Deer and foxes and opossums – oh my!

Is drought forcing wildlife closer to town?|

Your lawn isn’t the only thing being affected by California’s extended drought – there’s a possibility that it may also be causing wildlife to encroach closer than ever into town.

In other words: Fido and Fluffy ... meet Bambi and The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

As the worst drought in the state’s history continues, animals may have to search for food and water on the roads less traveled – less traveled for them, anyway, like roads in highly populated areas of town.

Officials from Wildlife Fawn Rescue, an organization in Kenwood dedicated to saving and releasing fawn back into the wild, say they’ve seen a steady rise in reports of deer putting themselves in dangerous situations.

“We’re seeing more deer being attacked,” said Matt Wolfe, Fawn Rescue’s animal care coordinator. “They’re going in spots where they haven’t been before.”

Wolfe says that as deer move into residential areas in search of food, their predators naturally follow them.

“A lot of people are talking about it, but it’s hard to put into words,” he said.

It’s hard to put into words, perhaps, because despite the seeming increase of wildlife in residential neighborhoods, multiple factors could be in play, say animal experts – from the reality of drought to the possibility that animals are simply becoming more accustomed to the presence of humans and not keeping their typical distance.

Jason Holley, a supervising wildlife biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, says it’s hard to say why an increase in sightings is occurring.

“Generally speaking, the larger animals, deer, mountain lions, are adapting to drought. They’re finding resources on their own,” he said.

For some people, however, this could mean rose gardens being decimated by deer.

“As the drought worsens, they’re going to have to wander further to find those resources,” Holley said. “The further they go to search for food, the more likely it is that they’ll run into people.”

Holley also stresses that animal sightings occur even in years without drought. Seeing a deer or two isn’t really unusual, he says, especially at night, since deer, foxes, coyotes and mountain lions are most active between dusk and dawn.

A deer influx could correlate to the drought, he says, but as populations grow – both of humans and other animals – the chances of seeing a stray fox or any other animal go up.

David Huber, the county Community Services Officer who handles animal control problems in Sonoma, hasn’t noticed a rise in complaints about wildlife, though sightings may be up.

Andrew Hughan, an information officer with Fish and Wildlife, also says he’s seen an increase in reports, but while a correlation to the drought is probable, it’s not conclusive.

“There’s no way to quantify that,” Hughan said.

Holley emphasizes that anyone who encounters wild animals should leave them alone.

Huber adds that even animal control officers don’t touch or pick up any animal capable of moving by itself, even if one, for example, has an injured leg.

At the CDFW, it’s called the “Keep Me Wild” campaign – a public outreach effort to educate residents on what to do, or not do – when they encounter wildlife.

Holley says people should not be feeding wild animals, shouldn’t give them food, should not approach them and should try to minimize any sort of contact.

“It’s everyone’s responsibility to keep our animals wild by not providing food, water or any other attractants,” he said.

‘We’re seeing more deer being attacked. They’re ?going in spots where they haven’t been before.’

- Matt Wolfe

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