[Town Hall Meeting on January 30, 2025.]
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MY NAME IS TAMMY WASHINGTON AND I AM THE MANAGER OF CODE ENFORCEMENT AND ANIMAL CONTROL.
AND I WANT TO JUST WELCOME YOU ALL, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT TO LISTEN TO OUR WILDLIFE PRESENTATION FACILITATED BY OUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS, MICHELLE ALDO AND NOAH CHERRY.
AND I WANNA JUST TELL THEM, UM, THAT I REALLY, UH, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK, YOUR DEDICATION, AND YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT YOU CARE ABOUT OUR CITIZENS AND, AND THE ANIMALS, YOU KNOW, DOING YOUR JOB, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY, VERY PROFESSIONALLY MAKING US PROUD.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, I WON'T, I WON'T STAY BEFORE YOU LONG.
I'M GONNA GIVE THE MIC TO MICHELLE, UH, AND I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY.
MY NAME IS MICHELLE ROMANO IVANEZ.
I'M ONE OF OUR TWO FULL-TIME, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS HERE, ALONG WITH MR. NOAH CHERRY.
HE'S GONNA BE HELPING ME ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE.
UH, I'M NOT VERY SPECIALIZED IN THAT, BUT I AM GOOD AT PUBLIC SPEAKING.
SO FIRST OFF, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET GOING WITH OUR PRESENTATION FOR TONIGHT.
UM, WHO WE ARE, OUR SLOGAN, CARE CON CONTROL, COMMUNITY, AND COMPASSION.
UM, THIS IS OUR NEW MISSION STATEMENT IS TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND BALANCE THE WELFARE OF THE ANIMAL POPULATION.
WE STRIVE TO EDUCATE OUR CITIZENS AND PROMOTE RESPONSIBLE ANIMAL OWNERSHIP THROUGH COMPASSIONATE CARE AND EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF CITY ORDINANCE AND STATE LAW.
THERE'S ONLY TWO FULL-TIME, UH, ACOS RIGHT NOW, BUT WE DO HOPE TO FILL THAT PART, PART-TIME, A CO POSITION SOON.
WHAT WE DO, WE HELP INJURED ANIMALS, SICK ANIMALS, UM, THOSE THAT ARE STRAYS AS WELL.
AGGRESSIVE OR DANGEROUS ANIMALS, UM, DECEASED ANIMALS.
WE ALSO HELP CITIZENS WITH WILDLIFE, WHETHER SICK, INJURED NUISANCE, UM, OR JUST QUESTIONS, CONCERNS.
UH, BASICALLY JUST EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THOSE ISSUES.
UM, WE ALSO DO HELP OUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH CRUELTY CASES, BLOOD SPORT INVESTIGATIONS, UM, AND WE DO HELP WITH TNR SERVICES, WHICH ARE A TRAP NEUTER RELEASE, OR A TRAP SPA RELEASE.
AND THAT'S MOSTLY FOR OUR COMMUNITY CATS.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE DO ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
OUR SPEAKERS TONIGHT, UH, FOR PROJECT COYOTE, IT'S GONNA ACTUALLY BE MR. ROBERTO SALCEDO.
HIS WIFE, MS. KAREN, UNFORTUNATELY, IS NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE IT.
UM, AND THEY ARE PART OF THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION BASED OUTTA CALIFORNIA.
UM, IT'S A COALITION OF SCIENTISTS, EDUCATORS, RANCHERS, CITIZEN LEADERS, PROMOTING COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATION AND COEXISTENCE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR MAJOR MISSIONS HERE IN DESOTO.
UM, WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE, UH, TEXAS PARK AND WILDLIFE, MS. RACHEL RICHTER MANAGER.
UH, SHE HELPS TO MANAGE AND CONSERVE THE NAT NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES OF TEXAS AND TO PROVIDE HUNTING, FISHING, AND OUTDOOR RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE YOUTH AND ENJOYMENT OF PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
UM, WE'D ALSO LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TONIGHT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, A VERY SPECIAL GROUP.
UM, SOMEONE DEAR TO OUR HEARTS, THE FRIENDS OF THE TRI-CITY ANIMAL SHELTER, LET ME JUST GO AHEAD AND GIVE, UH, A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT THEM.
UM, THEY ARE THE FRIENDS OF THE TRI-CITY ANIMAL SHELTER, A, AN INDEPENDENT 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO PARTNER WITH THE TRI-CITY ANIMAL SHELTER TO IMPROVE THE WELFARE OF HOMELESS, NEGLECTED, AND LOST ANIMALS, MANY A TIME THEY HAVE STEPPED UP TO HELP AND TO FILL IN GAPS WHEN THERE HAVE BEEN A LACK OF RESOURCES FOR PETS HERE IN THE TRI-CITY AREA.
SOME EXAMPLES OF THE ESSENTIAL WORK THAT THEY HAVE HELPED TO PROVIDE THROUGH PRICELESS DONATIONS OR LIFESAVING SURGERIES, HEARTWORM TREATMENTS, AND THE FERAL CAT TNR PROGRAMS. SINCE 2015 ALONE, THEY HAVE SPONSORED OVER 17,000 SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES FOR BOTH CATS AND DOGS, UH, HELPING TO REDUCE OUR HOMELESS PET POPULATION IN THE AREA.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE A FEW OF THEIR PAST PROJECTS, WHICH INCLUDE A HALF MILLION DOLLAR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO CONSTRUCT A LIFE SAVING AND LEARNING SENSOR, WHICH OPENED ON THE TRI-CITY ANIMAL SHELTER CAMPUS IN 2021.
AND IN 2022, THEY ALSO HELPED TO RAISE AN ADDITIONAL $50,000 TO INSTALL STATE-OF-THE-ART DIGITAL X-RAY MACHINE AT THE SHELTER, WHICH HELPS OUR PETS EVERY DAY.
THEIR MOST RECENT PROJECT TO HELP WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF MUCH NEEDED EXERCISE YARD FOR DOGS AT THE SHELTER IS CURRENTLY ONGOING WITH A FUNDRAISING GOAL OF $92,000.
UM, IT'S BEEN PROVEN THAT X EXERCISE IN DOGS LEADS TO LESS STRESS, WHICH EQUALS INCREASED ADOPTIONS WITH FEWER BAD OUTCOMES FOR OUR RESIDENT PET POPULATION.
WE'RE ESPECIALLY EAGER TO RECOGNIZE THE FRIENDS OF THE TRI-CITY ANIMAL SHELTER FOR THEIR GENEROUS
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DONATION TO THE DESOTO ANIMAL CONTROL FOR BADLY NEEDED SUPPLIES TO HELP PROMOTE OFFICER SAFETY AND MORE HUMANE HANDLING OF STRESSED AND FEARFUL ANIMALS BEING IMPOUNDED IN THE COMMUNITY.ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF DESOTO ANIMAL CONTROL, I HEREBY PRESENT THIS CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION TO THE FRIENDS OF THE TRI-CITY ANIMAL SHELTER PRESIDENT, MS. MARY WHITE, IF SHE WILL JOIN ME HERE AT THE PODIUM.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD WITH THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA AND WELCOME MS. RA RACHEL RICHTER FROM TEXAS PARK AND WILDLIFE TO PRESENT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
UM, OH, I NEED TO OPEN UP I MUCH MORE INTERESTING WHEN THERE'S PICTURES
UM, SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT IT UNTIL YOU EXPERIENCE IT, UM, FIRSTHAND.
UM, AND THEN ONCE YOU DO, YOU DEFINITELY KNOW ABOUT IT.
UM, AND SO WE'RE HERE, I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO TALK ABOUT NUISANCE IES.
UM, AND SO IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE, WE'LL KINDA START WITH THE BASICS.
SO A ROOKERY IS A GROUP OF COLONIAL NESTING BIRDS.
IN THIS CASE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EGRETS AND HERONS.
UM, AND THEY TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA NEST IN OR NEST OR ROOST IN TREES.
UM, AND A ROOKERY CAN VARY INCISED FROM JUST LIKE A FEW BREEDING PEARS TO LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF BIRDS.
AND THE BIRDS TYPICALLY PREFER LARGE MATURE TREES WITH A DENSE CANOPY COVER.
UM, THEY REALLY LIKE THAT DS CANOPY COVER, AND TREES THAT HAVE OVERLAPPING BRANCHES BECAUSE THOSE OVERLAPPING BRANCHES HELP THEM MOVE FROM TREE TO TREE.
UM, AND THE DS CANOPY COVER IT KIND OF JUST HELPS THEM FEEL SHELTERED AND PROTECTED FROM LIKE WIND AND PREDATORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, A LOT OF THESE BIRDS ARE WATER BIRDS, BUT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO PUT THEIR RICKY NEAR WATER.
UM, 'CAUSE THEY CAN FLY AND IT'S USUALLY NOT TOO BIG OF A BARRIER TO FIND WATER NEARBY.
NOW THESE BIRDS EXHIBIT WHAT WE CALL SITE FIDELITY, WHICH MEANS THEY TEND TO RETURN TO THE SAME LOCATION YEAR AFTER YEAR.
SO IF BIRDS COME ONE YEAR, YOU'RE LIKELY TO SEE THEM COME BACK THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, R CAN, THE, THE LIFESPAN OF A ROOKERY AS A NESTING SITE COULD BE POTENTIALLY JUST A FEW YEARS, OR IT COULD BE DECADES.
IT DEPENDS ON THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE AT THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION.
SO, NESTING SEASON, UM, OUR, THE EARLIEST BIRDS WILL START TO ARRIVE IS IN LIKE LATE MID TO LATE FEBRUARY.
SO COMING UP IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS HERE, AND THEN THEY COULD BE THERE AS LATE AS OCTOBER.
BUT REALLY MOST OF THE NESTING ACTIVITIES WITH, UM, HATCHLINGS THAT ARE DEPENDENT ON THEIR PARENTS WILL PROBABLY BE WRAPPING UP BY SEPTEMBER.
SO YOU TEND TO HAVE, UM, MULTIPLE SPECIES IN A ROOKERY, AND THEY WILL ARRIVE AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND START LAYING EGGS DEPENDING ON WHAT SPECIES IT IS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE THAT SHOW UP IN FEBRUARY ARE GOING TO LAY EGGS MUCH SOONER THAN THE ONES WHO DON'T SHOW UP UNTIL LIKE APRIL OR MAY.
ALSO, SOME SPECIES, IF THEY LOSE THEIR EGGS, THEIR FIRST ROUND OF NESTING, IF THAT HAPPENS EARLY ENOUGH IN THE SEASON, THEY WILL LAY EGGS AGAIN.
SO IN A ERY, YOU HAVE MULTIPLE NESTS AT VARYING STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, YOU MAY HAVE SOME THAT
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ARE ALMOST INDEPENDENT FROM THEIR PARENTS, AND YOU MAY HAVE SOME THAT HAVEN'T EVEN HATCHED YET.UM, AND THIS HABIT OF THEIRS, THE, THE REASON FOR A ROOKERY IS IT'S A SURVIVAL STRATEGY.
IT'S, UH, SOMETHING CALLED, YOU KNOW, LIKE PREDATOR SWAMPING, BASICALLY.
UM, IF WE ALL GET TOGETHER AND WE ALL HAVE OUR BABIES AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE SAFETY IN NUMBERS.
ALL OF THE PREDATORS CAN'T POSSIBLY EAT ALL OF US.
AND WE'RE SCARY, RIGHT? WE'RE SCARIER IN NUMBERS AND IT'S A REALLY COOL KIND OF NATURAL PHENOMENON UNLESS IT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR YARD.
UM, BECAUSE IF IT IS IN YOUR YARD, WHAT YOU, YOU KNOW, WHO HAS EVER BEEN IN LIKE THE WALMART PARKING LOT WHEN THERE'S JUST THOUSANDS OF GRACKLES, IT'S NOT A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE, RIGHT? AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU PICTURE THAT WITH BIGGER BIRDS AND THEN AT HOME, AND SO IT'S NOISY, THERE'S POOP EVERYWHERE.
UM, IT SMELLS, THERE'S REGURGITATED PREY ITEMS, THERE'S INJURED BIRDS, THERE'S DEAD BIRDS ON THE GROUND.
UM, HERE'S JUST SOME OTHER PICTURES.
YOU GOT BIRCH THAT JUST KIND OF HANG OUT ON THE GROUND FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON, UM, OR IN THE ROAD, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO THESE ARE THE SPECIES THAT ARE THE MOST COMMON IN, UM, NUISANCE WORKIES IN THE DALLAS FORT WORTH AREA.
SO THESE TWO RIGHT HERE, THE BLACK CROWN KNIGHT HERON, AND THE YELLOW CROWN KNIGHT HERON, THESE ARE THE SPECIES THAT CAN SHOW UP IN FEBRUARY.
SO THESE ARE TYPICALLY GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONES TO ARRIVE.
AND THEY USUALLY DON'T HAVE VERY BIG NUMBERS.
SO THESE ARE NOT REALLY LIKE THE ONES THAT ARE CAUSING, THEY'RE, THESE ARE NOT THE BIRDS THAT ARE KIND OF CAUSING A RUCKUS, RIGHT? UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE IN SUPER BIG NUMBERS.
AND USUALLY PEOPLE DON'T REALLY NOTICE THEM.
OR IF THEY DO, THEY THINK, WOW, THAT'S A REALLY COOL BIRD THAT'S NESTING IN MY TREE, YOU KNOW? UM, AND IT'S NOT UNTIL LATER IN THE SEASON THAT THEY REALIZE THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE A PROBLEM.
UM, THEN THERE'S ALSO SEVERAL EGRET SPECIES.
SO WE HAVE THE GREAT EGRET AND THE SNOWY EGRET, AND THEN THIS GUY, WHICH IS THE LITTLE BLUE HERON.
AND THEN THE SPECIES THAT IS TYPICALLY THE MOST ABUNDANT IN OUR NUISANCE MERCURY IS THE CATTLE EGRET.
AND THE CATTLE EGRETS TYPICALLY ARRIVE IN LIKE APRIL OR MAY.
AND LIKE I SAID, THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE IN THE BIGGEST NUMBERS AND THEY ARRIVE LATER.
SO A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT THE RRY IS A PROBLEM UNTIL LIKE MAY OR JUNE WHEN THE CATTLE EGRET SHOW UP IN FULL FORCE.
