Ready-Set-Release SWCC’s successful rehab program
The Business of Wildlife The Importance of Accreditation
Living with Wildlife Series
Coyotes
Cunning, Capable and Critical
Winter-2016
About About Us Us Southwest Southwest W Wildlife ildlife rrescues escues aand nd rehabilitates rehabilitates wwildlife ildlife tthat hat hhas as bbeen een injured, injured, ddisplaced, isplaced, aand nd oorphaned. rphaned. OOnce nce rehabilitated, rehabilitated, tthey hey aare re rreturned eturned tto o tthe he wild. wild. W Wildlife ildlife eeducation ducation includes includes aadvice dvice on on living living wwith ith wwildlife ildlife aand nd tthe he importance oof f nnative ative wwildlife ildlife tto o m maintain aintain importance a a hhealthy ealthy eecosystem. cosystem. EEducation ducation aand nd humane humane sscientific cientific rresearch esearch oopportunities pportunities
Board Board of of Directors Directors Anne Anne RRuddy-‐Chair uddy-‐Chair Linda Linda M Moore-‐Assistant oore-‐Assistant DDirector irector Mike Mike W Wilson ilson Michael Michael SSapp app Dr. Dr. M Mark ark FFinke inke Ann Ann SSiner iner
SWCC SWCC Staff Staff Linda Linda SSearles earles Founder Founder aand nd DDirector irector Linda Linda M Moore oore Assistant Assistant DDirector irector Kim Kim CCarr arr Animal Animal CCare are DDirector irector Kelly Kelly M Marcum arcum Education Education DDirector irector James James OO’Brien ’Brien Veterinary Veterinary TTech. ech. Lynne Lynne CCataldo ataldo Animal Animal CCare are SSpecialist/Volunteer pecialist/Volunteer CCoor. oor. Robyn Robyn M Moul oul Education Education Barbara Barbara AAnderson nderson Office M Manager/Marketing anager/Marketing Office
Cover Cover pphoto hoto ccredit: redit: RRobin obin OO’Donnell ’Donnell
Southwest Southwest W Wildlife ildlife CConservation onservation CCenter enter is is aa 501 501 (( c c ) ) 3 3 n non-‐profit on-‐profit oorganization rganization wwhich hich is is run run bby y aa h handful andful oof f sstaff taff aand nd mmany any ddedicated edicated volunteers. volunteers. W We e aare re ffunded unded ssolely olely tthrough hrough private private ddonations, onations, ffundraising undraising aand nd ggrants. rants.
From Our Founder
Dear Friends and Supporters of SWCC: The importance of accreditation cannot be overstated, as it is the hallmark of a responsible zoo, aquarium, or sanctuary. Accredited organizations place the wellbeing of each of their animals first. In addition, they often support the welfare of entire species and/or conservation efforts that benefit entire ecosystems. The USDA is responsible for licensing and inspecting all zoos, aquariums, and sanctuaries, in addition to slaughterhouses, pet stores, pet breeders, wildlife dealers, game farms, auction houses, laboratories, and other animal-‐related businesses. However, they are grossly understaffed. The unfortunate reality is that animals in many non-‐accredited zoos, aquariums, or sanctuaries suffer intolerable cruelty. They may suffer from malnutrition, abuse, unacceptable confinement, inadequate veterinary care or more, all of which can lead to severe health problems and mental stress. SWCC has seen the heartbreaking results of such inadequate care all too often. As an accredited sanctuary, we do our best to provide refuge for as many of these animals as we can. We provide a home for life where they will have proper veterinary care, a healthy diet, appropriate habitats, enrichment, and compassion.
Warm Regards:
The
BUSINESS of
The Importance of Accreditation One look into the eyes of a wild animal and we are captivated. They are beautiful, mystical, and magical. They draw us in, appealing to some part of our consciousness that is still innately wild. Baby wild animals are especially engaging, as they appear to be oh so very cute and cuddly. There are some who seek to help us reconnect with our inherent wildness. However, their reasons for doing so may ultimately have huge impacts on the wild animals under their care. Any group that keeps wild animals may call itself a zoo, aquarium, or sanctuary. All zoos, aquariums, and sanctuaries are overseen by the USDA, which is responsible for licensing and inspecting them. However, not all zoos, aquariums, and sanctuaries are accredited.
