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Date: 5/24/2010
On Thursday night a woman let her tiny teacup chihuahua go outside alone on a potty break. Unfortunately, now both her dog and the local mountain lion are dead. Mountain lions are most active between dusk and dawn, and pets should be kept inside or watched closely to ensure their safety as well as the survival of local wildlife. Both Animal Control and California Department of Fish & Game officers responded to her call. Although they are legally required to kill any mountain lion that attacks a pet if the owner requests it, the officers said they did not want to shoot the cat and offered to relocate it instead. They found the lion nearby and tried to tranquilize him. However, after being hit with the dart, the lion ran towards the officers and was shot for their protection.
 Here is the photo of today’s rescued hawk. Lisa of the animal rescue team responded to N. La Cumbre. The hawk was found hanging upside down.
We called the county fire department, and engine 13 rolled helping free the dying red tail hawk. KEYT filmed part of it, but missed the part of the rescue upside down..
After the hawk was freed she flew away,
Another happy ending,
For those who called, and stood guard over the large male bobcat that was hit by a car, we have good news.(CHP call log posted below). The Santa Barbara Sheriffs department dispatch center (Penny) called and asked if would respond. The RP who struck the bobcat was very concerned and caring, also getting his parents to respond, as well and stand by the animal until we arrived with our animal rescue ambulance. Other calls came as many passerbys stopped to try and help the injured bobcat, some suggesting we ” Just shoot it”.
One caller thought the cat may have been a mountain lion cub. Because of this, we notified our local warden, who was standing by. Once we surmised this was in deed a bobcat, one of the largest i have ever seen, we immediatly sprang into action, by hitting the animal with a dart from our tranq. gun. The warden showed up, and helped us load the injured bobcat into an awaiting crate. By 8PM we had the cat at Solvang Vet Hospital where pain meds were administered, and surgery is scheduled to have the bobcats back leg pinned the following AM.
A HUGE thank you to Jorge the DFG warden for helping, and not hesitating for a second, all the bystanders who kicked in, Santa Barbara Sheriff dispatch, who all made this a team effort, for another successful rescue.
The Celebrating the American Lion Campaign website will be on-line Monday morning June 7th. The web address will be www.americanlion.org
At this time we are loading content as well as event listings from every group who has sent something in. Even if you don’t have anything to place on line at this time, it is important that you send in your organization’s logo ASAP so it can be matched up with the organization contact information.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
List of Participating Groups (As of June 2, 2010)
Animal Protection of New Mexico
Animal Rescue Team, Inc.
Big Cat Rescue
Big Wildlife
Biodiversity Conservation Alliance
Black Hills Mountain Lion Foundation
Born Free USA
California Wildlife Foundation/California Oaks
Cougar Fund
Eastern Cougar Foundation
Exotic Feline Breeding Compound / Feline Conservation Center
Florida Panther Society, Inc.
Folsom Zoo
Marin Co Humane Society
Mountain Cats Trust
Mountain Lion Foundation
Nature of Wildworks
Oakland Zoo
Ojai Wildlife League
Oregon Cougar Action Team / ORECAT
Peace River Refuge
Placer Nature Center
Utah Environmental Congress
Whittier Narrows Nature Center
WildCat Haven
WildEarth Guardians
WildFutures
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: John D. Mann
June 3, 2010 (916) 718-7420
Toxic Lead Shot Ban in State Wildlife Management Areas Passes Assembly
Legislation will Prevent the Release of Toxic Material in State Wildlife Management Areas
Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) announced the passage of Assembly Bill 2223, which will ban the use of toxic lead shot in California’s 667,000 acre network of State Wildlife Management Areas.
Due to widespread consensus that the use of lead shot for waterfowl hunting poses a significant danger in wetland environments, federal law bans such use. However, the use of lead shot for upland game is currently allowed on most State Wildlife Management Areas, and often results in lead being introduced into wetland environments anyway. Research now shows that both wetland and upland birds will ingest spent lead shot, and thereby creating the potential for devastating effects on these bird populations.
“The science is increasingly clear that lead shot poses a real danger to bird populations on these lands,” said Nava. “With viable alternatives to lead shot – this is just a no-brainer.”
A total of 25 states have lead shot prohibitions for hunting beyond those required by the federal government for waterfowl. Of the 40 states that allow dove hunting, 16 have some level of nontoxic shot requirements specific to dove hunting.
“Allowing this situation to continue is inconsistent with the state’s mission to manage these wildlife areas to the highest standards,” said Dan Taylor, director of public policy for Audubon California. “These areas are islands of habitat that serve as magnets to wildlife and human visitors with excellent wildlife viewing, fishing and hunting opportunities.”
