California Wildlife Center staff and volunteers recently had the unique opportunity to go on a behind-the-scenes tour of the avian and mammal collections department of the Los Angeles Natural History Museum (NHM).
Encountering a young animal in the wild can be an exhilarating experience. Although it is natural to have the initial instinct to intervene in an attempt to protect the animal, stepping in without proper knowledge can do more harm than good.
By Denys Hemen, Hospital Manager
Bewick’s Wren on fly trap
There are dozens of home pest control items available for purchase today at various home improvement retailers. From sprays to traps to zappers, humans have developed many creative ways to keep unwanted insects and rodents out of our homes. It is understandable for people to strive to keep the inside of homes free of unwanted creatures. Unfortunately, when these products move from indoor pest control isles to the outdoor gardening section in retail settings, this becomes a misguided and irresponsible action. Native and beneficial wildlife often become the unintended victims of these products. The worst items to place outdoors are poisons, glue traps, and snap traps.
When poisons are moved outside of the home, the number of non-target species that are affected increases exponentially. Poisoning rats and mice outside may lead to predator species like coyotes, bobcats, and raptors eating these sick and debilitated rodents that are easy to catch. Many health problems may arise, such as raptors losing the clotting ability of their blood and damage to the immune systems of coyotes and bobcats which may lead to severe break outs of mange. Such problems are seen inside of the hospital at CWC many times a year.
Glue traps, including sticky fly traps, used outside of the home draw in even more non-targeted animals. Sticky traps are a double whammy because the target species gets trapped in the goo and predators will go after it, entangling themselves in the sticky mess. The intention of the glue trap is to keep prey in place so that they slowly die of dehydration and starvation. Also, animals may accidentally get stuck while going about their natural ground or arial foraging routines. We have seen all types of animals stuck in these traps. Snakes, ground dwelling birds like towhees and wrens, mockingbirds, warblers, desert cottontails, and many other species have passed through the doors of our exam room with feathers, scales, or fur entangled in a sticky trap.
A very wide variety of domestic and wild animals are harmed by snap traps left outside. A rat snap trap has the potential to cause great injury to a curious cat or dog that may sniff around the bait. Wild animals fare even worse. Just last month we received an American Crow that had its beak shattered by a snap trap as well as a Barn Owl with a trap on its leg. Unfortunately, neither patient survived their injuries. An earlier snap trap victim, a Striped Skunk, was able to be treated and released with 51 days of medical care after getting his foot caught in a rat snap trap.
Coyote pup with mange
By Brittany Moser, Wildlife Technician
One-week-old Mule Deer fawn
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are named for their large mule-like ears that can rotate and move toward sounds like little satellite dishes detecting precise locations of sounds to escape danger. They flee with high jumps, leaping and landing on all four legs. Mule deer are spread across the Western United States and are native to California. They are herbivores, typically consuming 90% of their diet from shrubs, leaves, and occasionally berries and acorns. These herd animals are commonly found in an oak woodland or hillside terrain habitation and are most active around dawn and dusk.
California Wildlife Center is the only facility authorized to care for orphaned, sick, or injured mule deer fawns in Los Angeles County. Fawns are born in late spring through mid-Summer when a female doe gives birth to one or two fawns. They are born covered in spots and scentless in order to remain camouflaged and spend most of their day hiding from predators while their mother is out foraging for food. Fawns typically stay near their mothers and continue to nurse throughout their first year of life. In the Spring, we receive many calls about fawns that are all alone, however, in most cases they don’t need to be rescued as the finder is not aware that the mother is simply grazing nearby, and the fawn is not abandoned.
We currently have six mule deer fawns in our care. One patient from Lompoc was found abandoned near a quarry, stuck in mud and unable to move for two long days. That fawn arrived malnourished, lethargic, and suffering from a respiratory infection. Another fawn was found along a bike path, calling out desperately next to their deceased mother, and a few were found wandering alone.
Four-week-old Mule Deer fawn
When a new fawn arrives, we move them into a quiet warm area to allow time to acclimate from the stress of transport before performing a thorough exam. During the exam we keep their eyes covered to minimize stress since they are susceptible to capture myopathy and may easily die from stress. During their first two days, we provide supplemental fluids and colostrum. Colostrum is the doe’s first milk – high in protein, nutrient dense and full of antibodies that help protect the fawn from contracting disease during their first week of life. They are also initially given goat milk, as it closely resembles their natural milk composition. New fawns are quarantined in a separate area for at least one week while we run fecal exams and treat any illnesses or injuries before combining with our other fawns in order to prevent the spread of disease.
