LATEST NEWS & BLOG FROM CWC
2023 Summer Domoic Acid Event – A Challenging Time for Hundreds of California Sea Lions
You may have seen California sea lions in the news recently. Starting in June, we have been experiencing an increase in sick sea lion calls all along the Southern California coast. What has caused this?
August 29, 2023/by protectanimalsLet’s Take This Show on the Road!
All of us here at California Wildlife Center are constantly advocating for native wildlife. Whether it’s on the phone with one of the tens of thousands of calls we receive each year or answering questions from our friends and families about their wildlife encounters, we do our best to support animals through education. One person at a time, we explain why that fledgling bird is okay to leave alone or why those raccoons are hanging out in your yard.
May 9, 2023/by protectanimalsThe Secretive Pacific Harbor Seal
Harbor seals are found in nearly every ocean across the globe. There are even two local sites in Malibu that support year-round populations, and yet our Marine Mammal Rescue Team receives only one or two reports per year about a harbor seal in distress. How can this be? Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are very shy and go to great lengths to keep their distance from humans.
May 9, 2023/by protectanimalsA Mouse Tale
A Southern California Edison biologist brought a rare patient to California Wildlife Center (CWC) this March – a young native Pocket Mouse. This small mammal can be found in chaparral and grasslands from the San Francisco Bay area to Baja California. Brownish gray in color with white bellies, large ears and hind feet, the mouse has a distinctive fur-tipped tail.
May 9, 2023/by protectanimalsFeather Imping
Birds live by their feathers. They need them to keep warm, to stay dry in the rain and most of all, they need them to fly. There’s a rhythm to molts during which old feathers are shed and new ones grow. If a feather breaks or is damaged, the bird is stuck with it until its next molt. When multiple flight feathers are broken, flight may be impossible. For these birds, unable to find food or escape predators in the wild, life is at an end.
May 8, 2023/by protectanimalsHighly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Avian influenza is a disease that has been infecting birds for over 150 years. The first documentation of the virus dates to 1878 in northern Italy, where it was described as a contagious disease affecting poultry. Historically avian influenza has had minimal impact on wild birds, but the most recent strain of the virus has had a detrimental effect on wildlife across the Americas. The disease is effectively 100% fatal for birds, and it has already caused the death of over 53 million wild and domestic animals in the United States alone.
January 30, 2023/by protectanimalsA Tiny Tagged California Sea Lion Kicks Off the 2023 Rehabilitation Season
Each winter CWC prepares for the imminent arrival of young sea lion pups in need of help. In nature, California Sea Lions are born in June, with over half of the births occurring on June 15th. This is because sea lions have synchronized reproduction, where individual animals breed, birth, and wean on the same schedule. Ideally sea lion pups should stay with their mothers until April and wean when they are ten months old.
January 30, 2023/by protectanimalsBackyard Birds
Having a yard is a privilege in the city. If you are fortunate enough to enjoy one at your home, it only takes a few minutes to put down your phone, be very still, and enjoy the nature around you. You may see tiny birds hiding in a bush, a squirrel high up in a tree, a soaring hawk or a gliding crow may pass overhead. Just going outside can bring you closer to nature.
January 30, 2023/by protectanimalsThank you!
As we head into winter and say good-bye to 2022, I’d like to take a moment to thank you for supporting our work. The last two years have been exceptionally difficult for us as well as for many of you. However, 2022 also brought a return to CWC of our valuable volunteers, many of whom were on hiatus during the peak of the pandemic. We have nearly 200 people who give their time to help the animals and donate over 25,000 hours annually.
October 29, 2022/by protectanimalsDomoic Acid
In mid-August, California Wildlife Center rescued a sea lion (Zalophus californianus) that had been spotted frothing at the mouth and stuporous. After capture and during transport, full seizures developed. Just a few days later, another sea lion was rescued – this one was weaving their neck and head in a serpentine motion, alternating with what’s called “stargazing” where the head points upward and back, blindly directed toward the sky.
October 29, 2022/by protectanimals