U.S. Wildlife: Southern California in flames

Wildlife rehabilitators evacuate animals in their care

By Sharon St. Joan, Best Friends Network

"In the garage are eleven juvenile raccoons rescued from out of the fire's path. Three opossums are in the house--two babies and one adult."

E. Marie Fitzgerald, a wildlife rehabilitator with Project Wildlife, in San Diego County, California, spoke with Best Friends yesterday afternoon.

The juvenile raccoons are in the garage--not because they aren't allowed in the house--but because they'd been rescued from pre-release enclosures where they were getting used to being outside, prior to their release back to the wild. The garage is closer to outside temperatures.

The air in the garage goes through a filter system, which clears out some of the smoke. "The air is filled with smoke. There is ash on the cars. If it's washed off, there is black soot running down the driveway," explained E. Marie Fitzgerald.

Two of her fellow rehabilitators who had to evacuate their own homes are also staying with E. Marie Fitzgerald. So far every rehabber they've been able to contact who has had to evacuate, was able to transfer her or his patients to another home care center before leaving.

She expressed concern though about a home care center near Fall Brook, where there have been 28 raccoons in rehabilitation, and, so far, no contact had been established with their caregiver. A team had been sent out to make their way to her home, if possible.

Burning wildlife habitat

As Jaime Aalen-Dunn has written for the California Community on the Best Friends Network, fires have swept 150 miles along the California coast, destroying, as of the time of writing, 1400 homes and causing half a million people to flee, many with their pets.

Many of these burning lands are agricultural properties. Many horses and other animals are being evacuated.

The blazing forests that surround homes are themselves the homes of wildlife. Around three hundred thousand acres of wildlife habitat may have already been destroyed.

"There are fires to the south, fires to the east, fires to the north." And, of course, no need to mention that the ocean is to the west.

Marie hopes that her house and her new charges will continue to be safe where they are.

Project Wildlife is operating at full tilt, as ever, and is prepared to take in any additional wildlife in distress from the fires.

Even with some of the 120 volunteers, who normally do rehabilitation in their homes, having had to evacuate, many others are still in place, untouched by the fires. With their main center fully functional as well, Project Wildlife is in good shape to accept new patients.

The Project Wildlife Hotline (619) 225-9202 is the number to call for distressed native wild birds or animals found anywhere in San Diego County. They are able to take in and rehabilitate birds, including raptors, and mammals.

They will refer those calling about reptiles to the Reptile Society; those calling about sea mammals to Sea World--and large wild cats to the San Diego Zoo.

There is a special pager number for opossums: 760-926-0478

In Lemon Grove, California, D. Jean Becker, of San Diego Wildlife Rehab, who specializes in opossums, commented that she feels, so far, that she is in a safe area. There are fires in the surrounding hills several miles away. She is able to accept and rehabilitate, to be released back to the wild, opossums and other small mammals.

After the fires are out

Unfortunately, the hardship for wild creatures will not end with the end of the fires. The blackened earth will not return to being wildlife habitat for weeks or years to come. The trees where birds built their nests or re-used the same nests from previous years may no longer be standing. Not many green shoots will be available for rabbits or squirrels, and not much small prey will be available for foxes and coyotes.

The release sites that wildlife rehabilitators have used over the years for birds and small mammals may now no longer be useable--barren, without food available and without places to seek shelter.

Wild birds and mammals who have survived the fires may not be able to return to their familiar haunts to raise their families or to survive themselves. There will be a time of hardship yet to come.

It is hoped that many humans will help wildlife as and when they can. Most of all perhaps by being patient--by understanding the needs of the deer and the rabbits who invade their back yards--not intentionally to decimate their gardens, but only to find food to eat.

How you can help

If you'd like to help native wild birds and animals harmed or displaced by the California fires, here are numbers to call.

If you come across a wild bird or other wild animal who seems to need help, please call one of these numbers, so that a licensed wildlife rehabilitator can care for the animal and then release him or her back to the wild.

For native wild birds and mammals in distress, anywhere in San Diego County, call the Project Wildlife Hotline (619) 225-9202

For opossums, there is an opossum pager: 760-926-0478

Another number to call for opossums or other small mammals is San Diego Wildlife Rehab at (619) 303 5968

Thank you!

"© Photographer: Valery Kirsanov | Agency: Dreamstime.com "