Assemblymember Nava authored and passed a state law in 2008 to prohibit the use of lead ammunition in areas inhabited by the California condor because of the dangers that it posed for that endangered species.
“We need to get lead out of our State Wildlife Management Areas,” said Nava “It makes no sense to allow people to leave poisonous material in the wild.”
“We would expect hunters to embrace and quickly adapt to the new regulations as they did with the ban on lead shot for waterfowl,” said Taylor. “There is not reason to choose between conservation and recreation on these lands.”
Denise Goldmann, Goleta
March 11, 2010 12:00 AM
Re: the recent letter to the editor, “Make humans unbearable to bears,” hunting doesn’t reduce conflicts with bears.
Trophy hunters target the largest bears that may look good on a wall or as a throw rug, not the young males that are primarily responsible for conflicts. Furthermore, hunting occurs far from homes, while so-called problem bears usually live in the urban-suburban areas.
Shooting bears at random is an ineffective way of reducing conflicts and using hunting to control bears ignores the root cause of most conflicts: irresponsible human behavior, i.e, landowners who don’t properly dispose of garbage.
Hunting bears doesn’t increase their fear of people. Bears that are hunted end up dead and can’t pass that fear on to their offspring. California’s had bear-hunting seasons for hundreds of years, and it’s done nothing to stop bears from encroaching into human habitat.
No human has ever been killed by a black bear in California. Yet, humans kill thousands of bears each year. Who is the dangerous animal here?
There’s nothing sporting about shooting a frightened black bear that has climbed a tree to elude barking hounds. And when bears are treed, many cubs are witness to the trophy bear being killed, leaving them as orphans to die slow, agonizing deaths. This method of hunting is cruel, barbaric and unethical.
The presence of packs of hounds also disturbs the tranquility of those who recreate in Los Padres National Forest, which could be opened to bear hunting this summer.
Please join us tomorrow stuff 500 newsletters at 5:30, 875 Carriage Drive. We will provide some great wine, and pizza.
Hope to see you all tomorrow,
thank you for all your support,
Love the critters,
and me,
DFG has recorded 12 “bear attacks” since 1980. In some cases, the details of these attacks were not completely known. According to the DFG’s statewide public safety guidelines, a wild animal attack is defined as “physical contact, injury or death.” Each attack is summarized below.
Mono County, October 2003 – A 43-year old Orange County man was struck across the face and chest by a bear at a private recreation facility in Mono Village. According to witnesses, a sow bear, with two cubs behind her, approached the victim as he stood motionless and completely quiet next to the short stairway to his cabin. For unknown reasons the sow lunged at the victim, striking him at least once. The man sustained cuts on his eyes, cheek, and inside his mouth. The sow was later shot and killed, and the yearling cubs were allowed to disperse.
Los Angeles County, July 2003 – A male hiker was knocked down by a bear at a remote campsite along the Pacific Crest Trail in the Angeles National Forest. The hiker had just reached the camp, which was empty, dropped his pack on a picnic table, and was looking for a place to hang his food. As he walked back toward the pack, he heard a noise behind him. As he turned he was knocked to the ground by a bear. After standing over him for a few seconds, the bear grabbed the backpack and began dragging it off. The man shouted at the bear and threw rocks until the bear finally retreated without the backpack. The hiker received only minor bruises and was not seriously hurt.
Los Angeles County, July 2001 – A woman was bitten on the arm by a bear at a county-run tree farm near La Verne. The bear, which was earlier spotted climbing on a nearby trash can, reportedly walked up to the woman while she was seated at a picnic table and bit her on the arm. The woman was treated at a hospital for puncture wounds. The bear was later shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies. The bear weighed approximately 85 pounds and was estimated at one to two years of age.
Kern County, August 1998 – A man and woman were attacked by a sow bear with two cubs while they were sleeping outside in the Piute Mountains. They reported being awakened at 5:30 a.m. by a noise, then saw the bears within a few feet of them. When the man sat up to see what the bears were doing, the sow attacked. The man sustained extensive damage to both his forearms, as well as deep cuts to his back and more superficial wounds to his legs. The woman sustained a cut underneath her eyelid and superficial wounds on her legs. Both were treated at a hospital. The sow was later shot and killed, and the yearling cubs were released nearby.
Mono County, April 1996 – A man received a bite on the buttocks from a young bear. Further details are not known.
Shasta County, April 1995 – A 13-year-old boy was injured and received eight stitches on his head after being bitten or pawed by a bear in his tent. The boys indicated that they did not have any food in the tent. The bear had also gone through their backpacks (located 25 feet away) and eaten some canned goods and toothpaste. According to the three boys in the tent, they had hung the food from a tree the night before. Attempts to locate the bear were unsuccessful.
