Tag Archives: Wild Life

Protect yourself, protect a bear

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PHOENIX — With Arizona’s hottest months right around the corner, how black bears forage for typical food sources will become more challenging. As a result, the chances of them wandering into populated areas in search of an easier meal will be on the rise.

While bears are typically shy and tend to avoid humans, their excellent sense of smell can be problematic for both the animals and humans. Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) officials advise those living or visiting bear country to avoid feeding wildlife and to not leave trash, food or other attractants accessible (such as pet food or bird seed). Unfortunately, a fed bear is a dead bear.

“If a bear becomes habituated to getting food from trash cans and other human sources, it’s only a matter of time before it loses its fear of humans and begins to actively search out human food sources,” said Larry Phoenix, AZGFD regional supervisor in Flagstaff. “At that point, the bear becomes a threat to public safety.”

Here are some tips to avoid attracting bears:

Keep them away from your home

Keep all trash inside a secured area until collection day. If that’s not possible, keep food waste in a bag in the freezer and place those in the trash as close to collection time as possible.
Take bird feeders down at night.
Keep pet and livestock food inside or remove all uneaten food.

When camping

Keep your food and attractants secured and inaccessible to bears. Do not keep food in your tent.
Don’t burn left-over food or trash on the grill.
Set up your campsite away from places where bears might forage for food, such as creeks, rivers and other bodies of water.

When hiking

Don’t wear scented lotions, deodorant or perfumes.
Make noise or hike in groups.
Hiking with a pet? Keep it on a leash at all times.

In case of a bear encounter

Do NOT run.
Back away slowly while keeping your eyes on the bear.
Make yourself look bigger than you are by flaunting your arms or pulling your shirt/jacket up higher than your head.
Throw items and yell at the bear.
If attacked, fight back.

Bear sightings in areas where there is human activity should be reported to AZGFD’s dispatch center at 623-236-7201. For questions, or to obtain a brochure on living with bears, visit www.azgfd.com/wildlife-conservation/living-with-wildlife/.

AZGFD removes 3 mountain lions that were a public safety threat in Prescott

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PRESCOTT – Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) wildlife officers have lethally removed three mountain lions in a northwest Prescott neighborhood after a resident reported Sunday that a mountain lion attacked his dog and that an accompanying mountain lion acted aggressively toward him.

The mountain lions were part of a group of four that have been seen in Prescott over the past few weeks and are believed to be responsible for killing several pet dogs. The fact that they continued to be seen in proximity to homes and people, appeared to be less fearful of people, and were recently observed exhibiting aggressive or unacceptable behavior toward people, categorized them as a public safety threat.

The mountain lion that was killed on Sunday was estimated to be a 3- to 5-year-old adult female. The two other mountain lions, one killed Tuesday and one on Wednesday, may be adult-sized offspring.

AZGFD officers continue to search for a fourth mountain lion in case it is remaining near areas of human development.

In situations such as these, wildlife officers are guided by the department’s human-wildlife conflicts policy which describes acceptable or unacceptable wildlife behaviors and the appropriate responses. Because the behavior exhibited by these mountain lions was deemed unacceptable and posed a public safety threat, relocation was not an option and the animals were lethally removed.

Mountain lions have extensive ranges, and once they’ve adopted unacceptable behaviors toward humans, relocation would just move the problem to a different area and be a threat to other communities or areas of human development and activity.

“These are never easy decisions on our part,” said Karen Klima, Kingman Regional Supervisor. “As wildlife biologists, we dedicate our careers to managing for healthy and robust wildlife populations, and the last thing we want to do is put an animal down. But public safety is our top priority, and this situation had risen to a level where there was a risk to the community and we had to act.”

Earlier this year a mountain lion approached and attacked a man who was camped along the Salt River in Gila County. Mountain lions are predators, and when acting aggressively toward humans can attack, injure and even kill.

Prescott residents who observe a mountain lion exhibiting lack of fear or aggressiveness toward humans are encouraged to contact Arizona Game and Fish Department dispatch at 623-236-7201. (24/7) Wildlife officers remain in the area to ensure the public’s safety.

For tips on avoiding conflicts with mountain lions or on what to do if you encounter a mountain lion, visit www.azgfd.gov/urbanwildlife.

Rabies incident a reminder to enjoy wildlife from a distance, keep pets vaccinated

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department reminds the public to protect themselves and their pets by keeping a safe distance from wildlife, especially animals that may be behaving abnormally, such as those that appear overly aggressive and/or lacking a fear of humans.

The reminder comes after a recent incident in which a dog infected with the grey fox strain of rabies bit a child in the town of Whiteriver on the Fort Apache Reservation in eastern Arizona.