UM, IT'S ALSO TYPICAL, UM, TO SEE IES THEY CAN, SOMETIMES THEY CAN INCREASE IN SIZE OVER TIME BECAUSE LIKE I MENTIONED, THEY HAVE THAT SITE FIDELITY.
SO THE BABIES WILL WANNA COME BACK AND LAY THEIR EGGS WHERE THEY WERE BORN.
AND SO SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH COMMUNITIES WHO SAY, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A FEW PAIRS OF BIRDS NESTING HERE, BUT IT WAS NEVER A PROBLEM.
AND THEN FOR WHATEVER REASON, IT SEEMS LIKE ONE YEAR WORD GETS OUT ABOUT THIS COOL SPOT AND ALL THE BIRDS WANNA GO HANG OUT THERE.
SO, UM, MOST OF YOU KNOW, IF UM, YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT AND YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH WORKERY AT ALL, YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT THESE BIRDS ARE LEGALLY PROTECTED AT BOTH THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE LEVEL.
AND SO THE LAW IN PLACE IS THE MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT, WHICH IS REALLY, IT'S ONE OF OUR OLDEST AND STRONGEST WILDLIFE PROTECTION LAWS.
AND THE WHAT LED TO THIS LAW BEING PUT INTO PLACE WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, LATE 18 HUNDREDS, EARLY 19 HUNDREDS, THERE WAS MASSIVE UNREGULATED HARVEST OF BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE.
UM, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL SPECIES OF BIRDS THAT WERE ALMOST DRIVEN TO EXTINCTION BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND NOT JUST FOR HUNTING PURPOSES, BUT ALSO AS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FASHION STATEMENTS.
LIKE IT WAS VERY IN VOGUE TO HAVE A DEAD BIRD ON YOUR HAT, UM, OR FEATHERS LIKE PLUMES FROM BIRDS.
AND IN FACT, UM, THE SNOWY EGRET WAS ONE OF THE BIRDS THAT WAS ALMOST DRIVEN TO EXTINCTION BECAUSE OF OVER HARVEST, BECAUSE OF WOMEN'S
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FASHION TRENDS AT THE TIME.UM, ANYWAY, HUNTERS AND ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, CONSERVATION-MINDED FOLK NOTICED WHAT WAS HAPPENING, SERIES OF EVENTS THAT LED TO THE PASSAGE OF THIS ACT AND ALSO THE CREATION OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETY.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE KEY WORDS IN THIS IS THE WORD TREATY.
SO MULTIPLE COUNTRIES ACTUALLY SIGN ON TO THIS LAW.
UM, SO US, CANADA, MEXICO, RUSSIA, AND JAPAN ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT, WHICH MEANS ANY MAJOR CHANGES TO THIS LAW, ALL OF THOSE COUNTRIES HAVE TO BE IN AGREEMENT TO IT.
UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT MEANS IS IT'S ILLEGAL TO HARM, KILL, INJURE, UM, HARASS, UM, NATIVE BIRD SPECIES AND ANYTHING THAT MIGHT RESULT IN THE LOSS OF, UM, DEATH OR ABANDONMENT OF EGGS OR HATCHLINGS.
SO, UM, IT ALSO MAKES IT ILLEGAL TO POSSESS EGGS, FEATHERS, OR NESTS, UM, BECAUSE THAT GOES BACK TO THAT TREND OF PEOPLE WERE GETTING THEM FOR THE FEATHERS.
SO YOU CAN'T COLLECT THAT WAS TO PUT A SO TO PEOPLE COLLECTING FEATHERS AND EGGS AND SELLING THEM.
UM, ANYWAY, VIOLATIONS OF THE MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT CAN RESULT IN FINES IN JAIL TIMES AND TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE.
SO AT THE STATE LEVEL, THERE IS ALSO A SIMILAR CODE, UM, CHAPTER 64 OF THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE CODE THAT PROVIDES SIMILAR PROTECTIONS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
SO WE HAVE BIRDS WHERE WE DON'T WANT THEM.
WE HAVE LAWS THAT PROTECT THE BIRDS.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO? SO IT IS ILLEGAL TO KILL OR INJURE THE BIRDS OR TO DO ANYTHING THAT MIGHT RESULT IN DEATH OR ABANDONMENT OF EGGS AND HATCHLINGS.
UM, HOWEVER IT IS LEGAL TO USE SCARE TACTICS AS LONG AS NO NESTS IN THAT ROOKERY ARE ACTIVE.
AND SO WHAT I MEAN BY ACTIVE IS THERE ARE VIABLE EGGS OR HATCHLINGS IN THAT NEST BECAUSE IF YOU USE SCARE TACTICS WHILE THERE ARE EGGS, THEN YOU COULD RESULT IN, YOU COULD CAUSE THE ABANDONMENT AND DEATH OF THE EGGS OR HATCHLINGS.
SO WHAT THIS MEANS IS THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, BUT ONCE THAT FIRST EGG IS LAID IN ANY NEST IN THAT RICKY, ALL HARASSMENT TECHNIQUES HAVE TO STOP.
SO ONE THING THAT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE, YOUR ROUTINE NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVITIES THAT YOU WERE DOING REGULARLY CAN GO ON.
YOU KNOW, TRASH CAN BE COLLECTED, YOU CAN MOW YOUR YARD, YOU CAN PRESSURE SPRAY YOUR SIDEWALK, UM, YOU CAN DRIVE DOWN THE STREET.
LIKE ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE HAPPENING WHEN THE BIRDS SELECTED THIS SITE.
SO WE DO NOT CONSIDER IT TO BE A SIGNIFICANT DISTURBANCE.
NOW YOU CAN'T SAY, WELL, I WAS GONNA CUT DOWN THIS TREE ANYWAY,
UM, IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S CLEARLY SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO RESULT IN THE DEATH OF THE BIRDS, THEN YOU CAN'T DO IT.
YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T CUT DOWN THE TREE JUST BECAUSE YOU WANNA SAY YOU FELT LIKE IT.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD OBVIOUSLY RESULT IN TAKE.
UM, AT THE END OF THE NESTING SEASON, YOU CAN GO IN AND YOU CAN DISPOSE OF HATCHLINGS, YOU KNOW, DEAD HATCHLINGS AND NESTS.
UM, AND YOU WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE THAT OLD NESTING MATERIAL CAN BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SIGNALS FOR BIRDS TO COME BACK IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN UM, WE TALK ABOUT THIS, PEOPLE WANNA KNOW, SURELY THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME SORT OF EXCEPTION.
AND THERE IS A FEDERAL DEPREDATION PERMIT THAT IS ISSUED BY, UM, THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE MIGRATORY BIRD OFFICE, UM, LOCATED IN ALBUQUERQUE.
UM, AND THIS, BUT THE KEY WITH THIS IS IT WILL ONLY AUTHORIZE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TAKE.
SO THIS IS NOT LIKE A MAGIC WAND THAT'S GONNA BE LIKE, AND NOW WE CAN GET RID OF ALL THE BIRDS, UM, OR GET RID OF ALL OF THE NEST BECAUSE TYPICALLY THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO ISSUE THAT PERMIT FOR MAYBE 10% OF THE ROOKERY.
AND THAT IS GOING TO INCLUDE ADULTS AND EGGS AND BABIES, RIGHT? SO
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IF YOU HAVE 500 BIRDS, IS REMOVING 50 BIRDS AND EGGS REALLY GONNA SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM? NO, BUT WE DO RECOMMEND THAT CITIES, UM, PURSUE GETTING THIS PERMIT BECAUSE IT CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY IN HOW YOU MANAGE IT, EVEN THOUGH THE GOAL IS NOT GONNA BE TO REMOVE ALL OF THE BIRDS FROM THE ROOKERY.SO WITH, UM, ROOKERY, IT REALLY IS ALL ABOUT EARLY DETECTION BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO, BUT ONCE THAT FIRST EGG HAS BEEN LAID, YOU'RE EXTREMELY LIMITED UNTIL THE HATCHLINGS HAVE FLEDGED AND ARE OFF ON THEIR OWN.
SO DETERRENT REALLY SHOULD FOCUS ON THE SENTRY BIRDS, OR LIKE THE SCOUT BIRDS, THE BIRDS THAT KIND OF SHOW UP FIRST WHEN THEY FIRST ARRIVE, THEY'RE GONNA BE MORE NERVOUS.
THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE THAT SAFETY IN NUMBERS.
THEY ALSO PROBABLY HAVEN'T BUILT A NEST YET, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THEY'RE EASIER TO SHOE OFF, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT A HOTEL ROOM, RIGHT? LIKE IF YOU NOTICE THAT THE BATHTUB IS A LITTLE BIT DIRTY WHEN YOU FIRST WALK IN, YOU'RE GONNA BE LIKE, I'M TAKING MY STUFF AND I'M GETTING A NEW ROOM.
IF YOU NOTICE IT RIGHT BEFORE YOU'RE ABOUT TO GO TO SLEEP, YOU MAY THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT HARDER DEPENDING ON HOW DIRTY THAT BATHTUB IS.
UM, SO AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO ASK BEFORE EGGS ARE LAID.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT ASPECT OF IT, BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A TIME SENSITIVE THING AND WHEN WE CAN TAKE ACTION, THAT'S WHY PUBLIC EDUCATION IS SO IMPORTANT.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT.
UM, BECAUSE MOST OF THE CITIES THAT I WORK WITH THAT HAVE THIS ISSUE DO NOT KNOW IT IS A PROBLEM UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT FOR THAT SEASON.
UM, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, PEOPLE SEE BIRDS AND AT FIRST IT MIGHT NOT REALLY BE A PROBLEM, RIGHT? AND THEN THOSE BIRDS THAT ARE THERE EARLY IN THE SEASON LAY THEIR EGGS AND THEN BY THE TIME PEOPLE ARE LIKE, WHOA, THERE'S 200 BIRDS IN MY YARD, THEN IT'S A PROBLEM.
BUT THOSE BIRDS HAVE ALREADY LAID THEIR EGGS, SO YOU CAN'T, UM, DO MUCH.
SO HAVING KIND OF A PLAN IN PLACE AT THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL IS REALLY HELPFUL JUST TO KIND OF KNOW, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE DEALT WITH THIS ISSUE IN DESOTO BEFORE.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM AND WORKING TO DEVELOP A PLAN ON HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE.
UM, AND SO HAVING THAT PLAN IN PLACE, HAVING A RESPONSE PLAN IN PLACE IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO WHAT ARE THE SCARE TACTICS WE CAN DO? SO THERE'S BASICALLY, THERE'S NOISE TO TURN.
SO ANYTHING THAT MAKES A LOUD, SCARY KIND OF UNPLEASANT NOISE.
SO, UM, YOU CAN DO THINGS LIKE AIR HORNS, YOU CAN DO FIRECRACKERS, YOU CAN DO CRACKER SHELLS, YOU CAN DO PYROTECHNICS, YOU CAN DO PREDATOR CALLS.
UM, YOU CAN DO A PROPANE CANNON.
UM, THERE ARE ONE THING I WILL SAY ABOUT THE NOISE DETERRENCE IS YOU DON'T WANT TO START OUT WITH YOUR MOST POWERFUL THING.
YOU WANNA START WITH WHATEVER.
YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA USE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF DISTURBANCE THAT IS GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF YOU START WITH YOUR MOST OBNOXIOUS NOISE FIRST, IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ROOM TO ESCALATE, RIGHT? AND SO YOU WANT TO KEEP THEM ON THEIR TOES A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, AND USE KIND OF LIKE A DIVERSITY OF THINGS.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY YOU, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IS THE LEAST OBNOXIOUS WORKS FIRST.
NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, FOR THE BIRD'S SAKE, BUT ALSO FOR THE RESIDENT'S SAKE THAT PROBABLY DON'T WANT THESE SUPER LOUD THINGS GOING OFF ALL THE TIME AROUND THEIR HOUSE.
UM, THERE'S ALSO VISUAL DETERRENT.
SO THINGS LIKE MYLAR TAPE AND SCARE EYE BALLOONS, UM, THESE CAN HELP, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SHINY, THEY MOVE WITH THE WIND.
BIRDS DON'T LIKE THE WAY THAT THEY LOOK.
UM, WITH THESE, THE KEY IS YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET THEM UP TOWARDS THE TOP OF THE TREE.
SOMETIMES YOU SEE PEOPLE THAT GO OUT AND THEY DO THE EASIEST LIMB THAT THEY CAN REACH.
WELL, IF THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, HERE, BUT THE BIRDS ARE LIKE SIX FEET HIGHER UP IN THE TREE, THE BIRDS AREN'T REALLY GONNA SEE THAT.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA HAVE THE SAME KIND OF IMPACT.
YOU CAN EVEN GO AS FAR AS KNOCKING EARLY NESTING MATERIAL OUT OF THE TREE.
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UM, AS LONG AS THERE ARE NO EGGS ANYWHERE IN THAT COLONY.SO YOU WANNA BE REALLY SURE BEFORE YOU KNOCK A NEST OUT OF THE TREE THAT THERE'S NOTHING IN IT.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF MOST HOMEOWNERS WOULD REALLY HAVE THE RESOURCE TO DO THIS TYPE OF THING, BUT, UM, I'VE HEARD CITIES SOMETIMES WHAT THEY'LL DO IS, UM, YOU TAKE LIKE A SMARTPHONE, YOU PUT IT IN VIDEO MODE AND YOU TIE IT ONTO A POLE AND YOU LOOK UP THERE AND THEN YOU WRITE IT BACK DOWN AND YOU LOOK AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT WAS IN THE NEST, IF ANYTHING AT ALL.
UM, DRONES ARE TYPICALLY NOT GONNA BE VERY EFFECTIVE JUST BECAUSE THESE ARE AREAS WITH DENSE CANOPY COVER.
SO THE LIKELIHOOD THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE LIKE INSIDE THAT NEST WITH THE DRONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALSO HEARD, UM, GENERALLY DRONES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL IN THESE SITUATIONS JUST BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED DISTURBANCE.
BUT BY FAR THE MOST EFFECTIVE THING THAT YOU CAN DO TO DISCOURAGE THE BIRDS, UM, FROM NESTING SUMMER IS TO MODIFY THE HABITAT.
AND THIS IS REALLY GONNA BE THE KEY WITH MOST WILDLIFE SPECIES, RIGHT? IF WE WANNA MANAGE HABITAT TO ATTRACT WILDLIFE OR MANAGE HABITAT TO KEEP WILDLIFE AWAY, CREATING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE KEY IS MANAGING THE HABITAT.