San Bernardino County, August 1993 – Two separate incidents occurred within three days of each other. In both cases, the bear — or bears — grabbed a child by the head and attempted to drag him away. In each incident, both victims were 13-year-old males and were sleeping on the ground in sleeping bags at the time of the attack. The bear also inflicted minor injuries on three other campers immediately prior to the attacks. The attacks occurred at two group campgrounds approximately two miles from each other and the attacks ended when other campers aggressively came to the victims’ aid. More than 100 people were sleeping on the ground in the immediate area at the time of the each attack. Both campgrounds were either clean or moderately clean. However, the area is interspersed with cabins and garbage is available nearby. Natural foods were available and abundant at the time of the attacks.
Within two hours of the second incident, two bears were tracked with dogs and killed. Both bears were young, healthy males weighing about 200 pounds each. The necropsy performed later indicated that both bears were disease free. Residents in the area felt that the same two bears were observed with a sow the previous summer and that these animals had been feeding on garbage and handouts.
Shasta County, May 1993 – A man was injured by a bear while sleeping in a campground near Shasta Lake. He was sleeping on the ground when he stated that he woke up to a bear drooling on him. When he sat up, the bear swatted him on the head and ran. The victim was given three stitches. Garbage was plentiful at his camping location. The victim left the hospital before DFG employees could investigate the incident. There is no further information available.
Siskiyou County, August 1991 – While archery hunting for deer in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, a black bear attacked and mauled an adult male. After the victim observed the bear, he began photographing her until he noticed that she had cubs. The bear charged him and he attempted to escape. She caught him and bit him repeatedly around the shoulders.
Trinity County, May 1986 – A 35-year old man was attacked at around 3 a.m. while camping in a tent in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. The victim felt that he was caught in the middle of a fight between two boars when one bear attacked him in his tent. The bear left when the victim hit the bear with a tentpole. Two bears then returned and acted aggressively toward each another before they finally left. The victim sustained several puncture wounds to his shoulder and lacerations to the back of his head.
Siskiyou County, September 1986 – A long-time resident of a small rural community was injured while feeding a bear at his residence. The victim had been feeding bears at this location for more than 30 years.
To Eric Loft, Chief, California Department of Fish and Game:
The effects on the statewide black bear population that shall be addressed in the April Environmental Document Regarding Bear Hunting include:
• Increasing the regulated annual harvest up to 2,500 bears;
• Incorporating portions of San Luis Obispo, Modoc, Lassen and Inyo counties into the black bear hunt zones;
• Eliminating the in-season closure mechanism;
• Altering the dog control use boundary;
• Modifying the dates for archery bear season.
This project will involve the killing of American black bears. Some members of the public may find this offensive and this project may have an emotional effect on them. Although the loss of an individual black bear is tragic, the department concluded in the 2004 Final Environmental Documents Regarding Bear Hunting that this activity does not constitute a substantial adverse effect on human beings.
We at Animal Rescue Team Inc. urge you to reject the proposal from the California Department of Fish and Game to expand bear hunting.
Please do not permit bears to be hunted by dogs, especially those with electronic global positioning system (GPS) devices.
There is nothing sporting about shooting a frightened black bear that has climbed a tree to elude barking hounds. This method of “hunting” is cruel, inhumane, barbaric and unethical.
The best decision would be to ban an increase in bear trophy hunts, as well as the use of dogs equipped with GPS devices. On some occasions, hunting dogs have been injured, resulting in death. Certainly, a no-win situation.
Recently Santa Barbara’s tri-county area has suffered near complete devastation of wildlife habitat due to five major wildfires. How does the state Department of Fish and Game justify an increase of selling bear tags from 1,700 to 2,500, and an additional 50 tags for trophy hunts?
Will the DFG also charge registration for each GPS dog used in treeing bears? What current scientific studies does the state DFG have to support an increase in bear tags, the use of GPS-tracking dogs, and trophy hunts?
We at Animal Rescue Team recognize that in many cases hunting is an important tool for wildlife management. Hunting gives resource managers a valuable tool to control populations of some species that might otherwise exceed the carrying capacity of their habitat and threaten the well-being of other wildlife species.
However, we strongly feel the use of electronic equipment (radio-telemetry devices on dogs) for bear hunting gives the hunter an unfair advantage and is, therefore, unethical. Pursuit of bears by dogs results in physiological stresses to bears that impacts individual bears and bear populations.
Please, not in our county.
The author is executive director of Animal Rescue Team Inc.
 Yesterday we received another fawn from City of Santa Barbara Animal Control. She weighs a mere 2.5 pounds and is finally taking the bottle, and doing good.
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