Healthy Gray Fox — AZGF photo


“The weather is warming up and people are outside,” said Dr. Anne Justice-Allen, AZGFD wildlife veterinarian. “At this time of year, we often see an uptick in the number of wildlife submitted for rabies testing as a result of contact with people or their pets.”

Rabies is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system, causing encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. It can be prevented in persons who have come into contact or have been bitten by wild animals through prompt administration of anti-rabies vaccine and rabies immune globulin.

Pets such as dogs and cats, as well as livestock such as horses, should be vaccinated regularly against rabies. In addition, dogs should be on leashes when outdoors and a veterinarian consulted if any domestic animals are injured by wildlife. Unvaccinated animals exposed to wildlife with rabies must undergo a four-month quarantine and vaccinated animals need to be quarantined for 45 days.

“In Arizona, the principal rabies hosts are bats, skunks and foxes,” Justice-Allen said. “These animals carry their own distinct strains of the rabies virus. When rabies activity within these animal groups increases, rabies can impact other mammals, such as bobcats, coyotes, javelina, cats, dogs, horses or cows.”

Often, infected animals may appear disoriented or intoxicated, salivate heavily, or appear thirsty.

The Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) offers some precautions to avoid exposure to rabies:

  • Keep people and pets away from wild animals.
    Do not pick up, touch, or feed wild or unfamiliar animals, especially sick or wounded ones.
  • Do not “rescue” young wild animals you believe to be abandoned. In most cases they are not abandoned. Leave wildlife alone.
  • Never leave pet food in your yard because it will attract wild animals.
  • Vaccinate all dogs and cats against rabies.
  • Keep pets on a leash or in a fenced yard.
  • If you have been bitten or scratched, wash the wound or area well with soap and water, and report it immediately to animal control or health officials.
  • Take precautions when camping, hunting or fishing. Avoid sleeping on the open ground without the protection of a closed tent or camper.
  • Wear impermeable gloves when skinning carcasses.
  • Do not disturb roosting bats.
  • If you find a bat on the ground, don’t touch it. Place a box over the bat to contain it. Try to preserve the bat so it is intact for testing at a laboratory. Report the bat and its location to animal control or health officials.

According to the AZDHS website, approximately 30 people are exposed to rabid animals in Arizona annually. People who are exposed must receive vaccine and anti-rabies serum treatment to prevent infection.

Arizona’s baby bald eagle season is here

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Biologist band new eagles.

Biologist band new eagles.

PHOENIX — It’s two female offspring for proud bald eagles nesting at Lake Pleasant, as Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists discovered yesterday. The discovery was made during the department’s efforts to place identification bands on the eaglets before the birds fledge and leave the nest.

Each year as part of a highly successful program to manage and conserve bald eagles in Arizona, department biologists band as many nestlings as possible. Last year, nearly half of all the nestlings that reached fledging age had been banded. The identification bands help biologists learn more about population demographics and the species’ migration, reproduction and nesting behavior.

Gaining access to the nest and its 6-week-old occupants takes skill and requires biologists to rappel down to the cliff-side nest that sits high above the lake. The young birds are then placed in a specially-equipped “baby bag” and hoisted to the ground above to receive both a state and federal ID band, have measurements taken and feather samples collected for contaminants analysis.

“Arizona has both cliff nests and tree nests. Some nests cannot be safely accessed, but we try to band as many of the young as we can in order to continue learning about the species. The timing is critical; we have to band the nestlings when their legs are nearly full-grown, but they aren’t at risk for trying to prematurely fly from the nest, which occurs around 7 weeks,” said Kenneth Jacobson, head of the Arizona Game and Fish Department Bald Eagle Management Program.

Eagle_banding_3-17-16_Lake_Pleasant_webEntering nests to band nestlings also allows biologists to collect and remove potentially lethal fishing line and tackle, addled (dead) eggs, eggshells, prey remains, rescue individuals, and to repair or reconstruct nests if they are falling apart.

The public is reminded that 23 high-use recreation areas across the state are closed this time of year to help bald eagles successfully reproduce. The exact restrictions depend on the area but can include closures to foot or boat traffic. Outdoor recreationists, aircraft pilots, drone operators and motorized paragliders are asked to stay out of closed areas. For a list of closures, visit www.azgfd.gov/baldeagle.

“Cooperation from outdoor recreationists has been a major reason that the bald eagle population continues to grow, and now we’re working to create more awareness among aircraft pilots, drone operators and motorized paragliders. Pilots should maintain the FAA-recommended 2,000-foot above ground level advisory when flying over bald eagle habitat, and drones and paragliders are asked to avoid the areas completely,” said Jacobson.

Bald eagles are sensitive to even short durations of low-flying aircraft activity near their nests and just a few minutes of disturbance can lead to a nesting failure.

Bald eagles were successfully recovered and removed from the federal Endangered Species Act but remain protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and other state and federal rules.