SO, LIKE I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, THE BIRDS REALLY PREFER SITES WITH DENSE CANOPY COVER.
SO THINNING THE TREES TO BELOW 75%, UM, CANOPY COVER REALLY HELPS.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE ON THIS PICTURE IT'S A BEFORE AND AFTER OF TWO SIDES OF THE SAME STREET.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO CUT YOUR TREES DOWN.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS TO THIN OUT THE BRANCHES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE, YOU KNOW, CANOPY OF THE TREE.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IF YOU REMOVE 25%, BUT IT'S ALL IN LIKE THE BOTTOM, YOU KNOW? SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS GETTING RID OF OVERLAPPING BRANCHES AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE SKY WHEN WE LOOK UP AND YOU KNOW, THE SUN CAN SHINE DOWN TO THE GROUND.
THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE, ANOTHER KIND OF BEFORE AND AFTER.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE'RE NOT SAYING CUT DOWN THE TREES, BUT JUST THEN THE CANOPY, THIS WILL MAKE IT LESS DESIRABLE TO THE EGRETS.
AND ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT THIS, IT IS, I KNOW IT IS EXPENSIVE TO, UM, TRIM THE TREES, BUT THIS PROVIDES LONGER LASTING PREVENTION THAN JUST GOING OUT AND SETTING OFF A FIRECRACKER, RIGHT? UM, AND REALLY THOUGH WHAT YOU WANT IS A COMBINATION OF THESE TECHNIQUES.
SO THE KEY IS REALLY TO MODIFY THE HABITAT, BUT THE BIRDS ARE STILL GONNA SHOW UP MOST LIKELY, EVEN IF YOU MODIFY THE HABITAT.
BUT THEY'LL PROBABLY BE A LITTLE BIT LIKE, THIS PLACE HAS GONE DOWNHILL.
THIS ISN'T HOW I REMEMBERED IT.
IT WASN'T LIKE WHEN I WAS A KID.
UM, AND SO THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, SKITTISH.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THOSE HAZING TECHNIQUES IF THE HABITAT HAS ALSO BEEN MODIFIED.
AND SO YOU WANNA START, UM, WHEN THE BIRDS FIRST SHOW UP, ONCE YOU START SEEING BIRDS, IS IT WHEN YOU WANNA START THOSE ACTIVITIES? UM, IDEALLY THE TREES WOULD BE TRIMMED, UM, BEFORE BIRDS START SHOWING UP.
UM, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA WANNA KEEP IT UP THROUGH ABOUT JUNE, UM, AS LONG AS YOU'RE STILL SEEING BIRDS.
AND THEN IF IT GETS TO THE POINT, UNFORTUNATELY, WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE THE BIRDS HAVE LAID EGGS, THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TO STOP.
BUT THAT COULD BE A SITUATION WHERE THAT DEPREDATION PERMIT COULD HELP YOU OUT A LITTLE BIT FOR SOME OF THOSE EARLYNESS.
UM, SO AGAIN, UM, EARLY, THIS IS ALL ABOUT EARLY PREVENTION BECAUSE EVERYTHING HINGES ON THAT FIRST EGG BEING LAID.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH FOR A FEW YEARS, UM, BEFORE THE BIRDS REALLY GET IT INTO THEIR HEADS TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
UM, BUT PUTTING IN THE WORK CAN REALLY HELP REDUCE, UM, THE CONFLICT THAT CAN OCCUR.
WHAT QUESTIONS DO Y'ALL HAVE FOR ME? UM, YES MA'AM.
THAT WE HAVE FOR 3, 4, 5 YEARS, IS THAT INEVITABLY THERE'S GONNA BE A TIME WHEN YOU'RE NO, IT'S NOT INEVITABLE.
[00:30:04]
I MEAN, THAT'S THE HARD PART, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, 'CAUSE IT'S EASY.THERE'S OBVIOUSLY LIKE A TIPPING POINT WHERE IT'S CLEARLY A PROBLEM, BUT YOU MAY NOT NECESSARILY KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM THAT YEAR UNTIL SOME OF THOSE FIRST BIRDS HAVE ALREADY LAID THEIR EGGS.
SO I MEAN, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEP AN EYE OUT AND IF IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE SEEING MORE BIRDS THAN USUAL, YOU KNOW, OR IF YOU'RE NOTICING SPECIES THAT YOU HAVE NOT SEEN BEFORE, YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU NORMALLY JUST HAVE NIGHT HERONS AND YOU START NOTICING CATTLE EG GRITS, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT BE A TIME TO BE LIKE, OH, I THINK SOMETHING'S GOING ON HERE.
TYPICALLY, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR THEM TO BUILD A NEST TO LAY, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SUPER SURE AND IT'S GONNA VARY BY SPECIES, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, MAYBE A WEEK OR SO, A COUPLE WEEKS.
SO YOU HAVE REALLY KIND OF A SHORT TIMEFRAME BEFORE, YOU KNOW, IN BETWEEN THEM SHOWING UP, SHOWING AND SHOWING THEM LAYING EGGS.
ARE THE SCOUT BIRDS, ARE THEY COMING IN THE MORNING? DO THEY PREFER A CERTAIN TIME OF DAY WHERE YOU WOULD SEE THEM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOOKING FOR THE BEST AREAS FOR TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF DEPENDS.
LIKE THE, THE NIGHT HERONS, THE REASON WHY THEY'RE CALLED NIGHT HERONS IS BECAUSE THEY ARE ACTIVE PRIMARILY AT NIGHT.
SO YOU WOULD SEE THEM MORE KIND OF AT NIGHT, AND THE REST OF THEM ARE GONNA BE MORE DIURNAL.
THEY'RE GONNA BE MORE ACTIVE DURING THE DAY.
SO IT, IT ANOTHER JUST, THERE'S A LOT OF SPECIES AND MOVING FACTORS, WHICH I KNOW IS NOT A GREAT ANSWER, BUT YEAH.
SO YOU CAN'T DO THE EXTREME MEASURES AFTER THEY START? MM.
SO I'LL SAY THIS, ONCE IT'S ACTIVE, IT GETS A LITTLE NUANCED INTO WHAT CAN AND CANNOT BE DONE DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE, RIGHT? SO LIKE IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE EGGS, YOU KNOW, AT THESE THREE HOUSES OR WHATEVER, BUT THE PEOPLE TWO BLOCKS OVER, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT SEE A BIRD OCCASIONALLY IN THEIR TREE, BUT THEY'RE NOT SEEING ANY NESTS BEING BUILT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
LIKE IT'S FINE TO PUT LIKE SCARE EYE BALLOONS AND STUFF LIKE THAT UP STILL, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT REALLY GONNA BE LIKE A DIRECT HARASSMENT, RIGHT? THAT'S JUST DETERRING IT FROM EXPANDING.
BUT WHAT YOU CAN'T DO TWO BLOCKS OVER IS SHOOT OFF A PROPANE, PROPANE CANYON OR HAVE PREDATOR CALLS GOING OR SOMETHING.
'CAUSE THAT'S STILL GONNA BE WITHIN AIR EARSHOT.
THOSE UHHUH, THEY, IF YOU PUT THOSE LOWER, THEN THE, IT'S REALLY MOST, UM, IT HAS THE GREATEST IMPACT IF IT'S HIGHER BECAUSE THAT'S TYPICALLY WHERE THE BIRDS ARE GONNA BE.
NOW WE SEEING OUR BIRDS WALK AROUND UHHUH, I DON'T SEE IN THE TREE, I SEE THEM ON THE GROUND.
AND SO THEY DO SPEND TIME WALKING AROUND ON THE GROUND QUITE A BIT.
UM, I'VE HEARD, UM, FROM SOME FOLKS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY KNOW TO, LIKE, LOOK FOR IS THEY LOOK FOR STICKS ON THE GROUND UNDERNEATH THE TREES BECAUSE THE, THE BIRDS WILL BE LIKE UP IN THE TREES AND THEY'RE MAKING THEIR NEST AND LIKE STICKS FALL DOWN.
AND SO THEY'LL SEE, SEE STICKS ON THE GROUND AND STUFF.
SO THAT COULD BE AN EARLY SIGN OF NESTING ACTIVITY.
BE PREPARED NEXT TIME THAT THAT'S THE BEST.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MR. ROBERTO GOING NEXT, BUT WE'RE GONNA TAKE A COUPLE MINUTES JUST FOR HIM TO GET SET UP REAL QUICK IF ANYONE WANTS TO RUN TO THE RESTROOM OR GET A DRINK OF WATER.
AND EVERYONE, JUST, JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW, WE
[00:35:01]
HAVE A TABLE OUT.ONE OF THE THAT WE WANNA HELP YOU ALL IS WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE ITEMS TAKE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE SOME OF THE EYE, WE HAVE SOME WHISTLES, WE HAVE SOME HAND CLAP AND JUST SOME, SOME WAYS WE'RE DOING A, UM, I'M NOT EXACTLY LOT OF TIMES WHAT'S HAPPENING, HAVE YOU? YEAH.
[00:40:10]
I HAD IT SET UP, BUT I'D RATHER GET IT FROM THERE.ALL RIGHT EVERYONE, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH OUR NEXT PRESENTER, MR. ROBERTO SALCEDO FROM PROJECT COYOTE.
UH, HE'S GONNA DO A WILDLIFE CONSERVATION, HUMANE WILDLIFE COEXISTENCE AND TAKE IT AWAY.
UH, CAN YOU HEAR, CAN YOU, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? ALRIGHT.
SO THIS PRESENTATION, HOW MANY OF YOU EVER BUILT A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION? OKAY, THIS ONE IS ABOUT 160 PAGES.
WHEN WE GET INTO LIKE 40, YOU'RE GONNA SAY, I WISH IT WAS OVER.
BUT BY THE TIME YOU GET TO 70, YOU'RE GONNA SAY, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT I STUCK AROUND FOR THIS.
UM, NORMALLY I PRESENT WITH MY WIFE, UH, SHE'S NOT FEELING WELL AND SO, SO I GOT VOLUNTOLD TO COME OUT AND, AND DO THIS.
ACTUALLY, NO, WE WERE BOTH GONNA DO THIS.
SO WE REALLY LIKE MEETING UP WITH PEOPLE AND TALKING TO THEM ABOUT WILDLIFE.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
WE GENERALLY DO A COYOTE TALK THAT IS ABOUT AN HOUR OR HOUR AND A HALF, UH, TO TALK ABOUT BEHAVIORS AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS YOU CAN DO TO KEEP YOUR PET SAFE, ET CETERA.
BUT WE'RE REALLY GONNA COVER MORE MAMMALS HERE BECAUSE WE FIND THAT IN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND A LOT ABOUT THE MAMMALS THAT THEY'RE SEEING, WHY THEY'RE OUT, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, WHY THEY'RE AROUND.
AND SO I'M GONNA TRY TO COVER OFF ON THAT.
AND THE REASON I'M SITTING DOWN, I'D RATHER WALK AROUND WHEN I PRESENT, UH, BUT BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME DETAILS IN HERE I PROMISED MY WIFE THAT I WOULD COVER, UH, I'M GONNA SIT HERE 'CAUSE THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT I REALLY DO WANNA RATTLE OFF, UH, SO THAT YOU KIND OF UNDERSTAND AND GET INTO THE DEPTH.
UH, I DON'T MIND QUESTIONS WHILE WE'RE IN THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE IT, THE PRESENTATION IS A LITTLE BIT LONG AND IF YOU DO HAVE IMMEDIATE QUESTION, RAISE YOUR HANDS AND WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO ANSWER THEM.
BUT AT THE END, YOU WILL SEE A QR CODE THAT YOU CAN SCAN AND THAT QR CODE WILL TAKE YOU TO SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT SO YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE STUFF THAT WE'RE SHARING.
ONE IS SONG DOG WATCH AND THE OTHER ONE IS PROJECT COYOTE.
MY WIFE IS, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A BIT, MY WIFE IS THE TEXAS COORDINATOR FOR PROJECT COYOTE AND IT REALLY CAME FROM, WE STARTED OBSERVING COYOTES ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO.
AND OVER THE YEARS HAVE BECOME MORE AND MORE FAMILIAR WITH 'EM, STARTED HAVING MORE CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE, STARTED LEARNING MORE, TALKING TO TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE AND OTHER EXPERTS.
AND WE HAVE BECOME A, A A A A COUPLE THAT PEOPLE CALL WHEN THEY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH COYOTES, COYOTES WITH MANGE PUPPIES THAT ARE, UH, DISLOCATED.
AND SO WE STARTED A GROUP CALLED SONG DOG WATCH.
AND FROM THAT SONG, DOG WATCH GREW THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MY WIFE TO JOIN, UH, THE, THE, UH, PROJECT COYOTE AS THE TEXAS STATE COORDINATOR.
AND JUST MAKING SURE IT'S GONNA WORK.
SO JUST TO GIVE TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OURSELVES, WE REALLY STARTED THIS WHOLE THING AS SORT OF CONSERVATION PHOTOGRAPHERS.
SO WHEN YOU DO SEE A LOT OF THESE PHO, THE MAJORITY OF THESE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT WE TOOK.
A LOT OF THE VIDEO THAT YOU SEE WERE EITHER CRAM CAMERA, TRAP VIDEOS, UH, UM, TURTLE CAMERA VIDEOS THAT WE'VE TAKEN, BUT ALSO, UH, VIDEOS THAT WE'VE TAKEN.
WE TRY NOT TO DISTURB THE ANIMALS WHEN THEY'RE OUT, UM, OUT IN THE WILD.
UH, AND OCCASIONALLY WE DO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BUMP INTO HIM BY NATURE OF WHAT WE DO.
WE'RE ALSO TEXAS MAG NATURALIST FROM THE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE CHAPTER CHAPTER IN, UM, IN NORTH DALLAS, OR ACTUALLY IN ALAN MCKINNEY.
AND WE CALL OUR, YEAH, WE CALL OURSELVES TEAM CETO, THAT WE ARE, WE KIND OF, WE WE'RE KAREN AND ROBERT, THAT'S KIND OF OUR NAME.
UM, AGAIN, WE DO, WE DO WORK WITH THE CANNAN PROJECT, WHICH ALSO SPECIALIZE IN COYOTES.
THE DFW WILDLIFE HOTLINE, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT, WHICH IS A, A A A HOTLINE WITHIN THE STATE, THE CITY OF DALLAS, THAT YOU CAN CALL WHEN YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH CERTAIN WILDLIFE.
