The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Wildlife The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Wildlife
Showing posts with label Wildlife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wildlife. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Animals and COVID-19


What You Need to Know

  •  The risk of animals spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to people is low.

  •  The virus can spread from people to animals during close contact.
  •  More studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by COVID-19.
  • People with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should avoid contact with animals, including pets, livestock, and wildlife.

To read more on this story, click here: Animals and COVID-19


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Friday, April 22, 2022

Gimme Five! Five Animal Bills Pass The Maryland General Assembly in 2022


Five Animal Bills Pass the Maryland General Assembly in 2022

Thanks to YOU, our dedicated team of advocates, organizations, and legislators, 2022 was a HISTORIC year for animals in Maryland! FIVE bills passed that greatly improve the welfare of animals in our state. In a definitive show of support for animal welfare in Maryland and beyond, Governor Hogan has signed all five bills.

Cat Declaw Prohibition (SB67/HB22) Senator Cheryl Kagan/Delegate Lorig Charkoudian Maryland becomes the second state to ban this cruel and painful procedure except in medically necessary circumstances that involve the health of the cat. New York outlawed elective declawing in 2019. Fourteen US cities have banned the practice including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh. Elective declawing is illegal in most of Europe as well as in Brazil, Israel, Australia, and New Zealand.

To read more on this story, click here: Gimme Five! Five Animal Bills Pass The Maryland General Assembly in 2022


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Saturday, February 26, 2022

Man Finds Baby Squirrel On His Bed, And It Grows Up To Be The Cutest Pet


Let’s just say that Thumbelina was special from the beginning. Because of her unusual birth and the loss of her sister, she had to grow up alone without interacting with other squirrels.

Everything was slow with her. Other babies have no interest in milk as soon as they taste real food, but Thumb was a big baby with a bottle. She wasn’t interested in jumping and climbing, she walked instead of running and sat instead of climbing.

To read more on this story, click here: Man Finds Baby Squirrel On His Bed, And It Grows Up To Be The Cutest Pet


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Saturday, February 12, 2022

Information about COVID-19, Pets, and Other Animals


A number of animals worldwide have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, including pets like cats and dogs, farmed mink, and large cats, gorillas, and otters in zoos, sanctuaries, and aquariums. Reptiles and birds have not been affected by this virus. The risk of animals spreading the virus to people is low, but people with COVID-19 can spread the virus to animals during close contact. The information linked to below provides guidance for pet owners, public health professionals, animal health and wildlife officials, veterinarians, and others on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 between people and animals.

To read more on this story, click here: Information about COVID-19, Pets, and Other Animals


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Friday, January 28, 2022

Rare snowy owl seen flying over Washington, D.C.


WASHINGTON — A rare owl has been spotted touring the iconic monuments of Washington, D.C. for the last week, bringing out bird enthusiasts anxious to get a glimpse of the animal.

The snowy owl was first spotted on Jan. 3, and has since been seen at Union Station, the National Postal Museum, Senate buildings, and Capitol Police headquarters, The Associated Press reported.

To read more on this story, click here: Rare snowy owl seen flying over Washington, D.C.


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Monday, January 3, 2022

Here's what happened to animals rescued in Dixie, Lava, Antelope, Fawn fires in 2021


Three bear cubs, a bobcat and a pig rescued from Northern California fires in 2021 went safely home or will soon be released.

In October, the Redding Record Searchlight published stories about animals who were victims of the state's raging wildfires, including the 1,500-square-mile Dixie Fire.

They and other animals were rescued by wildlife experts and caring neighbors. Injured wildlife received medical attention, then bunked at animal refuges where volunteers fed them and helped them keep their specialized skills and wild ways.

As 2021 wrapped up, we circled back with people who care for five of the animals we featured to see how they were doing.

To read more on this story, click here: Here's what happened to animals rescued in Dixie, Lava, Antelope, Fawn fires in 2021



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Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Woman fed bears 180 eggs a week — and now she’ll pay for it, Canadian officials say


Every week during the summer of 2018, a woman bought 10 cases of apples, 50 pounds of carrots and dozens of eggs.

The food was for bears, Canada authorities said.

A woman from Whistler was ordered to pay $60,000 after officials said she violated the Wildlife Act in British Columbia.

In July 2018, the Conservation Officer Service, a public safety agency that focuses on human-wildlife conflict prevention, received a complaint that someone was feeding black bears in the neighborhood.

To read more on this story, click here: Woman fed bears 180 eggs a week — and now she’ll pay for it, Canadian officials say


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Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Zebras Run Wild in Upper Marlboro, Maryland


Chopper4 flew over a pack of zebras that were spotted running wild on Tuesday in Maryland.