WILDLIFE To obtain accredited status, organizations must meet very strict criteria. Generally, the major difference between accredited organizations and non-‐accredited enterprises is the motivation for keeping or owning wild animals. The primary motivation for accredited organizations to keep wild animals is to provide for the welfare of each individual animal and/or for entire species. The primary motivation for most n on-‐accredited enterprises to own wild animals is to make a profit. AZA and ASA Zoos and aquariums are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). To achieve or maintain accreditation, they must meet the AZA’s stringent standards for animal management and care, which involves evaluations of living environments, health, nutrition, and enrichment. Veterinary programs, educational programs, and involvement in conservation and research programs are also evaluated. Sanctuaries are accredited by the American Sanctuary Association (ASA). ASA-‐accredited sanctuaries may not breed animals, except under the guidance of a species survival plan (see sidebar-‐Breeding for Species Survival Plan) or use them for commercial purposes.
Exploitative Commercial Uses
The Price They Pay
If an entity is engaging in any of the following practices, it is not accredited: • Selling o pportunities to interact with animals • Selling o pportunities to take photos with animals; • Displaying b aby animals
If pressed, employees at these entities may tell you they are breeding bears, big cats, antelope, and other animals to give them to zoos and sanctuaries. The reality is that zoos and sanctuaries have limits to their capacities and rarely need to replace their exhibit animals. In addition, zoos generally do not want such animals unless they have bred them in connection with a species survival plan (SSP).
In many cases, allowing people to interact with wild animals directly or for photographs requires those animals to be routinely sedated. Day after day, they live their lives in a drug-‐induced haze. For baby animals to be displayed or made available for photographs or other interactions requires them to be taken from their mothers at an abnormally young age. You may snuggle a bear cub in your arms or have your photo taken while bottle-‐feeding a baby tiger. But at what price to that animal? Entities that commercially exploit baby animals breed wild animals year after year because babies are a huge draw and generate ticket sales. In other words, they are breeding for profit. The dark truth in this industry is that these babies grow up—and what happens to them when they are no longer so cute and cuddly?
So what happens to these animals when they are no longer cute, cuddly babies? A few may be retained by the entity for future breeding. Most, however, are sold to fenced game farms to be used in trophy hunts or auctioned off at exotic animal auctions to the highest bidder. Some sold at auction will go to private owners. Private ownership of exotic animals has its own dark truths. Many more will be bought by g ame farms or businesses that will harvest them: for body parts to be used in exotic medicines; for sale to exotic meat markets; or for their pelts.
What You Can Do • Visit the websites of the AZA and the ASA to find out if • • •
•
an entity is accredited; Don’t visit or support facilities that commercially exploit wild animals or breed for profit; Don’t attend or support circuses or wild animal entertainment shows; Educate friends, family, and the media about the reality of the breeding and exploitation of wild animals occurring at some facilities; and Support organizations accredited by the AZA and ASA.
Breeding for Profit Breeding for profit is done to encourage p eople to visit a specific enterprise or in order to have animals available for sale. It is generally done without regard for genetic factors or other considerations. In addition, it diverts funds from vital wildlife education and conservation efforts, as well as from accredited zoos, aquariums, and sanctuaries.
Leo’s Story
story well. However, it bears repeating. Unfortunately, Leo’s story is not unique for w ild animals bred for use in the entertainment industry. Leonardo, a jaguar-‐leopard hybrid, was bred and born in a cage. He spent the first two years of his life entertaining h umans in a Las Vegas show. To be made ‘safe’ for this job, his canine teeth and all of his claws were pulled out. No one cared that removing these teeth allowed the remaining teeth to shift to the point that it eventually became impossible for him to chew or that for the remainder of his life his mutilated feet would make it difficult to walk properly. When he proved too defiant for use in the show, his owners sold him to a small, non-‐accredited zoo in southern Arizona.