AND THE ISSUE IS NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE IN YOUR BACKYARD, IT'S WHEN THEY'RE INJURED OR WHEN YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION, OR YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, AN INJURED COYOTE OR BOBCAT OR FOX.
UH, AND ALSO WITH TEXAS WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER, WHICH THEY ARE THE ONES THAT DO TAKE IN SOME OF THE, THE, THE, THE HURT OR, UH, MAIMED ANIMALS.
WE ALSO BEEN VOLUN, WE'VE ALSO VOLUNTEERED
[00:45:01]
AT INSYNC EXOTICS FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS.UH, IT IS IN WILEY, TEXAS, AND THEY DO, UH, UH, TAKE, UM, CAPTIVE, UH, OR BREAD, UH, FELINES, TIGERS, LIONS, UH, BOBCATS, UH, MOUNTAIN LIONS.
AND THEN WE ALSO ARE ON THE BOARD OF ADVISORS FOR TEXAS NATIVE CATS, WHICH DOES SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, WITH, WITH, UH, SONG DOG WATCH.
SO WITH PROJECT COYOTE, AND JUST TO GIVE YOU KIND OF AN OUTLINE, THEY PROTECT WILD CARNIVORES AND PROMOTE COMPASSIONATE COEXISTENCE THROUGH EDUCATION, SCIENCE, ADVOCACY, AND COALITION BUILDING.
THEY FUNDAMENTALLY SHIFT THE WAY COYOTES WILL SPARES BOBCATS.
ANOTHER WILD CARNIVORES ARE VIEWED AND TREATED IN NORTH AMERICA WHERE HUMANS AND WILD CARNIVORES COEXIST, UM, AND CO UM, ECOSYSTEMS THRIVES.
AND I'M GONNA HAVE A QR CODE HERE IN A BIT WHERE YOU CAN SCAN AND BECOME A PART OF THEIR, UH, NEWSLETTER.
UM, AND THEY'LL SEND INFORMATION.
ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT IT IN A BIT, IS RODENTICIDE POISONING THE POISON THAT YOU USE TO KILL RATS.
UH, THEY EAT, EAT THE, THE POISON, THEY DIE.
YOU GET RID OF YOUR RAT, BUT THAT DEAD RAT IS USUALLY EATEN BY ANOTHER ANIMAL.
UH, USUALLY A WILD ANIMAL LIKE A COYOTE OF BOBCAT, AN OWL OR A A, UM, HAWK.
AND THEY WILL GET POISONED AS WELL.
SO SECONDARY POISON IS A BIG PROBLEM, BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THINGS TO BRING AWARENESS TO THAT, THAT SITUATION SO THAT WE CAN FIND ALTERNATIVES.
SO THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS ESSENTIALLY IS, YOU KNOW, CREATING COEXISTENCE WITH MAMMALS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE ELIMINATION ISS NOT THE ANSWER.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND GOD BLESS, YOU KNOW, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS WHEN THEY GET PHONE CALLS AND SAY, I'VE GOT A SQUIRREL, YOU KNOW, IN MY TREE AND I WANT IT GONE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND KIND OF, THEY ARE WILD ANIMALS.
UH, IT IS AN ECOSYSTEM THAT THRIVES ON HAVING THESE WILD ANIMALS AROUND.
UH, UM, UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, HOPEFULLY I CAN COVER OFF SOME THINGS ON SOME INFORMATION AND THINGS TO LEARN ABOUT THESE AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO LET THEM DO THEIR JOB.
IN ESSENCE, WILD ANIMALS, CAP JOBS, JUST LIKE WE DO, THEY ARE PUT ON THIS EARTH TO DO A CERTAIN THING.
AND ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT THING IS, THEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THEY MAY BE IN YOUR BACKYARD, WHY YOU MAY SEE 'EM OUT ON THE STREET, UH, WHY YOU, UH, MAY SEE 'EM OUT DURING THE DAY.
SO MAMMALS, MAMMALS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE NEED BIODIVERSITY FOR THE HEALTHY BALANCE ECOSYSTEM, OTHERWISE DISEASE IS SPREAD AND IT CAN EVENTUALLY SPREAD TO US AND OUR PETS.
SO MUCH LIKE HAVING, YOU KNOW, DOGS OUT IN THE STREET OR STRAYS OR DEAD CARCASSES, YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KIND OF MAINTAINING, YOU KNOW, UH, OUR DAY-TO-DAY ECOSYSTEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, SILENTLY WILD ANIMALS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S WHY A BUZZARD IS THE MOST OBVIOUS.
UH, BUT, UH, A COYOTE IS A SCAVENGER AS WELL.
THEY ALSO TAKE CARE OF DEAD ANIMALS, UH, THAT ARE ON THE STREET AT NIGHT, PROBABLY WHEN YOU'RE NOT WATCHING.
SO WE DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT MA MAMMAL CHARACTERISTICS.
SO, UH, MAMMALS ARE WARM-BLOODED, UH, THEY'RE COVERED WITH HAIR, AND MOST MAMMALS GIVE BIRTH TO MINIATURE VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES.
AGAIN, THAT'S THE CUTE PART OF SEEING SOME OF THESE ANIMALS.
AGAIN, THE FIRST CHARACTERISTICS IS, IS WHAT, HOW THEY GOT THEIR NAME, WHICH IS MAMMAL FROM THE LATIN WORD MAMA, WHICH MEANS BREASTS, WHICH INDICATES THAT THEY, THEY PRODUCE MILK AND THAT'S HOW THEY FEED THEIR BABIES.
UH, AND AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S FUNNY WHEN YOU SEE, UH, WHEN YOU SEE A COTTONTAIL, WHICH IS THE, THE PREFERRED PREY OF A COYOTE, BUT THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS.
BACKBONES, HIGHLY DEVELOPED BRAINS, A FOUR CHAMBER HEART.
UH, THEY HAVE TEETH, UH, MOVEABLE EYELIDS, UH, WITH, UH, UH, FLESH, EXTERNAL EARS.
UH, THEY, UH, SKIN WITH CENT, UH, SWEAT, SCENT, SEBACEOUS AND MAMMARY GLANDS.
AND THEY LIVE IN ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTS.
SO I'M GONNA COVER OFF ON FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF MAMMALS HERE.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH HUMAN OBLIGATE, THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO HUMAN EXPLOITERS, THEN HUMAN AVOIDERS, AND THEN HUMAN ADAPTERS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, HUMAN OBLIGATE ARE KIND OF THE ONES THAT ARE OUR PETS OR THEY'RE, UH, UH, FARM ANIMALS OR THE, THE, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE ANIMALS THAT WE KEEP, YOU KNOW, THEY INCLUDE, UH, DOGS, CATS, YOU KNOW, COWS, GOATS AND SHEEPS.
SO THOSE ARE THE HUMAN OBLIGATE.
UH, THEY ARE NOT CONSIDERED WILDLIFE BECAUSE THEY'RE DOMESTIC, BUT THEY DO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN URBAN WILDLIFE COMPOSITION.
AGAIN, BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE ARE OBVIOUSLY OUTSIDE EXCEPT FOR INDOOR DOGS AND INDOOR CATS.
BUT SOMETIMES THE DOGS ARE OUTDOOR DOGS AND OUTDOOR CATS.
SO APPLICANTS COMPETE WITH DISTURB AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, PREDATE ON NATIVE SPECIES.
AND WHILE YOU HEAR ABOUT COYOTES THAT WILL KILL A CAT AND EAT IT, A LOT OF TIMES, MOST OF THE TIMES IN THAT, YOU KNOW, IN TALKING TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE COYOTE
[00:50:01]
EXPERT WITH, UH, UH, WITH, UH, DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, SHE SAID MOST OF THE, THE DEAD ANIMALS THAT YOU SEE OUT ON THE STREET ARE KILLED BY OFF LEASH OR ROAMING DOGS AND NOT NECESSARILY COYOTES.SO, AND THEN MOST OF THE BIRDS THAT ARE KILLED ARE KILLED BY, UH, BY DOMESTIC CATS THAT ARE OUT AND THEY KILL THEM, AND THEY DON'T EAT WHAT THEY KILL.
UH, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE SOUND LIKE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THEM, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THE BAD RAP THAT COYOTES OR BOBCATS OR FOXES MAY GET IS USUALLY THEY'RE EATING SOMETHING THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE KILLED.
SO IT'S ALWAYS, UH, HELPFUL TO BE AWARE OF THAT.
SO, UH, SPECIES INTERACTIONS BETWEEN OBLIGATE AND NATIVE, UH, NATIVES GREATLY INFLUENCE COMMUNITY FUNCTION AND BIODIVERSITY, BOTH IN AND OFF THE FRINGES OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
SO AS WE GROW OUT INTO, INTO, UH, FORMER RURAL AREAS, IT'S EXPECTED THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE THESE ANIMALS.
BUT AS LONG AS WE HAVE WATERWAYS AND WE HAVE NATURAL PATHS AND WE HAVE GREEN SPACES, WE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO SEE, UH, WILD ANIMALS.
AND THEN WITH THAT, THE, THE HUMAN OBLIGATE ARE GONNA BE AT SOME POINT COME IN CONTACT, OR AT LEAST IN VICINITY OF DOMESTIC CATS IN PARTICULAR ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR IMPRESSIVE PREDATORY SKILLS.
AGAIN, THEY DO HAVE, THEY DO DECIMATE BIRD POPULATIONS.
AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND.
YOU LET YOUR, YOUR CAT OUT AND THEY MAY, YOU KNOW, KILL DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANIMALS THAT, UH, THAT THEY MAY NOT EAT.
UH, BUT AGAIN, AS THEY SAY, WHEN YOU CLOSE THE DOOR ON YOUR CAT, THEY BECOME A PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM.
AND AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, THEY SURVIVE OR THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THEIR ABILITY TO DO SO.
SO NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT HUMAN EXPLOITERS.
SO HUMAN EXPLOITERS OR RACCOONS, POSSUMS, UH, FOX SQUIRRELS, HOUSE MOUTHS, NORWAY, RATS.
AND THESE, UH, THESE ANIMALS, UH, THESE ARE AS SPECIES ARE, ARE SOME OF THESE AS SPECIES ARE DESIRED IN OUR BACKYARDS WITH A PICTURE OF A RACCOON, UH, SUCH AS SONGBIRDS THAT EAT, THAT EAT, UM, THAT EACH SEED HUMANS PROVIDE WITHIN THEIR BIRD FEEDERS.
WHEREAS OTHER SPECIES ARE CONSIDERED NUISANCE ANIMALS SUCH AS RACCOONS AND POSSUMS, AND ARE OFTEN CONSIDERED PROBLEMATIC DUE TO PROPERTY DAMAGE AND THE POTENTIAL TO CARRY DISEASE.
AND SO WHILE THAT IS, THAT IS TRUE, A LOT OF TIMES WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR YARD REALLY DEPENDS ON ALSO WHAT WE PUT OUT THERE.
AND IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE SHOULDN'T, BUT BE AWARE THAT THINGS THAT YOU PUT OUT FOR ANIMALS TO, FOR, FOR, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT YOU PUT OUT SO THAT YOU CAN ENJOY THAT OTHER ANIMALS ALSO ENJOY, AND THEN THEY END UP IN YOUR YARDS.
AND THEN THAT, THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR, FOR CONFLICT OR AT THE VERY LEAST, HAVE NUISANCE ANIMALS.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE I KNOW THAT NOT, NOT JUST FEED FERAL CATS, BUT THEY'LL ALSO PUT OUT FOOD FOR RACCOONS.
'CAUSE RACCOONS ARE REALLY CUTE UNTIL THEY'RE IN YOUR ATTIC.
SO HUMAN FOOD SOURCES CAN TAKE THE FORM OF GARDENS, GARBAGE, DOMESTIC, UH, UH, ANIMALS, PET FOOD OR OTHER HUMAN EXPLOITERS.
SO THEY REALLY DO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE.
EXPLOITER POPULATIONS IN PARTICULAR, ARE ABLE TO ACHIEVE MUCH HIGHER NUMBERS IN URBAN AREAS OTHER THAN WETLANDS DUE THE PREVALENCE AVAILABLE FOOD.
AND I WILL ALSO ARGUE THE NOT AS MUCH THREAT AS BEING OUT IN, IN A WILD, UH, GREEN SPACE.
AND IF THEY CAN HIDE BETWEEN HOUSES OR BETWEEN BUSHES, IT ALSO MEANS THAT THEY CAN EXTEND THEIR, THEIR LIFE EXP EXPECT EXPECTANCY.
EXPLOITERS CAN ALSO, UH, REACH HIGH NUMBERS AND DEVELOP AREAS DUE TO RELEASE FROM PREDATION, WHICH I JUST SPOKE ABOUT, AND THE ABILITY TO OUTCOMPETE OTHER NATIVE SPECIES IN A NOVEL ENVIRONMENT.
SO HUMAN AVOIDERS AND HUMAN AVOIDERS ARE, ARE HUMAN AVOIDERS.
THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE THEM THAT OFTEN.
THAT INCLUDES MOUNTAIN LIONS, RED WOLVES, AND OCELOTS.
SO HUMAN AVOIDERS, UM, ARE, ARE NOT OFTEN FOUND BY HU IN HUMAN DOMINATED AREAS, BUT OCCASIONALLY MAKE THEIR WAY DURING MIGRATION SEASONS DURING AN ATTEMPT TO DISPERSE.
SO DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THAT MOUNTAIN LINE THAT CAME THROUGH NORTH TEXAS ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO? SO THEY HAD SEEN IT, UH, UH, UM, LEWISVILLE WE'RE ASSUMING IT WAS THE SAME ONE IN DENTON.
AND THEN, UH, UH, ABOUT A WEEK, WEEK AND A HALF LATER, WE SAW, YOU KNOW, IT SHOWED UP ON SOMEBODY'S RING CAMERA IN PLANO.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT IT ANYMORE.
UH, AND GENERALLY WHEN WE HAD SEEN THE ONE THAT WAS IN ROULETTE THAT ENDED UP GETTING KILLED IN SALINA, ASSUMING THAT IT WAS THE SAME ONE, IT WAS, UH, SHOT BY A HUNTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU DO? IT'S LIKE, IF I'M, I'M A WILDLIFE PERSON, I WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A MI IT'S MIGRATING, UH, GENERALLY IT'S A MALE, IT'S DISPERSING FROM ITS AREA AND KIND OF MOVING OUT.