To see video, click here: Zebras Run Wild in Upper Marlboro, Maryland




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Saturday, August 28, 2021

Deer Vs. Car Crashes on the Rise as Wildlife Hits the Road


If you've ever lived in the eastern or central United States, chances are you've seen a deer test fate by dashing across a busy road, or worse, test your fate as well by triggering a car crash. A new study finds that car-deer crashes are rising sharply after a few years of decline, just in time for the peak season when Bambi's most likely to hit the interstate. The reason? More cars on the road, and more deer than ever.

Research has found that about 200 people a year in the United States die in crashes caused by darting deer. State Farm Insurance used its claims data to research the problem and estimated that deer hit 1.23 million vehicles between July 2011 and June 2012. Over the past four years, State Farm says, claims from deer hits rose nearly 8 percent, while claims from all other types of collisions fell 8.5 percent.

Most deer-vehicle violations fall into a belt of states in the northern and eastern United States, although as this map from State Farm shows, several southern states also run high risks. The worst state: West Virginia, where a motorist has a 1 in 40 chance of hitting a deer in the next 12 months. South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan and Pennsylvania round out the top five states with the most risk of buck-to-bumper contact. (The lowest: Hawaii, where State Farm says your chances of hitting a deer with a car are smaller than that of being struck by lightning.)

Part of the reason there's more deer accidents comes from the rising number of all kinds of accidents; as the economy starts to grow again, more people get back to commuting or driving longer distances. But the bigger factor comes from America's overpopulated deer herds, estimated at 20 million animals, which have grown even in states where thousands of hunters believe the second week of deer camp is the greatest time of year. Some critics say current hunting rules makes the problem worse by limiting does; others note that suburban sprawl means more deer have places to graze without natural predators where hunting isn't allowed. Many cities have turned to controlled hunts to lower their deer count, but that may only reduce numbers temporarily.

State Farm says November is the peak month for deer strikes, and unfortunately for drivers, there's no guaranteed way to avoid a deer crash. Driving with high beam headlights on as much as possible and watching for deer crossing signs can help; the whistles that mount on your bumper and supposedly scare off deer won't. The only trick that will ensure your safety: Move to Hawaii.
















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Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Wildlife Photographer Pang Way Captures Amazing Photos of Beautiful Mantises


 

Although many refer to a member of this group as a 'praying mantis,' mantis refers to the genus Mantis. Only some praying mantids belong to the genus Mantis. Mantid refers to the entire group. Mantids are very efficient and deadly predators that capture and eat a wide variety of insects and other small prey.

Mantises are an order of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae. Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks.























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Saturday, November 14, 2020

Japanese Town Deploys Growling "Monster Wolf" Robots to Scare Away Wild Bears


A town in northern Japan has recently been plagued by a plethora of wild bears, roaming around neighborhoods and petrifying residents. In an attempt to prevent attacks, the town of Takikawa has now installed terrifying robotic wolves to howl at the bears and scare them off, Reuters reports.

The residents of Takikawa, located on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, have been increasingly concerned by the potential of bear attacks, as sightings in the country hit a five-year high, according to national broadcaster NHK. There have been dozens of reported attacks this year, two of them fatal, leading to an emergency government meeting last month to address the issue. 

To read more on this story, click here: Japanese Town Deploys Growling "Monster Wolf" Robots to Scare Away Wild Bears



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Friday, November 6, 2020

A Large Alligator Decided To Act As The Gatekeeper At Myakka River State Park


Sarasota, Florida - Michelle Riddle captured photos of the large alligator laying down in the middle of the road in Myakka River State Park on Friday morning.

The images showed the massive reptile relaxing in the middle of the street, keeping drivers and bicyclists from passing by.

Riddle said she arrived at the park around 8 a.m., only to find the gator not far from the main entrance.

Bystanders could be seen just feet away from the gator.

"I don't know if he was napping, but he didn't leave until the rangers showed up in a tractor," Riddle said. "I think the noise of the tractor annoyed him enough to head back into the greenery."

The park is known for being home to plenty of alligators.

Dozens of gators gather at the "Deep Hole" sinkhole, which is engulfed by Lower Myakka Lake during the rainy season. But when water levels are low, it acts like a fish trap -- which means the area is teeming with gators during the dry season.

"Hungry alligators will congregate here to feed, creating quite a magnificent wildlife spectacle," state environmental officials noted.

According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the sinkhole is 295 feet wide and about 130 feet deep.

Access to the park's wilderness preserve is limited to 30 people per day. Those who wish to visit must register at the ranger station the day of their trip, with permits issued on a first-come, first-serve basis.