The occurrence of white tigers in the wild is extremely rare and d ue to a g enetic mutation. However, the d emand for these animals as n ovelties has led to breeding for white tigers without regard to genetic diversity or the welfare of individual animals. Despite the severe inbreeding necessary to produce white tigers, most cubs are not white and therefore have no value to the breeder. Sadly, whether white or not, the cubs have a h igh neonatal mortality rate of approximately 80% due to birth defects related to inbreeding. Most, if they survive infancy, have a multitude of genetic abnormalities and health issues, including crossed eyes and blindness, cleft palates, limb malformations, deafness, emotional and behavior problems, and d iminished life expectancy. The hybridization of wild animals from different species but within the same genus (such as jaguars and leopards) has also proved profitable because the result is an exotic-‐looking wild animal. Unfortunately, h ybrids are also subject to birth defects, anatomical deformities, growth dysplasia, inflammatory bowel disease, the inability to p roperly digest food and emotional and behavior problems as a result of their conflicting ancestry.
Those of you who have visited SWCC know Leo’s
Unfortunately, his life did n ot g et any better. For seven more years he endured life in a barren, 12’ x 12’ cage with inadequate food, water, veterinary care, shelter, or enrichment. In boredom and exasperation, he paced back and forth for countless hours-‐-‐day after day. He was teased by visitors and prodded with sticks until he roared in frustration. His world was nothing but misery. Before he came to SWCC, Leo lived day after day in a barren cage. After time he lost his passion to live.
Breeding for profit usually produces animals with genetic abnormalities. Clearly the breeders are the only winners in these endeavors.
As luck would have it, that zoo h ad financial difficulties and h ad to close. SWCC was asked to help Leonardo and jumped at the opportunity. When he arrived, he was g iven a thorough examination. Radiographs revealed one collapsed lung and a severe case of pneumonia. His stumbling gait was the result of the horrible extracton of all of his claws. With time and proper medication and nutrition—and most importantly compassion—Leo slowly began the long road to recovery. Today he is a happy cat and continues to thrive in his habitat, which includes shade trees, climbing structures, soft sod, and all the toys he can play with.
As an ASA-‐accredited sanctuary, SWCC does not breed animals except under the guidance of the Mexican gray wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP). Species Survival Plans (SSPs) support the preservation and management of endangered or threatened species. Each SSP has a management group comprised of biologists, geneticists, veterinarians, reproduction specialists, and representatives of state and federal agencies to ensure the species is recovered and ultimately reintroduced to the wild. Breeding for an SSP is done under strict supervision of its management group, with attention given to current and future genetic diversity of the species.
Regrettably, Leo’s story is not unusual for animals bred for use in the entertainment industry. Every year small roadside zoos, traveling animal shows, circuses, private owners, and others who exploit wild animals by breeding for profit create other animals who suffer for the dollar—just like Leo. More often than not, ignorant, callous, and irresponsible owners take a terribe toll on these animals. This is an example of inbreeding for a white tiger. Notice the malformed muzzle, wide set eyes and broad head.
One look into Leo’s eyes will let you know he is thriving.
SWCC will continue to educate the public to the travesty of breeding for p rofit.
Each animal arrives at Southwest Wildlife with a story. Whether they’ve been injured, orphaned or displaced, our hope is their story will end with a return to the wild. The number one p riority is to raise them, restore their health and get them back where they belong, with a minimal amount of human intervention. When orphans arrive at our center, we take on the role of surrogate parent. At this helpless age, they depend on us for their every need, from wiping bottoms to constant bottle feedings. It isn’t long before they begin to outgrow their cozy crates and ditch the specialized formula for more substantial solid food. This is the stage when they can be introduced to foster parents of their own kind. Mr. and Mrs. Foster bobcat and Juan and Chiquita coyote are always up for the challenge of raising the next new batch of little ones. It’s especially important that the orphans we’ve handraised learn to identify with their own species and gain a healthy fear of humans. Foster parents have become an invaluable resource in our rehabilitation program.