We limit human interaction while working with the deer by wearing camouflage hooded ponchos and observing them using installed cameras throughout their enclosure. The restricted contact is important when raising young fawns to cultivate their wild instincts and natural fear of humans. New fawns are bottle fed and quickly learn to drink off a bottle rack. This decreases human contact during feeding and prevents an association with food and people.
Once rack trained, they are moved to a larger outdoor enclosed area with other fawns where we provide fresh foliage, a specialized dry diet, and water. We use secret latch doors and chutes while feeding the fawns in order to limit interaction with them.
The Lompoc fawn has fully recovered and currently in this enclosure with other fawns happily prancing around snacking on rose petals and grape leaves, their favorite! When the fawns are old enough, we will open a gate that leads to an outdoor enclosure that resembles their natural habitat. Mule deer fawns are released on site in the beautiful Santa Monica mountains. We supply them with fresh food and water for a period of time while they acclimate to their new wild life.
By Jenn Guess, Development Manager
Photo by Cambria Wells
2021 was quite a year here at California Wildlife Center (CWC). This past year we had 4,013 animals come to our facility. Our Wildlife Technicians are directly responsible for the care of our patients and every patient that came through our doors was assessed by the technicians in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Animals were carefully examined to determine the best course of action for rehabilitation. Sometimes it was as simple as providing fluids and moving the patient to our Orphan Care Unit for supportive care. For adult animals, it was often more complex.
Our ICU technicians didn’t stop after the initial intake exam. They were responsible for the daily care and rehabilitation of thousands of patients during 2021. This was a huge undertaking, especially considering that we continued to operate with minimal help due to the persistence of Covid-19. Our technicians provided extensive wound care, splinted fractures, and administered a complex array of medications to treat infections, reduce swelling, and provide pain management.
Photo by Brittany Moser
Coronavirus did not slow down the influx of new animals showing up each day. Our busiest day was May 31st, where ICU technicians received 42 new patients in one day. The second busiest day was April 26th, with 40 new patients. We always know that Spring and early Summer are the most hectic months there at CWC. From April through June we admitted 1,771 patients, 44% of all animals received for care in 2021. Overall, we saw an increase in the number of patients from 2020. We admitted over 200 more patients in 2021, compared to the previous year. Since opening our doors in 1998, the need for care has increased steadily every year except 2020 (likely due to the arrival of Covid).
Photo by Jenn Guess
Technicians saw a variety of animals this past year, with 160 different species making their way through our doors. The five most common patients that the ICU technicians examined were, in decreasing order, Eastern Fox Squirrels, Mourning Doves, House Finches, Mallards, and American Crows. Some of the more uncommon species were a Red-breasted Sapsucker, Lesser Scaup, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Western Pond Turtle, and an American White Pelican.
Now that it’s Winter, the ICU technicians are eagerly preparing for the next busy season. In addition to an endless list of smaller tasks, they are deep cleaning the ICU kitchen, repairing enclosures, and reorganizing supplies, all while continuing to perform daily intake exams and care for existing patients on site. It’s a job that is never done, and CWC is very fortunate to have a staff of dedicated technicians who are up for the challenge.
By Cori Carlson, Administrative Coordinator
Release back to the wild
Photo by Spencer Orloff, finder
A California State Park employee brought a female adult Western Pond Turtle to the California Wildlife Center in late June of this year. Her top and bottom shells were cracked, chunks of shell were missing, and she showed signs of an infection. The ranger found the turtle in the road with injuries consistent with a sudden impact trauma, such as being hit by a car. This was CWC’s first turtle patient of the year.
Western Pond Turtles are California’s only native freshwater turtle. The adults grow up to 6 to 8 inches in length, but the baby turtle is only about the size of a quarter. Ranging from the Puget Sound in Washington to Baja California in ponds, streams, lakes and wetlands, these medium-sized turtles have a brown or black upper shell with light specks of color. Their lower shell typically is black and yellow. They often are spotted near water, but they also need places to bask in the sun. Sometimes, the turtles stack themselves on top of one another to keep warm.
After the turtle’s injuries were cleaned and the damaged tissue and non-vital parts of the shell removed, our veterinarian prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and antibiotics to help the infected area heal.
