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Our Speaker This Week:
After joining Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care Center in 1995, Denise Upton became one of the most hands-on volunteers involved with the daily care of wild birds and animals. She served on the LTWC board for six years and as its president for two terms before being hired as Animal Care Director in 2014. She has attended numerous wildlife rehabilitation conferences including IWRC, CCWR, and NWRA symposiums and training. She is an outstanding and entertaining speaker!
Of the 85 wildlife rehabilitation facilities in California, many of which Denise has visited, she assures us that the new Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care Center is the “most gorgeous”. Purchased with an endowment, it sits on 27 acres in South Lake Tahoe. The rehab center will eventually be a sanctuary with the ability to teach people about living with local wildlife. All of the current furry and feathered residents have outdoor enclosures designed for their respective, specific needs and including natural “activities” that encourage growth toward reintroduction whenever possible. There will soon be a multipurpose room where winter presentations will be able to be held (in addition to current outdoor presentations), complete with a stage for teaching with non-releasable animal ambassadors. Another new building will have an entire wing for an onsite hospital. The recent ‘Wild and Free’ fundraiser did so well that there will be a lot of new medical equipment including an x-ray machine and an ultrasound machine (donated by a doctor at Barton). There are also plans for an intern living addition which will allow students to come up from UC Davis among other possibilities. Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming Open House!
We are all aware of the growing “animal conflict incidents” nationwide. This occurs whenever humans build into areas that have historically been home to wildlife. When Diane talks to callers, she most often finds that many of these encounters could be pre-empted if people moving into high wildlife populated areas would take the time to become educated on their new environment. For many in SLT, bears are a common cause for concern. They are so intelligent, they seem to know the difference between a regular Amazon and a Chewy delivery!!! Some common human behaviors that draw bears in are leaving your car unlocked (lots of yummy smells in there), leaving windows open with food on the counter, leaving garage doors open (often with dog or cat food stored inside), and leaving coolers anywhere a bear can spot them (they KNOW what is inside). At this time of year, our local bears are preparing for hibernation or torpor. Many bears become pregnant in summer and give birth during the winter. The eggs won’t implant if the bear is underweight or if food supplies are scarce. In contrast, where food supplies are plentiful, as in the case of access to loads of human garbage, the result will be an increase in births. If it seems like there are more bears in Tahoe than ever before, that’s because there are! If we can become better stewards of our homes and local businesses, better containing our refuse and access to unnatural food sources, we will also be helping to control our bear population in a more positive way.
There are currently 9 bears at LTWC, only one of which is from Tahoe. The rest have been rescued from other areas of CA. We have a really good supply of wild lake trout supplied by the Fish and Wildlife netting program. Most of the bears will be released back into their native areas once they are able to care for themselves in the wild. Tule is a cub that was only a little over three pounds when brought in. He is the only known bear in California to have Chagas Disease (kissing bug). Usually found in South America and Mexico, this blood born disease may cause irregular heartbeat and eventually heart failure along with a host of other unfortunate symptoms. With the quality care he is receiving, Tule is currently almost 100lbs and doing well. However, due to his condition, he may end up living in a sanctuary rather be released.
The Care Center is also home to an active set of 100lb black bear triplets. Diane is looking forward to their possible release down the hill in about a month or so where they will have access to their native acorn food supply - bears don’t hibernate at that lower elevation. Recently, three cubs scratched their way through the ceiling and climbed up into the “roof hallway” where they could be heard running and tumbling, having a grand old time. She tried enticing them down with honey and other goodies. They decided to nap up there in a “bear pile”. All that weight in one location caused the ceiling to give way and they fell through to the floor below! Thankfully, no injuries were reported and the cubs are as curious as ever.
Two eagles were recently in residence. The female Golden Eagle is now at UC Davis. The female Bald Eagle had a hard time learning to be a bird. Her initial release attempt wasn't successful. If a Bald Eagle isn't able to be reintroduced into the wild, the bird must then be offered to specific Native American groups before going to any other sanctuary. No one in the United States may capture or kill an eagle without a permit. Indigenous people have first rights to rehabbed individuals. The feathers are considered sacred and are used in ceremonies, art, and education. However, no one can barter, trade, or sell eagle feathers or anything made from them. A second reintroduction attempt was made. SUCCESS!!! They knew she was able to catch fish on her own because she had done so at the center; however, they weren't sure she would figure out how to land on a branch as she hadn't had the ability to practice. She took off in a grand flight with Mount Tallac in the distance. The following day, she was spotted - perched in a high tree with another eagle. The significance of this is great as she will now have a wild eagle to continue to learn from. Click here to see her fly! (Scroll to the bottom of the page for video.)
For those of you who may have heard about the "owl attacks" in the Tahoe Keys, she is doing well... She is, in fact, a Great Horned Owl. She had been reported as dive bombing people, chasing them down and swooping at their heads. She also seemed fixated on getting into one house in particular. All of this in a two block area! Diane instructed people to lure her in with frozen mice (because we all have a few of them in our freezers). Some mice were placed in a large wire dog kennel equipped with a pull string to close the door. She ventured in for a little taste and YEP! On to the Care Center... They aren't exactly sure what was inspiring the owl's behavior, but there is one intriguing hypothesis... This particular species of owl stays with the mother for an extended period of time prior to venturing out on their own - and she is young. Not only that, but a deceased, mature female was found in the same vicinity not that long before. Once she is grown and can truly fend for herself, she will be reintroduced - but NOT in the Tahoe Keys.
How about an update on P3? This darling porcupine was the one many of us followed during the Caldor Fire. He was unusually vocal and Diane was curious as to what he might be trying to communicate. She reached out to a porcupine guru from back east. After viewing a video of the curious chatter, her colleague surmised that P3 really wanted to be a wild porcupine without people constantly videoing him on their phones. Diane agreed. His burns healed, P3 has been released in the Upper Truckee area. There have been no reports of loud, wild porcupine chatter in the area.
Those of us in South Lake Tahoe are so incredibly thankful for Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care Center and for all the employees and volunteers that give their tireless time and effort to rehabilitate and care for our local wildlife. We thank you for continuing to educate us and provide lively accounts of your many adventures.
For more information on living with bears: Bearwise
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