Before we consider releasing an animal, we observe their behavior. Do they have a healthy respect for humans? Do they know what kind of food to look for? Are they old enough to make it on their own? The badgers passed all the requirements and were ready to begin the next chapter of their story. On badger release day, we got an unexpected gift. Walking back to our cars with empty crates in tow, we n oticed something along the banks of the stream…lots of little footprints in the mud. Wild footprints of raccoons, bobcats, and a few we couldn’t identify. Over the years this has been one of our favorite release sites; a beautiful riparian area with abundant resources and thousands of acres of undisturbed desert. We imagined these pawprints could be from animals we had cared for at one time, a sign telling us they were alive and well.
Life for a wild animal is certainly not easy. It can be a constant struggle to find food, water and shelter, so we try our best to set them up for success. Release sites are carefully chosen with the specific animals’ needs in mind. Since water is always an issue h ere in the desert, we scout out locations in close proximity to a water source. When possible, animals are returned to the area they came from. Most often, it’s necessary to find a more suitable site where they can begin a new life away from the perils of urban sprawl.
Ready… Set…
RELEASE!!!
Such was the case with two young badgers. A mother badger chose to d ig a den and raise her family dangerously close to a b usy roadway. The naïve youngsters played in the street, dodging cars to g et from one side to the other. Arizona Game & Fish rescued the babies, while several attempts to locate and trap the mom were u nsuccessful. Fortunately, these two youngsters were close to being weaned and started eating solid food almost immediately. They grew like weeds and stayed in a quiet enclosure in our rehabilitation area while we waited for the optimal time to release them.
Opposite page photo credit: Bruce Taubert
Depending on the year, 70-‐80% of the animals we receive are eventually released. With a dedicated crew of staff and volunteers, as well as generous support from our donors, we’re able to help save Arizona’s wildlife, one life at a time.
SWCC’s
Discovery Corner Coyotes Coyotes When we are handling baby animals, we take certain precautions Coyotes Coyotes re aanimals nimals hat m many any ooif mprinted f uus s ssee, ee, bbut ut don’t on’t now includes Southwest Wildlife is proud to present a new to prevent the abare aby from tbthat ecoming odn us. kTknow his much aabout. ttimes, sstories old aabout tthat much bout. t O he Often ften imes, tories anare re tth old bout tthem hem hat addition to our newsletters: Discovery Corner! This not talking around young animal, ot andling he animal are m isleading o r n ot t rue. H owever, t hese a nimals a re are m isleading o r n ot t rue. H owever, t hese a nimals a re unless we are feeding or d oing an exam on it, and playing space is reserved for interesting wildlife facts and devoted ffamily embers-‐-‐playful, ttalkative, aand pprotective devoted amily embers-‐-‐playful, alkative, rotective recordings of its own m smpecies so it relates to the and nimal that it information geared toward children. Each SWCC ttheir ack. the animal to imprint on its own species, n ot of heir ack. is! We ppw ant newsletter will contain an important wildlife concept actually of for children to learn about. A fun activity goes along a human!
Imprinting This time of year baby animals are b usy frolicking, foraging, and exploring in their exciting new world! It is very enjoyable to see for these youngsters in the wild, b ut it AA question question for you… you… is very important that coyote we do not 25amice pproach, touch, or IfIfthe theaverage averagecoyote eats eats25 miceaaday, day, handle them. I mprinting i s w hen a y oung a nimal realizes how howmany manymice micedoes doesone onecoyote coyoteeat eatinin one week or a year? one week or a year? what kind of animal it is, and what behaviors are typical for its species. Normally, baby animals imprint onto a parent and learn to act just like that parent at a very young age.
Tiah Levin: 2 place age 9-‐11
Coyotes Coyotes aare re oopportunistic pportunistic hhunters unters aand nd fforagers oragers tthat hat wwill ill eat eat aa v variety ariety oof f ffoods! oods! TThis his aability bility tto o eeat at m many any ddifferent ifferent Just as the definition suggests, “to fix indelibly or permanently,” kinds kinds oof f ffood ood hhas as aallowed llowed tthe he ccoyote oyote tto o aadapt dapt tto o m many any imprinting is p ermanent and cannot be undone. So, we must be different different hhabitats. abitats. FFor or tthis his rreason, eason, ccoyotes oyotes aare re sseen een aall ll very careful to make sure that when a wild animal imprints, it throughout throughout tthe he UUnited nited SStates tates ((except except ffor or HHawaii). awaii). SSo o tthe he imprints on its mother or father. next next ttime ime yyou ou ssee ee aa c coyote, oyote, rremember emember aall ll tthe he ggood ood tthings hings he he ddoes oes ffor or tthe he eenvironment. nvironment.