CWC always works hard to provide our patients with an environment that closely resembles their home. In this case, our technicians set up a turtle pond outside our intensive care unit. Each day the turtle was taken out to her pond and each evening she would return to her enclosure furnished with heat lamp in the ICU. Her outdoor retreat was especially important because this species of turtle only eats underwater. They are omnivores, eating insects, fish, tadpoles, frogs, algae, lily pads, tule and cattail roots.
While birds, fish and bullfrogs are the main predators of Western Pond Turtles, they also face other threats such as habitat destruction, disease, fire, flooding, and droughts. The loss of only a few adults can have a significant impact on the population, because the female turtles do not reach maturity until close to 10 years of age.
Over time, new, healthy tissue grew repairing the damage to the shells and allowing the turtle to return to the wild 22 days after being admitted. The same California State Park employee released the turtle back into the Santa Monica Mountains to bask in the sun, safely away from the roads.
California Ground squirrel orphan in care
Photo by Jennifer Brent
The infant squirrels are initially fed a specialized formula using a syringe. When they graduate to eating solid food, they receive a variety of vegetables, fruits and nuts similar to their diet in the wild. At CWC their main diet includes lettuce, zucchini and monkey biscuits (a crunchy bite chock-full of protein and vitamins). They also receive sunflower seeds, nuts, occasionally pieces of corn on the cob and fruit.
Some of the predators of the California Ground Squirrel include raptors, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, gopher snakes and rattlesnakes. While the adult ground squirrels are resistant to rattlesnake venom, the young ones are not. Snakes will sometimes enter burrows at night while they are sleeping. The female squirrels are very protective of their young. The clever squirrels have figured out that if they chew on rattlesnake skin and lick their bodies and the bodies of their young, they will smell like snakes and make it difficult for the snakes to find them.
As their name implies, California Ground Squirrels live in burrows they dig in the ground that can range from 5 feet to 35 feet long. Sometimes these squirrels live alone, while other burrows house multiple squirrels and their babies. Our technicians provide the squirrels with make-shift burrows to sleep in using a tissue box or plastic igloo. Each group at CWC is made up of 4-6 squirrels. These groups remain together until they are old enough to return to the wild.
Dr. Guthrum Purdin, Veterinatian
Desert Cottontail Release, Photo by Brittany Moser
Late in January, a Desert Cottontail Rabbit was found with his head stuck under a fence and brought to a local vet clinic. The doctors there gave him some IV fluids and he was quickly transferred to our wildlife hospital’s ICU. When the Cottontail first arrived at CWC, he was highly stressed and disoriented with a swollen face. There was also a small wound behind the left ear. Initially looking very ill, the Rabbit was given oxygen and moved to a warm incubator until stable enough for a thorough exam.
Rabbits have very sensitive, fragile skin and getting trapped like this can be very damaging. The pressure directly injures skin and muscle cells, but even worse, it restricts blood flow which can lead to a spreading necrosis or death of the surrounding tissue. It may take several days for the full extent of the injury to develop. Antibiotics, pain control, and anti-inflammatory medication were started, the wound was cleaned and dressed. By this time, he was standing and looking much brighter. The Cottontail was set up in a comfortable warm enclosure for the night and we settled in to wait and see how the injury would progress.
By the next morning, his appetite was great. He was up and alert, and actively trying to run away from his caregivers—just like a Rabbit is supposed to. As the days passed, and as feared, the injury behind the ear got larger and two big new wounds developed on the middle of the head and the back of the neck. The original wound was especially deep, and there was concern the Rabbit might lose his ear. During surgery, the dead tissue was all removed and afterwards, pain control meds increased.
Fortunately, rabbit skin, while fragile, heals incredibly fast. The wounds were cleaned and disinfected at first daily, then every other day, then once every three days. The Cottontail was scarfing up his food, scampering away when people checked on him, and generally looking like everything was normal, despite the severity of his injuries. It took less than four weeks for this rabbit to go from looking like he was at death’s door to being fully recovered and able to be released. Amazing! If you find yourself in Woodland Hills and see a Desert Cottontail Rabbit out nibbling grass in a field, it might be this very one. Good luck, little bunny…and stay clear of fences!
By Cori Carlson, Administrative Assistant
Two Western Fence Lizards, Photo by Heather Patrice Brown
In Spring, we all expect to see lots of baby squirrels and baby birds. But here in Southern California, as the weather warms up, we also start seeing more activity from our local lizards. One of the most common species found in the Santa Monica Mountains is the Western Fence Lizard, appropriately named because they are often spotted running along fences. California Wildlife Center (CWC) admitted seven of these small reptiles last year. The majority of these patients were injured by a house cat or wild predators. In the past, we have also admitted lizards who were unintended victims of glue traps. While these lizards are being rehabilitated at CWC, our technicians provide a diet of mealworms, flies, fruit flies and crickets similar to what they eat in the wild.