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Animal Rescue Pleads ‘Snip The Straps’ On Disposable Face Masks After Hundreds Of Wild Animals Become Entangled In Them


Countries around the world were eliminating single-use plastics and slowly starting to reduce plastic pollution, but it all went out the window when the global pandemic hit.

8 million tons of plastic enter our oceans every year, killing thousands of animals, but with the recent surge in single-use personal protective equipment (PPE) the situation just got worse.

To read more on this story, click here: Animal Rescue Pleads ‘Snip The Straps’ On Disposable Face Masks After Hundreds Of Wild Animals Become Entangled In Them



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Thursday, September 3, 2020

Did You Know That Balloon Releases Are Detrimental to wildlife and Marine Animals?


For years, balloon releases have been used to celebrate events or honor the memory of someone lost. Schools release them during football games, they’re sent floating into the air at running events, and released by crowds of people at weddings, funerals, and memorials. And while those who organize and participate in balloon releases have the best of intentions, what they fail to consider is what happens when those balloons eventually land – and when they do the results are detrimental to wildlife and marine animals.

The Long-Lasting Impact of Balloons
Balloons negatively impact our environment by littering streams, lakes, and beaches. It’s basically the same as intentionally throwing trash on the ground or into the ocean. Even balloons marketed as biodegradable or “eco-friendly” can still take years to disintegrate, meaning they’re not any better for the environment than standard balloons.

When balloons make their way into the water, their tattered ends and floating pieces can resemble jellyfish or other sea life consumed by marine animals such as sea turtles, fish, and dolphins. When the pieces of latex or Mylar are mistaken for food and ingested, they can get lodged in the digestive tract, inhibiting animal’s ability to eat and causing a slow and painful death by starvation.

Wildlife can also fall victim to balloons and balloon strings when the pieces fall to the ground or onto trees and bushes. Birds have been found injured with ribbons wrapped around their beaks or wings, and have strangled themselves when they become entangled in strings attached to trees or power lines. And just like marine animals, they can succumb to a painful death after ingesting balloons.

The negative impact on animals and the environment prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local chapters of the National Audubon Society to urge people to stop releasing balloons and instead find more humane alternatives that are safer for animals and our planet. Several states and cities in the U.S. and abroad have also passed laws regarding mass balloon releases after years of witnessing their detrimental effects.

What You Can Do
If you know of someone planning a balloon release, please urge them to consider one of these earth- and animal-friendly options instead. There are so many other symbolic acts that don’t involve the use of balloons. We’ve listed a few options for you below, and you can find more by visiting this website that offers not only fun alternatives but educational materials to help you spread awareness about the dangers of balloons and balloon releases.

Bubbles
Bubbles are not only fun but can create stunning photo ops. Watching hundreds of bubbles float up into the sky can be mesmerizing and just as symbolic as seeing a balloon float away, but without the resulting of litter and endangerment to wildlife and marine animals.

Luminaries
Luminaries are a beautiful way to honor and memorialize loved ones. Instead of writing messages on balloons and releasing them, you can write messages on recycled paper bags or reusable glass jars with candles placed inside to create a lighted path, or spell out a word or name. Each person can bring their bag or jar home afterward as a personal keepsake to remember the event.

Plant a Tree
Planting native trees and wildflowers is a beautiful way to create a memory that lasts for years to come – and give a little something back to nature.  Another fun idea is to have people release milkweed seeds, which helps populations of monarch butterflies thrive by replenishing depleted supplies of the milkweed plant that is essential to their survival.  Just remember: If you choose to plant trees or flowers somewhere other than your own yard, make sure you have prior permission if it’s a public park or nature area, as they often have restrictions about potentially invasive species of plants.

Celebrations and commemorative events are meant to allow us to reflect on important times in our lives, there is no reason these should come at the expense of wild animals.

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Friday, August 14, 2020

Wildlife Photographer, David Weiller, Captures Stunning Footage of a Giant Brahmin Moth with Tiger Eye Wing Pattern


 

Although they are from the same family as butterflies, moths are pesky and annoying insects that are certainly not as cute or light on their wings as their larger counterparts. They get in your face, all over your lights, and are often too tiny to be admired.

Well, if there’s anything special about them, when they are not buzzing about in the air, it’s the incredible patterns on their wings. There are over 160,000 species of moths in the world, many of which are yet to be identified.  The patterns and colors on their wings are formed by thousands of tiny scales, overlapping like tiles on a roof. [1] When they lie still long enough to be observed, especially among the larger species, you’d often be blown away at how artistic Mother Nature truly is. She’s unrivaled, and thanks to wildlife photographers, we get to see all her creative pieces and designs, one species at a time.