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Mallory Koch: 3 place age 9-‐11
25 25mice miceXX77days days==175 175mice/week mice/week 175 175mice/week mice/weekxx52 52weeks weeksininone oneyear year==9100 9100mice miceare areeaten eatenannually annually or or 25mice/day mice/dayxx365 365days daysper peryear year==9125 9125mice miceare areeaten eatenannually annually 25
with the informative text. So let the learning begin!
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Aubrey Johnson: 1 place age 9-‐11
Answer… Answer…
SWCC’s SWCC’s
Art Art Contest Contest Winners Winners
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Samantha Stasik: 2 place age 12-‐14
When humans pick up baby animals, we drastically change their lives. Most animals that are handled frequently by people at an early age become imprinted on humans. This means that the animal no longer sees This yyear, ear, wwe e wwere ery lh ucky tto o hhave ave KKen en aRRnimals owe owe judge judge itself as aThis wild animal, bere ut vvaery s al ucky uman! These our our f f irst irst a a nnual nnual W W ild ild A A rt rt C C ontest. ontest. K K en en i s i s a a r r enowned enowned won’t know how to act as the wild animal they actually bbased ased oout ut o oof f f SsSedona, edona, AAZ Z ((www.rowegallery.com). www.rowegallery.com). are, and artist aartist re incapable urviving in the wild. With With KKen’s en’s love love oof f wwildlife ildlife aand nd aart, rt, wwe e tthought hought hhe e would would bbe e tthe he pperfect erfect pperson erson tto o judge judge oour ur yyoung oung aartists’ rtists’ Being dependent on people does not mean the animal submissions submissions ffor or oour ur aart rt ccontest. ontest.
will make a good pet. First, it is illegal in Arizona to have a wild animal as a pet (any without a paermit). econd, We m ddrawings KKen We rreceived eceived many rawings and nd wwe e kkSnow now en hhad ad aa imprinted wild animals ahre domesticated averyone dog hard ime making aking his is nddot ecision. hank yyou ou ltike to o eeveryone hard ttime m ecision. TThank or cat. They assre still wild in. animals nd aba l elong the wild! who ent ntries in. lease tatake ake look aat t ion our ur inners! who ent eentries PPlease ook wwinners! They want to roam and be free, not kept in an enclosure or cage for the entirety of their lives.
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Tyra Schneider: 2 place age 5-‐8 stst
So, if you happen to find an orphaned, injured, or displaced wild animal p lease do not touch him/her. Let an adult know about the situation. M any times, the mother is nearby and will continue to care for the baby. If the animal is in fact orphaned or hurt, then urge an
Derek Derek LLevy: evy: 11 p place lace aage ge 112-‐14 2-‐14
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Kasi Enger: 1 place age 5-‐8
SWCC’s iving wildlife ith Wildlife SWCC’s Living Lw ith W Series Series SWCC’s Living with Wildlife Series
Coyotes Coyotes Coyotes Cunning, Capable, Critical Cunning, Capable, Critical Cunning, Capable, Critical
Attempts to exterminate the coyote will lead to increased production rate. Poisoning and trapping have created a smarter animal b y selecting those who adapt. Farmers have learned to remove carrion from their land, which decreases coyote population and decreases livestock predation. Baiting carcasses with substances, which make coyotes ill using llamas, special dog breeds, and burros as guards p lus rotating livestock herds, are effective in managing predation by coyotes.