AND A LOT OF THOSE ARE MOVING, THEY'RE MOVING NORTH FROM THE, FROM SOUTH TEXAS THAT ARE MOVING EAST FROM WEST TEXAS.
UM, I WANT THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
BUT IT IS VERY SCARY WHEN YOU SEE A MOUNTAIN LION
I DO KNOW THAT WHEN WE GET A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SAY, THIS IS A MOUNTAIN LION IN MY BACKYARD, AND YOU LOOK AT, IT'S LIKE, NAH, THAT'S A DOMESTIC CAT.
THE FIRST THING WE SAY, IF YOU SAW IT, SHOW IT.
AND IF YOU SHOW IT, THE, THE PICTURE IS CLEAR.
AND THEN LET'S SEE WHAT'S AROUND IT.
SO WE CAN GAUGE, UH, UH, PER, UM, UH, GAUGE THE SIZE
[00:55:01]
BASED ON THINGS THAT ARE AROUND IT.AND GENERALLY IT IS A HOUSE CAT.
WHEN I SAW THE WAY THAT THAT CAT MOVED, I WAS LIKE, THAT IS A MOUNTAIN LION IN SOMEBODY'S BACK.
THIS IS SOMEBODY'S BACKYARD, UH, CHASING A BUNNY IN SOMEBODY'S BACKYARD.
AND SO YAY COYOTE, I MEAN, YEAH.
AND THE OTHER PART OF ME WAS LIKE, GET THROUGH, GO TO WHERE YOU'RE GOING SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A, A, A LONG SUCCESSFUL LIFE.
SO WE NEVER KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, YOU WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING TO THIS ONE AND ANYTHING COME OUT.
UM, SO WE SUSPENDED IF YOU, IF YOU CAN YEAH.
'CAUSE THEY CAN HEAR YOU THAT WELL.
UM, SO THAT WAS REFERRING TO, SO, UM, THERE WERE PRECONFIRM SETTINGS OF IT.
THE SECOND ONE THAT REPORTED TO US ACTUALLY HAPPENED BEFORE THE FIRST ONE, BUT WE FOUND OUT ABOUT LATER WAS LAKE DALLAS, WHICH IS ON THE, UH, WESTERN SIDE OF LAKE LEWISVILLE.
AND THEN THERE WAS THE PLANO ONE.
AND THEN WE DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
AND THEN THERE WERE TWO CONFIRMED SIGHTINGS, UM, AROUND TYLER.
AND THEN A WEEK LATER THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS HIT BY A CAR OUTSIDE OF LONGVIEW.
YEAH, WE DUNNO FOR CERTAIN THAT, THAT ONE THAT WAS HIT BY A CAR OUTSIDE OF LONGVIEW, THE SAME CAT OR NOT.
BUT GIVEN THEIR RELATIVE SCARCITY OF MOUNTAIN LIONS IN NORTH AND NORTHEAST TEXAS, IT IS LIKELY.
AND THEY ALSO HAVEN'T HAD MORE FOR SECONDS, BUT I HAVE HAD OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE SEND ME PICTURES OF HOUSE CATS,
SO YES, THEY CAN'T BE REALLY TRICKY.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR YES, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A MATE.
ESSENTIALLY THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A MATE IN THE TERRITORY AND THE, THEY DON'T DISTINGUISH BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, POPULATION.
OBVIOUSLY I CAN'T DO IT HERE, SO I GOTTA KEEP MOVING.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T SEE 'EM THAT OFTEN UNLESS THEY GET CAPTURED ON, ON CAMERAS.
I KNOW THAT WHEN THE, THE ONE IN ETTE, YOU KNOW, MY WIFE AND I WOULD, WE TALKED TO SAM KNICK AND WE WERE LIKE, WE'RE GONNA GO OUT AND LOOK FOR PAW PRINTS.
'CAUSE WE KNEW THE AREA, BUT WE KNEW IT WOULDN'T BE IN THAT AREA.
AND IT ENDED UP MAKING IT UP TO SALINA, SHOWED UP ON SOMEBODY'S TRAIL CAM AND IT WAS SHOT BY A HUNTER.
AND YOU KNOW, AROUND HERE, IT'S LIKE SOMETHING THAT'S UNUSUAL LIKE THAT.
IT'S NOT FOR, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, IT'S FOR YOU TO BE ABLE, YOU KNOW, TO SHOOT IT.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE HUNTER SHOT IT AND KEPT IT.
I DON'T KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE, THE RULE WITH TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, BUT LUCKILY YOU HAVE THE ONE FROM LONGVIEW AND CAN KIND OF MAYBE, OR UH, IF YOU HAVE IT, YOU CAN TEST FOR WHAT IT, WHAT IT'S EATING.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU TEST FOR WHAT IT'S EATING OR WHAT'S IN ITS STOMACH OR WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT REMNANTS THEY HAVE.
THEN YOU CAN SEE IT ATE A CAT, ATE A DOG, ATE A BUNNY, IT ATE A, A DEER LIKE, AND YOU FIND THAT, THAT HUMAN CON, I MEAN, UH, DOMESTIC ANIMAL CONSUMPTION IS VERY, VERY SMALL IN A LOT OF THESE ANIMALS.
SO THEY GET BLAMED FOR A LOT OF THINGS, BUT IN, IN REALITY, UH, THEY PREFER, YOU KNOW, THEY PREFER TO DO THEIR JOB, WHICH IS TO, TO EAT RODENTS AND, AND BUNNIES AND, AND SUCH.
UH, DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? DO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH.
SO, UM, AGAIN, HUMAN AVOIDS, THEY USUALLY AVOID, UH, URBAN ENVIRONMENTS BECAUSE, UM, THEY DO NOT CONTAIN ENOUGH SUITABLE ELEMENTS OF THEIR HABITAT.
AND THE ANIMALS ARE INHERENTLY UNWELCOME.
SO AGAIN, VERY, YOU KNOW, TYPICAL TO ALSO THAT MOUNTAIN LION AVOIDERS HAVE A SPECIFIC HABIT THEY CALL HABITAT, THEY CALL HOME.
AND IT'S OFTEN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT THAT CUTS THROUGH THEIR HOME RANGE.
AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A PICTURE OF OCELOTS IN SOUTH TEXAS WHERE, YOU KNOW, SCRUBBY THORN BRUSHES THEIR NATURAL HABITAT, BUT YOU KNOW, THROUGH FARMING AND DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEING, UM, UM, UM, FRAGMENTED.
AND SO THEIR SUCCESS REALLY IN TEXAS ITSELF AND THE UNITED STATES IS, IS KIND OF VERY LIMITED.
SO NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT HUMAN ADAPTERS, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, GONNA INCLUDE SOME OF THE ANIMALS THAT I'M GONNA FOCUS ON.
SO STRIPED SKUNKS, ARMADILLOS, WHITE-TAILED DEER, FOXES, BOBCATS, AND COYOTES.
SO AGAIN, THE HUMAN ADAPTERS ARE SPECIES THAT MAY UTILIZE HUMAN RESOURCES AND SURVIVE IN HUMAN DOMINANT AREAS, BUT DO NOT NECESSARILY RECEIVE AN ADDED BENEFIT FROM LIVING AMONGST HUMANS.
THEY'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST KIND OF, UH, ADAPT TO THE HABITAT THAT WE'VE CREATED FOR THEM.
THESE SPECIES ARE OFTEN LOCATED IN, IN THE PERIPHERY OF DEVELOPMENT AND BE RELATIVELY COMMON IN AREAS DOMINATED BY RURAL AND SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT.
AGAIN, BECAUSE WE ARE ADDING MORE AND MORE, UH, AMENITIES THAT INCLUDE CREEK, UH, AREAS AND UH, UM, GREEN SPACES, UH, AGAIN FOR OUR, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE.
BUT THEY DO END UP THERE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE FROM.
ADAPTERS GENERALLY, UH, HAVE NOT HAD A HISTORY OF ANTAGONISM WITH HUMANS AND ARE OFTEN GENERALISTS THAT CAN USE A WIDE VARIETY OF HABITATS.
AND THIS IS WHY LIKE WHEN PEOPLE SAY WE ARE, WE, YOU'RE BUILDING IN THEIR HOMES.
AND SO YOU SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISED THAT THEY'RE HERE.
[01:00:01]
AND I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST PART OF IT.YES, WE ARE IN AN AREA WHERE THEY'RE MOST FAMILIAR AND MOST USED, USED TO, BUT ONCE WE START BUILDING, YOU HAVE WORKERS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT LEAVE FOOD BEHIND.
YOU ALSO START BUILDING HOUSES AND YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT, THAT, THAT HAVE TRASH.
AND AGAIN, SCAVENGERS LIKE COYOTES, LIKE STUFF LIKE THAT, RACCOONS, LIKE STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THEN FROM THERE YOU ALSO HAVE, UH, RODENT PROBLEMS AT SOME POINT.
AND THAT'S WHAT KEEPS THEM THERE.
SO NOT ONLY ARE WE TAKING THEIR HABITAT, WHICH WE SHOULD HAVE, WE SHOULD DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO LIVE AS HUMANS.
UH, I'M NOT FAULTING THAT, BUT WE'RE ALSO CREATING THE CONDITIONS TO KEEP THEM THERE, RIGHT? AND IF THEY'RE GONNA BE THERE BECAUSE WE'RE CREATING THE CONDITIONS OR YOUR NEIGHBOR IS, OR PEOPLE DOWN THE STREET, THE MORE WE KNOW ABOUT 'EM, THE MORE THAT WE CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE IN SAYING THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM, THAT IT'S OUT RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW WHAT THAT THING IS GOING TO EAT AND IT'S NOT GONNA, AND IT'S NOT ME SO DEAR.
OR SOMETIMES REGARD AS HUMAN ADAPTERS IS THEY CAN ACHIEVE HIGH POPULATION SIZES FROM WILD AREAS TO SUBURBAN HABITATS.
UH, UH, THAT, THAT IS KIND OF AN INTERESTING THING BECAUSE I'LL HAVE A VIDEO HERE IN A BIT THEN.
KA CAMARO MEADOW PRESERVE IN ALLEN.
IT IS SURROUNDED BY A GOLF COURSE, 75 AND TWO NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND WE OFTEN CATCH, UH, UM, UM, DEER GOING THROUGH AND IT IS ON ROLL CREEK, UH, BUT THEY'RE RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE CREEK AND PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY'RE THERE.
AND IT'S A HIGHLY POPULATED AREA.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA GO INTO DEEPER DIVE INTO, INTO SOME OF THESE ANIMALS.
SO BECAUSE PEOPLE HATE SKUNKS AND SKUNKS ARE ACTUALLY BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS, THEY CAN'T CLIMB AND THEY CAN'T SEE VERY WELL.
ONE OF THE FUNNIEST THINGS IN THE WORLD IS TO SEE A SKUNK COME UP ON A POSSUM.
'CAUSE NEITHER ONE CAN SEE VERY WELL ARMADILLOS AS WELL.
AND THEY COME UP TO EACH OTHER AND THEY'RE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY ACTUALLY, IT'S THE ARMADILLO AND THE SKUNK.
AND WE DO HAVE VIDEO NOT IN HERE WHEN THEY COME NOSE TO NOSE AND THEY REALIZE THAT THIS ISN'T MY FRIEND, AND THEY, THEY KIND OF SCURRY, UH, AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.
UH, THEY CAN'T CLIMB OR SEE VERY WELL, BUT THEIR PRIMARY DEFENSE IS THE, THE CHEMICAL MUST PRODUCED IN THE A**L GLANDS THAT CAN BE SPRAYED UP TO 15 FEET.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, BABIES DO CANNOT SPRAY.
SO IF YOU DO COME ACROSS A BABY SKUNK, CALL A REHABBER AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO PICK IT UP.
ANYWAY, UH, THE BENEFITS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GREAT PEST CONTROL.
THEY EAT ALMOST ANYTHING INCLUDING COCKROACHES, GRUB, WORMS, SPIDERS, BEES, WASPS, RODENTS AND SNAKES.
UH, AND THEY ALSO ARE GREAT SEED DISPERSERS BECAUSE OF THEIR SCAT.
THEY HAD, THEY EAT THESE SEEDS AND THEN THEY LEAVE 'EM IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
UH, AGAIN, SQUIRRELS ARE KIND OF THE SAME THING.
SO THIS IS AN INTERESTING VIDEO.
WE ACTUALLY HAD THIS CAMERA BECAUSE THERE WAS A, A BOBCAT THAT HAD A LITTER OF FOUR KITTENS UNDER THIS DECK.
AND WE WOULD PUT THESE CAMERAS OUT SO WE COULD OBSERVE THEM.
AND ABOUT TWO DAYS AFTER WE PUT OUR CAMERAS UP, THE BOBCATS WERE GONE.
AND THESE SKUNKS HAD MOVED IN.
AND PART OF THE REASON IS BECAUSE UNDER THAT DECK, THE MAMA WAS BRINGING THE, TO, YOU KNOW, BRINGING FOOD TO FEED THE KITTENS.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY LEFT, THEY KIND OF LEASED UP BEHIND AND THE SKUNKS CAME, CAME IN.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS NOT A UNIQUE THING.
WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN IT SEVERAL TIMES WHERE THE SKUNKS WILL MOVE IN AFTER A BOBCAT HAS, HAS MOVED OUT OF, UH, A DENING AREA.
SO THE NINE BANDED ARMADILLO, AGAIN, THEY'RE DIGGERS AND THAT PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THEM BECAUSE THEY DIG HOLES IN PLACES WHERE THEY SHOULDN'T.
THEIR BREEDING OCCURS IN JULY.
AND THIS IS WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
THE EMBRYO REMAINS DORMANT UNTIL NOVEMBER, AND THEY HAVE FOUR BABIES BURN THE BURROW IN MARCH.
AND ALL FOUR ARE ALWAYS THE SAME SEX.
THEY'RE ALSO IDENTICAL COATES DEVELOPED FROM THE SAME EGG.
AND THEY EVEN SHARE THE SAME PLACENTA IN THE WOMB.
THEY'RE THE ONLY MAMMALS IN WHICH MULTIPLE YOUNG FROM A SINGLE EGG WITH ANY IRREGULARITY.
AND THEY ROLL INTO A BULB TO DEFEND THEMSELVES.
