’ve collected of how wildlife responded the pandemic. Additionally they are tracking how the fires are impacting displaced animals and the disruption to animals in neighboring habitats.

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. Her fascination with cat behaviors began with household cats and quickly expanded to wild felids.

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 about everything feline on her Facebook page

The post The World Turned Upside Down appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.