A Sonoran Desert spring is teeming ith O life. n a desert or hoike, ne emncounter ay encounter hummingbirds, lizards, rabbits, A Sonoran Desert spring is teeming with lw ife. n a O desert walk w or alk hike, ne moay hummingbirds, lizards, rabbits, A S onoran D esert s pring i s t eeming w ith l ife. O n a d esert w alk o r h ike, o ne m ay e ncounter h ummingbirds, l izards, r abbits, butterflies, nd eaven a bobcat r a coyote prowling for f ood. As beautiful as the landscape and its inhabitants ay be, it’s butterflies, and eaven bobcat or a cooyote prowling for food. As beautiful as the landscape and its inhabitants may bme, it’s butterflies, a nd e ven a b obcat o r a c oyote p rowling f or f ood. A s b eautiful a s t he l andscape a nd i ts i nhabitants m ay b e, it’s a otime of confusion or mfolks. any f olks. A misguided ear of wildlife results in cdonsequences ire consequences or misunderstood often often a time f confusion for mfany A misguided fear off wildlife often orften esults in dire for mfisunderstood often a time of confusion for many folks. A misguided fear of wildlife often results in dire consequences for misunderstood wildlife. wildlife. wildlife.
Coyotes an essential species the Sonoran Coyotes are an aere ssential species to the tSo onoran desert desert Coyotes are an essential species to the Sonoran desert
eleven different vocalizations There There have hbave een beeen leven different vocalizations There h ave b een e leven d ifferent v ocalizations identified by researchers. he coyote is fnound ow found identified by researchers. The c Toyote is now identified b y r esearchers. T he c oyote is now found throughout N orth A merica. A lthough d eforestation throughout North America. Although deforestation throughout North America. deforestation and he rwemovals olf removals ave Aclthough ontributed to their and the wtolf have hcontributed to their and t he w olf r emovals h ave c ontributed t o their migration, the ability ocf oyote the coyote to atdapt to living migration, the ability of the to adapt o living migration, tihe ability of the factor. coyote Ttheir o adapt to living anywhere s a n o verriding h abitats anywhere is an overriding factor. Their habitats also also anywhere is an overriding factor. Their habitats include wetlands, ity paarks, nd w oodlands. also include wetlands, city pcarks, nd waoodlands. include wetlands, city p arks, and woodlands. Environmental factors influence coyote behaviors. Environmental factors influence coyote behaviors. This This Environmental f actors i nfluence c oyote b ehaviors. This includes ize, reproductive ate territory and territory includes group group size, rseproductive rate arnd includes g roup s ize, r eproductive r ate a nd t erritory Abundant rey supports a larger coyote size. Asize. bundant prey spupports a larger coyote size. A bundant p rey s upports a l arger c oyote population. population. population. Coyotes a aynd ear uasually nd usually nly the alpha Coyotes breed boreed nce oance year only tohe alpha Coyotes b reed o nce a y ear a nd u sually o nly t female produces a litter. Depending on the he alpha female produces a litter. Depending on the female p roduces a l itter. D epending o he This environment, females ay yboung. ear n ytoung. environment, other ofther emales may bmear This environment, oontrol, ther females may bear young. This built-‐in b irth c a ctivated b y p heromones, built-‐in birth control, activated by p heromones, keeps keeps built-‐in birth in control, activated by p heromones, keeps the system balance. the system in balance. the system in balance.