AND AGAIN, THEIR BENEFITS IS THEIR PEST CONTROL.
THEY GRUB, WORMS AND OTHER INVERTEBRATES.
AND, AND, AND AS FAR AS THE ECOSYSTEM GOES, WHEN THEY'RE DIGGING AND WHEN THEY'RE BURNING, THEY'RE ACTUALLY TILLING, UH, TUR TILLING THE DIRT.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THESE TYPES OF ANIMALS, THE DIRT WOULD GET COMPACTED AND NOT NOTHING WOULD BE ABLE TO GROW.
SAY AGAIN, DO SERVE A PURPOSE.
AGAIN, BISON, BACK WHEN WE HAD BISON RUNNING IN THE PLAINS, THEIR HOOVES WOULD, YOU KNOW, DIG HOLES INTO THE GROUND AND PUSH SEEDS DEEPER DOWN.
UH, THEY KIND OF DO THE SAME THING.
SO HERE'S A, A KIND OF A RUN IN BETWEEN A COYOTE AND AN ARMADILLO, AND YOU WOULD THINK THE COYOTE'S GOING TO GRAB IT AND EAT IT.
UH, THEY'RE PRETTY FAST ACTUALLY.
WHEN THEY REALLY WANNA RUN, ARM ARMADILLOS CAN REALLY TAKE OFF.
ALSO, THE COYOTES ISN'T AS VICIOUS AS WE THINK THEY ARE.
SO THE WHITETAILED DEER, THE GRACEFUL CREATURES THAT ARE, OR, OR HERBIVORES, THEY FEED A VARIETY OF PLANTS INCLUDING LEAVES, TWIGS AND ACORNS.
AGAIN, PEOPLE DON'T LIKE 'EM IN THEIR YARDS BECAUSE THEY WILL EAT THEIR TREES OR SOME OF THE PLANTS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE THAT THEY PUT OUT.
AND BY CONSUMING THESE PLANTS, THEY HELP KEEP THE VEGETATION GROWTH UNDER CONTROL.
AND THEY'RE ALSO FOOD FOR PREDATORS AND SCAVENGERS.
SO I, YOU ALSO CAN'T DENY THE ANIMALS THAT ARE OUT THERE TO FEED, YOU KNOW, THE PREDATORS TO FEED, YOU KNOW, UH, OTHER ANIMALS.
I THINK I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, A A MAMA BUNNY ONE DAY SAYS
[01:05:01]
YOU LIVE LONG ENOUGH, LIKE YOU'RE HERE, YOU KNOW, TO EAT GRASS AND BE EATEN BY SOMETHING ELSE BECAUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF WHY THEY'RE OUT THERE.UH, WELL THEY ALSO DO SEED DISPERSAL AS WELL.
SO THIS, THIS WAS THE, THE VIDEO I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT AGAIN, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL HUNDRED METERS AWAY FROM BUSY STREETS AND NEIGHBORHOODS AND STUFF.
AND THESE DEER ARE KIND OF RUNNING THROUGH.
AND IF YOU LOOK, THIS WAS IN 2021 THE OTHER DAY, WE PULLED SOME CAMERA FOOTAGE FROM THE KAMARA.
WE HAVE SOME CAMERAS IN THERE, AND WE SAW THREE MORE DEER THAT WERE NOW IN THE MORE OPEN AREA, WHICH WE, WE, THIS WAS ACTUALLY A PLACE WHERE NOT MANY PEOPLE GO NOW, NOW FOXES.
UM, AGAIN, THEY'RE ELUSIVE AND SHY.
IT'S VERY, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T ALWAYS SEE THEM DURING THE DAY.
UH, AND THEY'RE SOLITARY PREDATORS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, MEDICS COMES TOGETHER DURING BREEDING SEASON AND A NON BREEDING FEMALE FROM THE LITTER FROM LAST YEAR WILL HELP PARENTS CARE FOR THE BABIES FOR THE FOLLOWING SEASON.
COYOTES KIND OF DO THE SAME THING.
AND SO YOU DO SEE THEM KIND OF STICK AROUND FOR EACH OTHER AT LEAST ONE YEAR.
AND THEN THE OTHERS MOVE AROUND TO FIND TERRITORIES.
UH, AND A LOT, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T DUNNO, THEY'RE BURAL.
THEY DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN TREES.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON THAT YOU MAY NOT SEE THEM DOWN ON THE GROUND.
THEY'RE PROLIFIC CLIMBERS, UH, AND THEY JUMP FROM BRANCH TO BRANCHING IT TO CATCH PREY AND ESCAPE PREDATORS.
AND THEY HAVE BLACK TIPS ON THEIR TAILS, UH, WHERE WHITE FOXES, UH, UH, THEY HAVE BLACK TIPS ON THEIR TAILS.
WHILE WHITE FOXES HAVE, UH, RED FOXES HAVE WHITE TIPS ON THEIR, UH, TAILS.
THEY'RE OMNIVORES AND WILL EAT MEAT AND PLANTS.
AND WE, WE, WE DO OCCASIONALLY HAVE A, A, UH, FOX PATIENT, NOT A RED FOX.
VERY OFTEN YOU DON'T SEE RED FOXES.
I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, IF IN SOUTH DALLAS YOU SEE THEM, I THINK IN TYLER AND FURTHER EAST YOU DO SEE THEM.
WE DO SEE A LOT OF GRAY, UH, GRAY FOXES.
AND THEY ARE SUPER SCARY WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO KEEP YOU AWAY.
UH, BUT THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY DELIGHTFUL.
UM, UH, PARENTS AND, AND THE, THE KIDS ARE BEAUTIFUL.
UH, BUT THEY DO, THEY, THAT, THAT IS A MECHANISM THEY HAVE TO TRY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
UH, THEY YIP THEY BARK AND THEY SCREAM AND THEY HAVE POWERFUL SCENT GLANDS, ESPECIALLY RED FOXES.
AND, AND SOMETIMES YOU, YOU, WHEN YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE SMELLING SKUNK, SOMETIMES IT CAN BE FOX URINE THAT YOU'RE SMELLING BECAUSE IT SMELLS, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT SIMILAR.
I DUNNO IF YOU'VE SEEN, IF YOU'VE FELT THAT.
IT'S LIKE, IS THIS A FOX OR A SKUNK? BECAUSE WE HAVE KEPT FOXES AND THEY DO STINK UP, UM, THE, THEIR ENCLOSURES.
SO AGAIN, THE BENEFITS IS THEY HELP CONTROL POPULATIONS OF RODENTS, OTHER SMALL MAMMALS, AND THEY SPUR SEED BY EATING FRUIT.
THEY SCAVENGE ROADKILL FOXES ARE BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS TO OBSERVE IN PHOTOGRAPHS, ESPECIALLY THEIR FAMILY INTERACTIONS.
AND THIS IS ACTUALLY AN INTERESTING, AN INTERESTING, UH, SITUATION.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A MOM AND A DAD WITH THE THREE KIDS.
AND THEY WERE, THAT WE GOT CALLED BY SOMEBODY IN ARLINGTON TO COME OUT AND TRY TO REMOVE AND REMOVE THEM.
YES, THEY, THEY COME OCCASIONALLY, BUT NOW THEY'RE UNDER THERE AND WE'RE REALLY SCARED.
'CAUSE IT'S ALWAYS HISSING AND YELLING AT OUR SON WHEN HE GETS HOME FROM COLLEGE AND SAID, WELL, HOW LONG HAS YOUR SON BEEN COMING HOME FROM COLLEGE? MAYBE HE CAME HOME TWO WEEKS AGO AND HE HAS TO CUT ACROSS THE BACKYARD TO GET INTO THE HOUSE AND SAY, WHAT DOES THE FOX DO? WELL IT, IT LIKE HARL, IT SNARLS AND GROWLS AND IT'S REALLY SCARY.
I WAS LIKE, WELL, ONE, SHE HAD HER KIDS UNDER YOUR, YOUR SHED KNOWING THAT YOU'RE HERE.
SO SHE FELT COMFORTABLE AND SHE FELT IT WAS SAFE ENOUGH FOR THE KIDS.
YOUR SON COMES TWO WEEKS LATER AND IS IN THE BACKYARD.
AND SO, AND SHE'S JUST KEEPING HIM AWAY.
AND THEN, AND SHE SAID, WELL, NORMALLY SHE COMES OUT RIGHT NOW, I DUNNO WHY SHE'S NOT OUT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S LIKE 10 MINUTES AFTER WE LEAVE, SHE'S GONNA COME OUT, YOU WATCH.
SURE ENOUGH, 10 MINUTES LATER, FIVE MINUTES LATER, SHE'S LIKE, OH, SHE'S OUT AND SHE'S WITH THE KIDS.
AND THAT'S WHEN SHE TOOK THIS VIDEO.
I WAS LIKE, THEY'RE VERY TRUSTING AND THEY KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, A THREAT.
AND THEN TWO WEEKS LATER, THE LADY CALLED CRYING BECAUSE THEY WERE GONE.
SO IT WENT FROM, I DON'T WANT 'EM HERE.
'CAUSE THEY SCARED ME TO NOW I WISH THEY WOULDN'T HAVE GONE, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
AND I SAID, WELL, IF YOU WANT 'EM TO COME BACK, LEAVE THAT THING OPEN AND THEY'LL COME BACK.
AND, AND THEY'LL FIND ANOTHER PLACE.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST, AND WE TALKED ABOUT RODENTICIDE POISONING.
ONE OF THE FIRST FOX MANGE IS WE'VE BEEN, UH, MANGE CASES.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, FOXES DO GET MANGE.
UH, THEY LOSE THEIR FUR AND I'LL TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, IN A BIT.
BUT THIS IS WHAT KIND OF, WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR FUR WHEN THEY DO GET THE, THE GENERALLY THE SECONDARY POISONING AND THEN THE IMPACTS OF MANGE.
AND THIS WAS A, A SITUATION WHERE SOMEBODY WAS FEEDING IT 'CAUSE THEY FELT SORRY FOR, IT'S NOT ONLY ARE THEY SUFFERING FROM A SICKNESS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO GETTING FOOD THAT ISN'T NUTRITIOUS FOR THEM.
UH, EVEN THOUGH IT'S FOR A DOG THAT GETS HER BELLY FULL, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, BONES AND SKIN AND MINERALS THAT THEY DO, THEY GET FROM, FROM RODENTS.
[01:10:01]
THIS IS JUST SO, SO CUTE.AGAIN, THE MOM IS KEEPING AN EYE ON SOMEBODY IN THE HOUSE WHILE THE KIDS ARE PLAYING.
AND AS SOON AS THE SON INTRODUCED HIMSELF TO THE SITUATION, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE NEEDED TO MANAGE.
UH, BUT SHE NEVER GOT CLOSER THAN FIVE FEET TO HIM, BUT WAS A WARNING.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS ONE THAT WE DON'T GET VERY OFTEN.
AND THEN THIS IS A VIDEO IN KENDALE, UH, SOMETHING WE DON'T GET VERY OFTEN ON CAMERA EITHER.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A MATING RITUAL OR A ACCORDING RITUAL.
AND YOU CAN KIND OF TELL BY THEIR STANCE IN THE, THE POPPING OF THE TAIL AND THE SAME AREA ON THE SAME NIGHT, A BOBCAT THAT'S COMING THROUGH THAT ACTUALLY SMELLED SOME OF THE SCENT, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY LEFT BEHIND.
UH, SO NOW WE'LL GET A LITTLE BIT DEEPER.
COYOTES IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IS A PASSION FOR US, BUT WE DO, UH, WE ARE KIND OF THE GO-TO, UH, UH, TEAM WHEN IT COMES TO COYOTES AND BOBCATS THAT ARE IN DISTRESS IN NORTH TEXAS THROUGH, UH, THE DFW WILDLIFE AND THE NORTH TEXAS, UH, WILDLIFE CENTER.
SO BOBCAT'S LINKS, RUFUSS IS, UM, IS THE, THE, THE SCIENTIFIC NAME.
UH, BOBCATS HAVE LEARNED TO ADAPT TO A RAPIDLY CHANGING LANDSCAPES.
AGAIN, THEY'VE GOTTEN USED TO, UH, US AND OUR HOUSES, UH, MOSTLY BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, MICE AND RATS THAT WE CREATE AND WE ALSO HAVE SQUIRRELS THAT THEY EAT.
UH, THEY CAN LEAVE SCRATCH MARKS ON TREES AND THEY CAN LEAP, UH, SEVEN TO 10 FEET IN A SINGLE BOUND.
THEY'RE EXCELLENT CLIMBERS AND STORE UNEVEN CAT, UH, CATCH BENEATH VEGETATION.
SO YOU CAN'T, AS THEY SAY, YOU CAN'T OVERFEED A BOBCAT OR A COYOTE.
THEY'LL EAT UNTIL THEY CAN'T EAT ANYMORE, AND THEN THEY CASH EVERYTHING ELSE, AND THEN THEY'LL COME BACK AND GET IT LATER.
UM, BOBCATS ARE, YOU KNOW, PLAY AN IMPORTANT ECOLOGICAL ROAD.
THEY'RE EFFECTIVE PREDATORS OF SMALL MAMMALS SUCH AS RODENTS, RABBIT SQUIRRELS, HELPING TO KEEP OUR ECOSYSTEMS BALANCED AND HEALTHY.
UH, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS FOUND 23 RODENTS IN THE STOMACH OF JUST ONE BOBCAT IN A RECENT BOBCAT, UH, URBAN BOBCAT STUDY.
SO, BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IF YOU DON'T REALIZE THE BENEFIT THAT THEY HAVE BY BEING AROUND, YOU CAN JUST BE SCARED BY THE FACT THAT THEY ARE AROUND.
YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD TAKE CARE OF A SMALL, A SMALL, UH, CAT OR A SMALL DOG THAT I LET OUT INTO THE YARD WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE SEEN THEM AROUND, YOU KNOW, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE THERE TO MANAGE, UH, RODENT PROBLEMS. BUT IF YOUR, IF YOUR DOG IS A SCHNAUZER AND IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A SQUIRREL, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T DISCERN BETWEEN PETS AND, AND OTHER WILD ANIMALS.
UH, BOBCATS IN THE DEFINITELY AREA USUALLY WEIGH BETWEEN 15 AND 30 POUNDS AND ARE ABOUT TWICE THE SIZE OF A HOUSE CAT WITH MALES BEING A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN FEMALES, AND THEIR FUR RANGES IN COLOR AND PATTERN, AND IS DESIGNED TO BLEND WELL WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT, UH, WITH SOME BOBCATS HAVE MORE DISTINCT PO SPOT PATTERNS THAN OTHERS.