Tiger-eye motif

The Brahmaea hearseyi is one such species of moths that got the best of Mother Nature’s wing designs. Also known as the tiger-eye moth, these moths come from the Brahmin family and are one of its largest species. They are particularly identified by the well-developed eyespots on their front wings and a series of black-brown stripes, often giving the striking impression of a tiger’s eye.  The species are found in many places such around Asia such as Northeastern Himalaya, Burma, Western China, Sundaland, and the Philippines.

The moths are diurnal and can only be active during the day. At night, they spread out their large wings (which often have a span of 160–200mm) on the barks of trees and on rocks to rest. They are so inactive at night that when they are disturbed, they cannot fly away to safety. They only shake vigorously to ward off the predator but would remain in their spots. They are found mostly in tropical and temperate forests.

The incredible footage below was captured by wildlife photographer, David Weiller, who visited Borneo in Malaysia for an expedition. Speaking to Bored Panda, Weiller explained that the moth was just recently hatched when he came across it.

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Sunday, August 2, 2020

Florida Black Bear Cub Poaching Incident is a Reminder of the Need to Coexist with Wildlife


Last month, so many Floridians were shocked when the decaying body of a yearling bear cub, fondly nicknamed Bailey by members of the sprawling community that he sometimes visited, was discovered. This was an unlawful killing on its face, one that violated Florida regulations, but what was even more shocking was the manner in which Bailey had died: he had been killed with bird shot and left to bleed to a slow, agonizing death.

Bailey’s shooter, it turns out, was an experienced hunter who should have known that killing Bailey was illegal. At the very least he should have notified authorities right away after shooting the animal, which he didn’t. Among other things, his act made him a poacher.








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Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Bird With Deformed Feet Gets Tiny Casts Made By Veterinarians


A tiny Mockingbird that doesn’t even have a name recently ended up with the California Wildlife Center. They rescued him and took him in after they saw his feet were deformed.

The little bird had ‘knuckled feet’, meaning that they folded in on themselves so it was impossible for him to walk or even perch comfortably.

If the rescue group wouldn’t have stepped in, the little Mockingbird would probably have died.

In addition, the bird probably had to deal with painful sores constantly. Thankfully, a solution was only one creative decision away.

A team of veterinarians got busy creating a little set of shoes for the tiny bird. They made the shoes out of cardboard.

The shoes were designed to help realign the little bird’s feet so that they were back in shape again. It took only one week and his feet were fixed. He was then able to get back to life as normal.

They removed the little makeshift shoes and released the bird into the wild. I guess we could all use a little help sometimes.




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Friday, February 21, 2020

Large Bear Spotted Roaming in Monrovia Second Day in a Row


MONROVIA, Calif. - A large bear was spotted early Friday morning in Monrovia, only a day after a bear was reported roaming around the nearby campus of Mayflower Elementary School.

It was first spotted around 2:30 a.m. digging through trash cans in the neighborhood of North Mayflower Avenue.

SkyFOX first spotted the bear around 4:30 a.m. in the area of Hillcrest Boulevard, near Mayflower Avenue.

To read more on this story, click here: Large Bear Spotted Roaming in Monrovia Second Day in a Row



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Saturday, February 15, 2020

Virus Renews Safety Concerns About Slaughtering Wild Animals


BEIJING (AP) — China cracked down on the sale of exotic species after an outbreak of a new virus in 2002 was linked to markets selling live animals. The germ turned out to be a coronavirus that caused SARS.

The ban was later lifted, and the animals reappeared. Now another coronavirus is spreading through China, so far killing 1,380 people and sickening more than 64,000 — eight times the number sickened by SARS.

The suspected origin? The same type of market.

With more than 60 million people under lockdown in more than a dozen Chinese cities, the new outbreak is prompting calls to permanently ban the sale of wildlife, which many say is being fueled by a limited group of wealthy people who consider the animals delicacies. The spreading illness also serves as a grim reminder that how animals are handled anywhere can endanger people everywhere.

To read more on this story, click here: Virus Renews Safety Concerns About Slaughtering Wild Animals


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Friday, November 16, 2018

The Two-Headed Baby Eastern Copperhead That Was Found in Woodbridge in Early September Has Died


A two-headed snake that wowed biologists and residents when it was found in a Northern Virginia yard in September has died, The Washington Post reports. 

The two-headed baby Eastern Copperhead was found in Woodbridge in early September, the Wildlife Center of Virginia said. According to The Post, JD Kleopfer, the state’s herpetologist, announced the reptile's death early this week.

The snake had two tracheas, with the left one more developed, and two esophagi, with the right one more developed. The snake also had a single heart and one set of lungs.

When the snake was discovered, Kleopfer said the find was extremely rare because "they just don't live that long."

You may be interested in reading: A Young Two-Headed Eastern Copperhead Was Found in Northern Virginia


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