Those to the desert are surprised to discover Those new tno ew the desert are surprised to discover the the Those new to tildlife he desert are suurprised to daiscover the diversity o f w l iving i n rban a reas nd diversity of wildlife living in urban areas and even eoven ur our diversity of wildlife living ain urban areas and even our into backyards. bobcat nd javelina meandered backyards. Even Ebven obcat and javelina have hmave eandered into backyards. E ven b obcat a nd j avelina h ave m eandered into downtown a reas. M ost a re t hriving a nd h ave a dapted downtown areas. Most are thriving and h ave adapted well well downtown a reas. M ost a re t hriving a nd h ave a dapted w ell to ulrban to urban ife. life. to urban life. Perhaps no oather animal the Southwest evokes Perhaps no other nimal in the in Southwest evokes more more Perhaps no other atnimal in the Soyotes outhwest eevokes ore or divisiveness t han he c oyote. C a re ither lm oathed divisiveness than the coyote. Coyotes are either loathed or divisiveness t han t he c oyote. C oyotes a re e ither l oathed or loved. A n e normous a mount o f t ime a nd m oney h as loved. An enormous amount of time and money has been been loved. A n e normous a mount o f t ime a nd m oney h as b een expended to control coyote populations. However, expended to control coyote populations. However, the the expended to ecndured. ontrol cToyote populations. However, the coyote h as he c oyote’s r esilience h as coyote has endured. The coyote’s resilience has to be to be coyote h as e ndured. T he c oyote’s r esilience h as t o b e admired ith the resolution of mto any to eliminate admired even ewven ith twhe resolution of many eliminate it. it. admired e ven w ith t he r esolution o f m any t o e liminate it. Looking further, the attributes of utnique his unique nd valuable Looking further, the attributes of this and vaaluable Looking further, the attributes of this unique and valuable creature emerge. creature emerge. creature emerge. ere presence ocf oyote the coyote captures the flavor The mThe ere m presence of the captures the flavor of the of the The m ere p resence o f t he c oyote c aptures t he f lavor of the A campfire, ull maoon, and the yip-‐howl Old WOld est. W Aest. campfire, a full am foon, nd the yip-‐howl of of Old W est. A c ampfire, a f ull m oon, a nd t he y ip-‐howl o f coyotes not signify kill, rather is a sgocial g reeting coyotes does d noes ot signify a kill, ar ather it is a ist ocial reeting ear SrWCC receives any orphaned coyote puppies coyotes does rneunion. ot signify Every Every year SyWCC eceives many m orphaned coyote puppies a group a kill, rather it is a social g reeting and aand group reunion. Every y ear S WCC r eceives m any o rphaned c oyote p uppies and a group reunion.
Coyote predation weeds out the old and sick, strengthening a species. Coyotes are omnivorous, foraging on mesquite beans, insects, and carrion, contributing to their proliferation. Eighty percent of their diet may consist of rodents. A litter of juvenile coyotes, awaiting release back into the wild
Farmers who eradicate the coyote find a burgeoning rodent population. One coyote may eat about 25 mice a day translating into 9,000 mice per coyote keeping the ecosystem healthy for other animals and humans as rodents carry diseases including hantavirus and plague. Leaving nature to m anage itself is the natural thing to do.
Urban coyotes are especially in p eril. Food and water readily available on golf courses and in backyards create an artificial situation for the adaptive coyote. Urbanites are startled when encountering a coyote traveling down a street or through a wash. Conflicts arise when one neighbor feeds wildlife and another wants them only in the wild. Good intentions by h umans can be devastating for any wildlife. Once the neighbor leaves, the coyote continues to appear looking for the handout, becomes a nuisance and may be killed. If the coyote isn’t g iven a reason to stay in an area (such as easy food source or unattended small pets) they will move away to another area. The Sonoran Desert is a dynamic ecosystem, and we are fortunate to live among the diverse animals that call the desert home. And the coyote has proven to be an enduring resident. We must respect their ability to adapt and survive among the most unpredictable predator, humans.
Get outside, hike, take a walk, and listen for the howl of a coyote, share the experience w ith a child-‐-‐learn something astounding.