Growing up to 8.4 inches in length, Western Fence Lizards are covered with gray, tan and brown scales. This camouflage, though, hides a secret which earned them the nickname “blue-bellies.” Adult males have bright blue patches on their stomach and neck which makes them stand out to females and helps attract mates. You will often see male Western Fence Lizards doing push-ups to show off their handsome colors and warn away other males during mating season.
Cold-blooded, these lizards regulate their body temperature by moving in and out of the sun. This is why we see them out during the day often sunning themselves on paths, rocks, and fences. Unfortunately sunbathing also can make them an easy target. An encounter with a domestic pet or natural predator can result in lacerations or puncture wounds. To help protect themselves from these injuries, the small lizards have fast reflexes (maybe because all of those push-ups) and are able to drop their tail to escape predators and regrow it within 3-5 weeks.
Western Fence Lizards are more than just good food for our local predators; they are directly beneficial to humans by lowering the occurrence of Lyme Disease. When infected ticks feed on these reptiles, a protein in their blood kills the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, cleansing the tick of the disease-causing microbes.
CWC has already received our first two Western Fence Lizards of the year. As we head into one of our busiest seasons, we are ready to admit many more. To keep our reptile friends healthy (and out there contributing to the health of humans), keep cats inside and consider alternatives to pesticides or glue traps in your garden.
By Jennifer Guess, Senior Wildlife Technician Supervisor
A Gopher Snake who had been caught in netting being tube fed
Photo by Heather Patrice Brown
On an average year California Wildlife Center sees up to 150 different species come through our doors. Although most patients are avian and mammalian, we also see a fair share of reptiles. Over the years CWC has admitted eight different species of snakes alone.
Snakes come to CWC for a variety of reasons. Some are caught in garden netting. This usually causes constriction wounds, lacerations, swelling, abrasions, and in the worst cases, death. Others are caught in glue traps, which can cause emaciation, dehydration, and abrasions (and death, unless we remove them). Glue trap snakes usually have a good prognosis if brought to CWC early enough. Some snakes are hit by cars, which can cause severe trauma to various parts of the face/body, and most of the time are fatal. Unfortunately, we also see snakes that have been intentionally harmed by the public, usually out of misplaced fear.
Snakes in the Southern California area do not eat anything bigger than a ground squirrel. Because of this, snakes would rather retreat from confrontation but will become defensive if threatened. The vast majority of snake bites in humans occur because a person tries to capture or kill a snake. When left alone snakes present little to no danger to people.
Snakes are a very important part of the ecosystem. They are both predator and prey. Snakes help keep rodent populations in check. Without predators, rodent populations (and the diseases they can carry) quickly get out of control. Snakes are also an important food source for many large raptors, some mammals, and even other snakes. In fact, the California Kingsnake has a natural immunity to rattlesnake venom, and they are known to kill and eat rattlesnakes.
A San Diego Night Snake caught in glue trap
Photo by Jenn Guess
Knowing a little bit about snake habits and habitats can help everyone coexist peacefully. Snakes tend to hibernate in dens over winter. They will venture out in spring when the daytime temperatures reach about 60 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. In the early spring snakes will be active at any time of the day. Snakes do not like temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, so during the summer snakes will come out in the cooler hours of dawn and dusk, and sometimes at night.
The same Night Snake after being removed from the glue trap
Photo by Jenn Guess
Snakes like to wait out the hot hours of the day by finding cool, dark places to hide. Piles of cinder blocks, plastics, wood, branch clippings, overgrown vegetation, etc. provide the perfect shelter for snakes. Keeping your yard free of clutter and debris will help deter them from staying on your property. Piles of debris also attract rodents. If you have a rodent population around your house, then you will also attract snakes. Never use poison to try to control rodent populations. Poisons may kill some rodents, but it unfortunately kills off the predators that keep rodent populations under control.
Since snakes are a natural part of the Southern California ecosystem, there is a chance that you will cross paths with one. If you see a snake slithering through your property, bring pets inside and leave the area for an hour. There is a good possibility that the snake is just passing through. Always be careful when lifting up objects that are left outside unattended. Although the vast majority of snake species in Southern California are harmless, it is always better to err on the side of caution when dealing with snakes. Give them a wide berth, and they will do the same for you.