UH, AGAIN, THE UNDERSIDES OF THE FUR IS LIGHTER.
AND THEN YOU CAN ALWAYS TELL A BOBCAT FROM A HOUSE CAT, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THESE, THESE, THESE FACIAL ROUGHS ON THIS SIDE, THEY KIND OF HANG DOWN.
AND THEY ALSO HAVE THESE, UM, THESE TUFTS ON THE, THE TIP OF THEIR EARS.
UH, THE OTHER THING, UH, IS THE TAIL.
THAT'S WHY THEY CALL 'EM A BOBCAT.
'CAUSE THEIR TAILS ARE SHORTER.
UH, SOME ARE LONGER THAN OTHERS, BUT THEY'RE GENERALLY SHORTER.
AND ONE THING THAT IT DOESN'T SAY HERE IS THAT THEY ALSO HAVE A, A WHITE SPOT ON THE BEHIND THEIR EARS.
AND THAT IS, UM, WE THINK IT'S EVOLUTIONARY THAT THAT IS A WAY THAT TIGERS AND BOBCATS IN THIS CASE, UH, UH, DETER PREDATORS WHEN THEY'RE NOT LOOKING BECAUSE THERE'S A BIG WHITE SPOT OR ON A BLACK BACKGROUND BEHIND THEIR EARS.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS A RANGE OF, OF SPOTS IN DIFFERENT BOBCATS.
SO SOMEONE CAN BE VERY DEFINED AND OTHERS CAN BE JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST A VERY, UH, VERY, UH, PLAIN COAT.
BUT ALL OF 'EM, WHEN THEY'RE SITTING IN THE, IF YOU IMAGINE RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THE VEGETATION LOOKS ALL DRY AND WINTRY, THEY COULD BE LAYING THERE AND YOU WON'T EVEN SEE THEM.
UH, WHICH IS, AGAIN, THEY'LL SEE YOU BEFORE YOU SEE THEM, BUT THAT'S WHY THEY BLEND IN SO WELL, BECAUSE OF THESE, UH, SPOT PATTERNS AND, AND FUR COLOR.
AND THEN, SO IT'S SOMETHING TO SEE HERE.
THIS WAS A ONE THAT WE FOUND IN OUR, THAT WE SAW IN OUR FRONT YARD.
AND YOU KNOW, KAREN TOOK SEVERAL PICTURES OF IT.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE RIGHT ARM, YOU SEE THAT LINE THAT GO, GOES ACROSS THEIR, THEIR PATTERNS INSIDE THEIR ARMS AND ON THEIR NOSES AND THEIR FACE, THE SPOTS AROUND THEIR, THEIR, THEIR FACE.
AND SO IF YOU CAN COMPARE TO ANOTHER ONE, WE SAW THIS WAS ABOUT THREE BLOCKS AWAY, UH, ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER.
AND WE REALIZED THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY THE SAME BOBCAT BECAUSE OF THAT STRIPE THAT GOES ACROSS THE INSIDE OF THE ARM AND THEN JUST TO COMPARE 'EM SIDE BY SIDE.
SO THAT'S HOW YOU COULD TELL THAT IT WAS THE SAME ONE.
AND THEN, AND THAT KIND OF LIKE, WHEN YOU
[01:15:01]
KIND OF UNDERSTAND THAT ALSO WITH COYOTES IS THAT YOU SAY, OH, THERE'S A BUNCH OF COYOTES HERE, OR THERE'S A BUNCH OF BOBCATS HERE.ONCE YOU START PAYING ATTENTION, YOU START SEEING COMMONALITIES, YOU REALIZE IT'S THE SAME ONE, OR IT'S THE SAME TWO OR THREE.
IT'S NOT A, UH, 10 OR 12 OF 'EM.
YOU'RE JUST SEEING THEM MORE OFTEN.
SO BOBCATS ARE NATIVE TO TEXAS AND CAN BE FOLLOWED ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, UH, OR MORE CONTINENTAL, THE UNITED STATES AND THEIR MOST COMMON, UH, WILDCAT IN NORTH AMERICA.
AND THEY CAN ADAPT TO A VARIETY OF, OF HABITATS, INCLUDING SUBURBAN AREAS.
THEY TEND TO BE ELUSIVE, SOLITARY, AND THEY'RE VERY TERRITORIAL.
UH, SIGHTINGS OF MULTIPLE BOBCATS IS USUALLY A MOM WITH OFFSPRING, AND THE DAD DOESN'T USUALLY COME AROUND, UH, ONCE THE KITTENS ARE BORN AND UN UNFORTUNATELY THEY DO.
UH, THEY, A MALE THAT WANTS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE ITS OWN KITTENS MAY KILL THE, THE BABIES OF A, OF A PREVIOUS, UH, LITTER SO THAT THE FEMALE CAN GO INTO ES EXTRAS AND THEY CAN HAVE MORE, UH, KITTENS.
THEY CAN, HE CAN HAVE HIS OWN KITTENS.
BOBCATS ARE SINGLE MOMS. THEY TAKE CARE OF THE KITTENS WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM THEIR FATHER.
KITTENS ARE BORN IN THE SPRING AND EARLY SUMMER, AND IF MOMS LOSE THEIR KITTENS, THEY CAN GO RIGHT BACK INTO HEAT AND HAVE ANOTHER LITTER AT, UH, ANY TIME DURING THE YEAR.
AND THEIR GESTATION PERIODS ABOUT 62 DAYS, AND THEY GIVE BIRTH TO TWO TO FOUR KITTENS ON AVERAGE, WHICH IS WHAT I SAID ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
SO, UH, MY WIFE COVERED IT ON THIS ONE.
SO KIDS ARE BORN WITH THEIR EYES CLOSED AND RARELY, UH, RELY ON MOM'S MILK FOR FOOD.
AND AFTER ABOUT TWO MONTHS, THEY'LL BEGIN TO EAT MEAT.
UH, AND THAT'S ONE THING IS THAT, THAT BOBCATS WILL ONLY EAT MEAT.
THEY DO NOT EAT FRUIT, OR THEY DO NOT EAT CAT FOOD.
UH, AND SO THAT'S WHY SOMETIMES WITH THEY'RE, WHEN THEY HAVE MAIN, THEY'RE HARDER TO TREAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO CATCH WHAT THEY KILL.
AND IF THEY'RE DESPERATE, THEY MAY EAT, UH, UH, SOMETHING THAT YOU PUT OUT, UH, A RODENT THAT YOU PUT OUT, A DEAD RODENT YOU PUT OUT WITH MEDICATION.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES IT'S REALLY, REALLY HARD BECAUSE THEY, UH, BECAUSE THEY LIKE TO CATCH, THEY'D LIKE TO EAT WHAT THEY CATCH.
A FEMALE BOBCAT RAISER KITTENS IN A SHELTER AREA, WHICH WE SAW LIKE AN EXAMPLE, LIKE THE DECK.
UH, AND THEY MOVE THEM TO DIFFERENT DEN SITES TO KEEP THEM SAFE FROM PREDATORS.
THEY'LL STAY WITH THEIR MOM FOR ABOUT NINE TO 12 MONTHS AND LEARN SURVIVAL SKILLS UNTIL THEY'RE OLD ENOUGH TO SURVIVE ON THEIR OWN.
AND THEY CAN LIVE FIVE TO 15 YEARS IN THE WILD.
SO IF YOU DO HAVE 'EM IN YOUR BACKYARD, THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TO, IF YOU WANT THEM TO MOVE ON.
UH, BUT THEY WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE ON AND SHE'LL TAKE 'EM ONE BY ONE UNTIL SHE GETS THEM TO ANOTHER AREA.
BUT SHE NEEDS TO GO AND SCOPE OUT ANOTHER AREA BEFORE SHE MOVES THEM.
AND THERE ARE CARNIVORES AND MOST OF THEIR DIET CONSISTS OF RABBITS, RODENT SQUIRRELS, BUT THEY ALSO FEED ON BIRDS, FAWNS, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS IN INSECTS AND EGGS.
THEY USE SIGHT AND SOUND TO HUNT, AND THEY CAN STOCK AND AMBUSH TO CATCH THEIR PREY.
IT'S, AND IT'S UNCOMMON, BUT POSSIBLE THAT FREE ROAMING CATS OR SMALL DOGS LEFT OUTSIDE UNATTENDED MIGHT BE, MIGHT BECOME BOBCAT PREY AS WELL.
AGAIN, THEY'RE ONLY, YOU KNOW, 13 TO 30 POUNDS AND THEY CAN'T, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UNLESS IT'S A SMALL ANIMAL, UH, THEY REALLY CAN'T PICK IT UP AND TAKE IT.
AND IF YOUR, YOUR DOG OR CAT WEIGHS LIKE A LARGE BUNNY, THEN THAT'S POSSIBLE.
AND THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR BOBCATS IN TEXAS, SO THEY CAN BE HUNTED AND KILLED AT ANY TIME.
THEIR PELTS ARE USED IN DEFERRED TRADE HERE IN THE US AND OVERSEAS.
AND TO GET THEY THEIR GREATEST THREAT IN THE CONTINUING LOSS OF HABITAT TODAY, THE, THEIR GREATEST THREAT IS THE CONTINUING LOSS OF HABITAT.
SECONDARY RODENT TYPE POISONING FROM EATING DYING.
RED DEAD RODENTS IS ALSO ANOTHER CAUSE OF SICKNESS IN DEATH.
UH, AGAIN, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY DO PUT THESE THINGS OUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE ONES, THE, THE ANIMALS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO DO THAT, UH, UH, DO REALLY DO SUFFER FROM, FROM THIS.
AND MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT.
UH, PART OF OUR JOB IS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WHEN THEY PUT THAT OUT, THAT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THAT HAPPENS.
SO IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF A DEAD RAT THAT DIED PROBABLY FROM POISON.
IT STAYS THERE LONG ENOUGH AND SOMETHING'S GONNA COME AND EAT IT, AND THEN THEY WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE POISON THAT IT ATE.
SO THIS IS A, THIS IS A BOBCAT WITH MANGE.
UH, AGAIN, THEY, THEY START TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR FUR.
EVENTUALLY, THEY GET MAD AT EYES, UH, THEY, YOU KNOW, SUFFER FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND THEN THEY, THEN THEY DIE AGAIN.
THIS IS A, A BOBCAT WITH MANGE.
UH, THESE TWO, ACTUALLY, I SAW THE ONE ON THE RIGHT ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE IT DIED.
I WAS TRYING TO CATCH IT IN THE CON MA AND I COULDN'T, UH, THEY CAN STILL MOVE PRETTY QUICKLY, EVEN THOUGH THEY CAN'T SEE THAT WELL, COULDN'T HEAR THAT WELL, BUT I COULDN'T CATCH UP TO IT BEFORE, BEFORE CATCHING.
I STILL DON'T KNOW IF I, WE WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO ANYTHING, BUT AT LEAST WE WOULD'VE TRIED.
SO IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF LIKE, WHEN YOU, IN THE, THE BOTTOM GRAPHIC IS YOU SEE, YOU HAVE RAT POISON, RODENTS, EAT IT AS YOU WORK YOUR WAY UP.
EVERYTHING FROM BOBCATS, EVEN TO OUR DOMESTIC PETS MAY EAT THEM, UH, BECAUSE IT'S AN EASY MEAL, OR THEY'RE JUST USED TO DOING THAT, AND THEN THEY END UP SUFFERING FROM THE POISON.
THAT'S STILL, IT WAS NOT METABOLIZED, IT JUST KILLED THE ANIMAL.
AND IT'S STILL IN THEIR SYSTEM.
[01:20:01]
WE'VE BEEN SEEING.YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU SAW IN THIS BOBCAT IN THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER, PEOPLE THINK THAT'S A COLLAR, COLLAR OR IS A TRACKING COLLAR.
IN REALITY, WHAT WE'RE SEEING A LOT MORE OFTEN IS THIS, UH, DRAINAGE, UH, PIPE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, UH, THAT'S ENDING UP IN THE, AROUND THE NECKS OF A LOT OF BOBCATS IN NORTH TEXAS.
AND IT'S DRAINAGE, UH, PIPE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE THE WATER FROM YOUR HOUSE AND MOVE IT DOWN TO THE STREET.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS IT DETERIORATES AND EVENTUALLY, EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, FALLS APART OR, OR RODENTS USE THAT AS A WAY TO GET UP ON YOUR ROOF.
AND THEY EITHER CHEW THEIR WAY OUT, OR IN THE CASE OF A BOBCAT, THEY RUN IN THE BOBCAT, YOU KNOW, TRIES TO CATCH, IT PULLS OUT, AND THE DETERIORATED PLASTIC COMES OFF ON THEIR NECK.
AND IT REALLY DOES HA HAPPEN A LOT MORE THAN YOU REALIZE.
UH, IN SOME CASES WE WORRY THAT, THAT IF THEY'RE YOUNG AND THE, THE, THE PIPE IS SMALL ENOUGH THAT THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO EAT.
UH, BUT ACTUALLY KAREN'S BEEN FOLLOWING TWO BOBCATS, ONE IN PLANO AND ONE IN ALLEN, THE ONE IN ALLEN FOR LIKE THE LAST THREE YEARS.
AND I'VE SEEN HER HAVE ABOUT SIX LITTERS.
AND FOR MOST OF THAT TIME, SHE HAD THE, WE CALL HER DRAIN SPOUT BOBCAT, UH, BECAUSE SHE MOVES AROUND IN A CERTAIN AREA AND WE CAN KIND OF TRACK HER PRETTY WELL WHEN PEOPLE START POSTING THAT THEY WERE SEEING THIS BOBCAT, PARTICULARLY WITH THAT.
BUT EVENTUALLY THE COLLAR DETERIORATED AND FELL OFF, AND NOW WE'RE JUST KEEPING AN EYE ON SOME OF HER OFFSPRING.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, LOOK, THERE'S ACTUALLY A SQUIRREL IN THERE, AND WE ARE NOT SURE IF IT WAS TRAPPED OR IT WAS JUST WAITING THERE.
WE DID END UP GETTING, GETTING THE SQUIRREL OUT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A DEFENSE MECHANISM THAT IT RUNS UP AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT RUNS FOR SAFETY AND THEN COMES BACK OUT, UH, DOWN AT THE STREET.