Calendar Calendar of of Events Events Calendar of Events Tour Tour DDates ates Tour Dates Feb. Feb. 112-‐Walk 2-‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife TTours ours 110 0 aam-‐4 m-‐4 ppm m Feb. 12-‐Walk with Wildlife Tours 10 am-‐4 pm Feb. Feb. 112-‐‘Hearts 2-‐‘Hearts aand nd HHowls’-‐Valentines owls’-‐Valentines DDay ay EEvent vent 55:30 :30 ppm m Feb. 12-‐‘Hearts and Howls’-‐Valentines Day Event 5:30 pm Feb. Feb. 113-‐Walk 3-‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife TTours ours 110 0 aam-‐4 m-‐4 ppm m Feb. 13-‐Walk with Wildlife Tours 10 am-‐4 pm Feb. Feb. 113-‐‘Hearts 3-‐‘Hearts aand nd HHowls-‐Valentines owls-‐Valentines DDay ay EEvent vent 55:30 :30 ppm m Feb. 13-‐‘Hearts and Howls-‐Valentines Day Event 5:30 pm Feb. Feb. 220-‐Wildlife 0-‐Wildlife PPhotography hotography W Workshop-‐7:30 orkshop-‐7:30 aam m Feb. 20-‐Wildlife Photography Workshop-‐7:30 am Feb. Feb. 220-‐Walk 0-‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife TTour-‐4 our-‐4 ppm m Feb. 20-‐Walk with Wildlife Tour-‐4 pm Feb Feb 220-‐Full 0-‐Full M Moon oon PProgram-‐6 rogram-‐6 ppm m Feb 20-‐Full Moon Program-‐6 pm Mar. Mar. 77-‐Homeschool -‐Homeschool M Monday-‐8 onday-‐8 aam m Mar. 7-‐Homeschool Monday-‐8 am Mar. Mar. 77-‐Walk -‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife TTours ours 110 0 aam-‐4 m-‐4 ppm m Mar. 7-‐Walk with Wildlife Tours 10 am-‐4 pm Mar. Mar. 112-‐Walk 2-‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife TTours ours 88 a am-‐4 m-‐4 ppm m Mar. 12-‐Walk with Wildlife Tours 8 am-‐4 pm Mar. Mar. 118-‐Walk 8-‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife TTours ours 88 a am-‐4 m-‐4 ppm m Mar. 18-‐Walk with Wildlife Tours 8 am-‐4 pm Mar. Mar. 119-‐Walk 9-‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife TTours ours 88 a am-‐4 m-‐4 ppm m Mar. 19-‐Walk with Wildlife Tours 8 am-‐4 pm Mar. Mar. 223-‐Walk 3-‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife TTours ours 88 a am m -‐-‐4 4 ppm m Mar. 23-‐Walk with Wildlife Tours 8 am -‐4 pm Mar. Mar. 223 3 FFull ull M Moon oon PProgram rogram 66:30 :30 ppm m Mar. 23 Full Moon Program 6:30 pm Mar. Mar. 226 6 W Wild ild W Workshop orkshop 88 a am-‐12 m-‐12 ppm m Mar. 26 Wild Workshop 8 am-‐12 pm Mar. Mar. 226-‐Walk 6-‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife TTours ours 112 2 ppm-‐4 m-‐4 ppm m Mar. 26-‐Walk with Wildlife Tours 12 pm-‐4 pm Mar. Mar. 330-‐Walk 0-‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife TTours ours 88 a am-‐10 m-‐10 aam m Mar. 30-‐Walk with Wildlife Tours 8 am-‐10 am Mar. Mar. 330-‐Lobo 0-‐Lobo W Week eek PProgram rogram 112 2 ppm-‐4pm m-‐4pm Mar. 30-‐Lobo Week Program 12 pm-‐4pm Apr. Apr. 11-‐Sunrise -‐Sunrise NNature ature W Walk-‐6 alk-‐6 aam m Apr. 1-‐Sunrise Nature Walk-‐6 am Apr. Apr. 11-‐Walk -‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife 88 a am-‐4 m-‐4 ppm m Apr. 1-‐Walk with Wildlife 8 am-‐4 pm Apr. Apr. 22-‐ -‐ SSunrise unrise NNature ature W Walk-‐6 alk-‐6 aam m Apr. 2-‐ Sunrise Nature Walk-‐6 am Apr. Apr. 22-‐Walk -‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife 88 a am-‐4 m-‐4 ppm m Apr. 2-‐Walk with Wildlife 8 am-‐4 pm Apr. Apr. 33-‐Dinner -‐Dinner wwith ith W Wolves-‐4 olves-‐4 ppm m Apr. 3-‐Dinner with Wolves-‐4 pm April April 66-‐ -‐ SSunrise unrise NNature ature W Walk-‐6 alk-‐6 aam m April 6-‐ Sunrise Nature Walk-‐6 am Apr. Apr. 66-‐Walk -‐Walk wwith ith W Wildlife ildlife 88 a am-‐4 m-‐4 ppm m Apr. 6-‐Walk with Wildlife 8 am-‐4 pm
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