UH, UH, BUT THE PERSON WHO, A FRIEND OF OURS WHO HAD THIS VIDEO REALLY WANTED IT OUT BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T SURE IF IT WAS STUCK IN THERE.
SO JUST SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE'RE TALKING.
THIS IS ACTUALLY THE BOBCAT AT OUR HOUSE.
UH, DON'T LEAVE UNATTENDED DOGS OR CATS OUTDOOR, ESPECIALLY FROM DUST TO DAWN, UH, LEFT OUTSIDE AT NIGHT OR EVEN DURING THE DAY.
SMALL PETS CAN BECOME PREYED, BOBCATS, COYOTES, HAWKS AND OWLS.
SO IN CLOSE PET BIRDS, UH, AND POULTRY IN A SECURE PEN OR HOUSE.
AND PROPERLY SECURE DOMESTIC BIRDS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF BECOMING PREY TO BOBCATS.
AND YOU KNOW, ALSO TO RACCOONS AND, UH, UM, RACCOONS AND FOXES DON'T ALLOW CATS TO FREE ROAM OUTDOORS.
MOST CITIES HAVE LAWS AGAINST FREE ROAMING CATS.
UH, CATS PREY ON MANY WILDLIFE SPECIES, SONGBIRDS, UH, FACE MANY DANGERS OUTSIDE AND CAN ATTRACT PREDATORY WILDLIFE TO YOUR YARD.
ALWAYS KEEP YOUR PETS VACCINATED AS SOME WILDLIFE ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DISEASES, TRANSMISSIBLE TO DOGS AND CATS.
UH, FELINE, UH, PANEL, UH, FELINE PARVO, UM, UH, LEPTO CANINE DISTEMPER AND RABIES ARE CON ARE COMMON.
AND THEN CLEAN UP BRUSHY AREAS, WOOD PILES, REMOVE ANY FOOD SOURCES.
MAKE SURE YOU SECURE YOUR FENCE IN.
AS IN GOOD REPAIR, SECURE ENTRANCE IS UNDER DECKS, IN PARTICULAR, OUTBUILDINGS OR ENTRANCES UNDER P AND BEAM HOMES TO PREVENT DENTING OPPORTUNITIES, AGAIN, THAT ARE GONNA LOOK FOR THE SAFEST PLACE TO HAVE THEIR, THEIR KITTENS.
UH, AND, UH, WE CAN AVOID THAT, UH, TO KEEP YOUR COM, UH, YOU KNOW, KEEP, UH, LEASH DOGS.
WHEN OUT FOR A WALK, KEEP YOUR PET LEASH TO GREAT, UH, GREATLY REDUCE THE CHANCE OF NEGATIVE WILDLIFE ENCOUNTER.
USE A SIX FOOT LEASH OR SHORTER, AND DO NOT USE A RETRACTABLE LEASH.
AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY IN, IN, UH, UH, GREEN SPACE AREAS WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE COYOTES.
A SHORT LEASH, YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR DOG A LOT BETTER.
A RETRACTABLE LEASH SOMETIMES WILL POP OUTTA YOUR HAND OR IT GOES 20 FEET.
AND YOU KNOW, GENERALLY THE INTERACTION BETWEEN A COYOTE OR A DOG IS GENERALLY BECAUSE THE COYOTE IS, IS EITHER PROTECTING ITS AREA OR PROTECTING IT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT'S, UH, UH, BABIES THAT ARE IN THE TREE LINE OR IT'S CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR DOG.
YOUR DOG, LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN WANTS TO GO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON OR GO BARK AT IT.
AND THERE CAN BE, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME, UH, INTERACTION THERE.
IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT THE DOG'S FAULT, AND IT'S NOT THE COYOTE'S FAULT IF THEY GET, IF THEY, IF THEY COME INTO CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER BECAUSE YOU'RE LETTING IT OFF LEASH OR BECAUSE YOU HAVE A RETRACTABLE LEASH THAT THEY CAN GO INTO THE TREE LINE.
UM, IT, IT, IT, AND A COYOTE'S INSTINCT IS TO RUN AWAY UNLESS THEY'RE PROTECTING SOMETHING.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE ALWAYS NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT.
AVOID ANY BUSHING, NATURAL AREAS, THEY'RE PAST, NEAR BEND PROPERTIES, ESPECIALLY DURING SPRINGTIME.
AND NEVER ENCOURAGE OR ALLOW YOUR PET TO INTERACT OR PLAY WITH WILDLIFE.
AND WE DO SEE THAT A LOT IN, ESPECIALLY LIKE IN GOLF COURSES AND STUFF.
OH YEAH, MY DOG GOES AND RUNS AROUND WITH THE COYOTES.
YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT INTERACTION BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GONNA, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW YOU KNOW
[01:25:02]
THESE, THERE ARE FOUR KITTENS, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY THE CHIRPING OF A BABY.IT SOUNDS LIKE A BIRD, BUT THIS IS HOW THEY GET BACK AND FORTH AND KNOW VERY EASILY FOR HER.
SHE CAN JUMP OVER THE FENCE, BUT HER BABIES GET OUT FROM UNDER.
AND YOU SEE THOSE BRICKS THERE BECAUSE THE, UH, HOMEOWNER WANTED TO KEEP 'EM OUT OF HER BACKYARD.
SO THEY PUT THOSE BRICKS THERE, BUT IT REALLY, THEY JUST PUSH 'EM OUTTA THE WAY.
NOW, THE HOUSE BEHIND THERE WAS NOT AN ABANDONED HOUSE.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF OVERGROWTH.
THIS LADY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING IN HER BACKYARD EXCEPT FOR A TREE.
AND THEY WOULD COME IN TO PLAY IN HER YARD, AND THEN THEY WOULD GO BACK.
SO THEY WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH, AND EVENTUALLY THE, THE CITY MADE THEM MOW.
THE, THE, THE OWNERS WHO DIDN'T LIVE THERE MADE THEM MOW AND KIND OF CLEAN UP THE YARD.
AND THEN THE, THE BOBCAT MOVED THEIR KITTENS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AGAIN, ANOTHER OPEN UNDERGROUND DECK.
NOW, THIS WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT BEHAVIOR OF BOBCATS BECAUSE THE LADY THAT LIVED THERE DIDN'T HAVE ANY KIDS AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY ANIMALS THAT SHE ALLOWED ON THE BACK.
UH, AND THEY, THIS HOUSE WAS ACTUALLY LINE WAS RIGHT ON A WILD, IN A, ON A TREE LINE THAT WAS NEXT TO A FARM.
UH, SO THERE WAS AN EASY ESCAPE PATH FOR HER, BUT IT GAVE US A, A GOOD VIEW OF HOW MAMA INTERACTS WITH THE KITTENS, YOU KNOW, AND THEN AGAIN, IF WE WALK INTO THAT BACKYARD, THEY IMMEDIATELY RUN UNDER THE DECK.
AND AT ONE POINT SHE DID, WE WERE BACK THERE LIKE CHANGING THE CARDS TO THE CAMERAS.
YOU DON'T TALK TO 'EM, YOU DON'T LOOK OVER THERE.
AND SHE ACTUALLY TOOK OFF RUNNING, WENT UP THE FENCE, STOPPED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT HER, THEN SHE JUMPED OVER.
SO SHE WAS LURING US AWAY FROM HER BABIES THAT, UH, SHE GETS HOME AFTER BEING OUT ALL DAY, AND THEN SHE GREETS HER BABIES.
SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE GET BOBCATS, THERE WERE EPISODE, UH, WERE ABANDONED.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE FIND THEM AND DON'T REALIZE THAT MOM IS OUT HUNTING DURING THE DAY AND THEN COMES HOME TO FEED THEM AGAIN.
AND THEN THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A YOUNG ONE.
THIS, THIS IS, I'VE KIND OF LEARNED HOW TO LEARN HOW TO HUNT.
SO YOU'LL SEE HER COME BACK INTO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN IN THIS CIRCLE OF LIFE, I GUESS.
BUT THIS, THIS IS KIND OF HOW YOU, A LOT OF TIMES A MOM WILL GET, WILL GET A RAT LIKE THAT AND, AND GIVE IT TO THE BABY SO THEY CAN PLAY AROUND WITH THIS.
THEY CAN LEARN WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
THIS IS THE, THE, THE, THE DOWNSPOUT BOBCAT THAT WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOW A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER, AND THAT THING WAS ABOUT TO FALL OFF, BUT ANOTHER PERSON WHO SAID, YOU KNOW, I DON'T MIND THEM BEING HERE.
SO THEY LET US PUT CAMERAS OUT BY BABIES A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER THIS.
AND THEN ONE LAST, ACTUALLY, MY WIFE REALLY PUT A LOT OF THEM IN HERE.
ALRIGHT, NOW COYOTES CAN LA TRANS, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.
THEY'RE NOT IN OUR BACKYARDS AS OFTEN AS WE CAN SEE BOBCATS IN ANY OF THE OTHER ANIMALS, YOU KNOW.
BUT AGAIN, THE PAW PRINTS THAT WE SEE IN THE DIRT, OR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HOWLING THAT WE HEAR AT NIGHT, THAT KIND OF CONFIRMS THAT THEY'RE THERE.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE CLOSER THAN YOU REALIZE THEY CAN BE RIGHT UNDER HER NOSE, AND YOU DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THEY'RE THERE.
THIS GUY WALKS INTO THIS WAS A ONE, ONE, AGAIN, WE WERE THERE WATCHING THEM.
SHE DROPS HER HEAD, HE WALKS BY, I DON'T HAVE ANY HERE IS ACTUALLY WHAT HAPPENS AFTERWARDS, AFTER HE CLEARS, SHE GETS UP AND SLOWLY WALKS AWAY LOOKING AT THEM AS SHE'S WALKING AWAY AND THEN QUICKLY RUNS TO THE TREE LINE FOR SAFETY.
SHE WAS JUST CAUGHT OUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GRASS WHEN HE WALKED OUT, AND HE WAS TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS TO HER BEING THERE.
SO CA HAVE BECOME ESTABLISHED IN EVERY ECOSYSTEM.
SO AGAIN, COMPASSIONATE COEXISTENCE IS KIND OF REALLY IMPORTANT.
THE MORE YOU KNOW ABOUT 'EM, THE EASIER IT IS TO DO THAT.
SO NOW I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT SEASONAL MILESTONES.
SO THIS IS THE, THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE'LL TALK ABOUT, AND YOU'LL SEE, LIKE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IS JANUARY, MARCH.
THIS IS WHY YOU'RE SEEING THEM A LOT.
AND YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN REPORTS ON THE NEWS, UH, OR OTHER, UH, PLACES.
I KNOW, UH, PROJECT COYOTE DID PUT OUT A, A BULLETIN ON BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A PREVALENT THING.
PEOPLE ARE SEEING A LOT OF COYOTES OUT.
UH, THEY DO, UH, UM, THIS IS THE TIME WHERE, YOU KNOW, COYOTES ARE COMING TOGETHER.
UH, THEY'RE OUT DURING THE DAY AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING READY TO, TO START
[01:30:01]
THEIR, THEIR FAMILIES.SO, AND IF YOU COME ON, SO IT'S REALLY, REALLY UNUSUAL TO SEE KIND OF THE MATING ACT DURING THE DAY.
BUT, AND ACTUALLY THESE ARE, THESE ARE IN GALVESTON.
SO THESE ARE THE GHOST WOLFS, UH, THE COYOTES THAT HAVE A RED WOLF, UH, DNA ANCESTRY IN THEIR, IN THEIR GENES.
AND SOMEBODY WAS OUT THERE WATCHING 'EM AND THEN WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT.
UH, BUT YES, YOU'RE RIGHT, JAN, UH, UH, FEBRUARY 14TH, VALENTINE'S DAY IS KIND OF THE SWEET SPOT FOR THE MATING SEASON.
SO THEN PUPS ARE BORN DURING MARCH AND MAY, SO MOM STAYS IN THE DAN NURSING, UH, FOR THREE WEEKS, AND THE FAMILY WORKS TOGETHER TO BRING FOOD.
TEENAGE COYOTES CAN GET INTO TROUBLE DURING THIS TIME BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR FOOD TO BRING BACK TO THEIR MOMS. SO YOU MAY SEE THEM DURING THAT TIME.
THE OTHER THING THAT WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT CO UH, UH, COI DOGS, YOU KNOW, OH, THEY, YOU KNOW, COI DOG, UH, A DOG, ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH DALLAS.
AND THESE AREAS, LIKE PEOPLE SWEAR THAT THEY SAW A DOG IN A COYOTE, UH, COMBINATION.
IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY UNLESS IT'S FOREST BREEDING, BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF THIS ONE FACT THAT THE FAMILY WORKS TO FEED THE MOM WHEN SHE'S IN THE DEN, DOGS DON'T DO THAT.
COYOTES ARE NATURAL, AND THEY WILL DO THAT.
AND ALSO, A FEMALE DOG WILL NOT STAY IN A DEN FOR THREE WEEKS.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT IT, BUT HIGHLY UNLIKELY.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE'VE, I HAVE NOT YET SEEN PROOF OF, OF, OF THAT.
BUT, BUT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THIS IS IN SOUTH DALLAS.
THIS IS ACTUALLY IN THE BEHIND THE SHRUBS.
AGAIN, WHEN YOU GET INTO THESE AREAS, THEY'RE REALLY COMPACTED WITH HOUSES AND WITH PEOPLE.
THEY LOOK FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THEIR, THEIR PUPPIES WHERE THEY CAN.
A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER THIS, SHE MOVED THEM, AND THEN THREE DAYS AFTER THAT, SHE MOVED THEM BACK TO THE SAME AREA.
NEXT IS APRIL, JUNE, THAT'S WHEN THE PUPS COME OUT AND YOU START SEEING 'EM A LITTLE MORE OFTEN.
UH, DURING THIS TIME ALSO, AT SOME POINT, THEY KIND OF MOVE OVER TO RENDEZVOUS SITES, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.
THIS IS, UH, ALSO WHEN THE PUPPIES ARE PRONE TO BEING, UH, SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES, WHEN THE MOM IS MOVING THEM, THEY, SHE MOVES THEM ONE AT A TIME AND ONE WILL GET DISPLACED.
WE GET A LOT OF CALLS DURING THIS TIME WHERE WE PICK UP, UH, DISPLACED PUPPIES.
UH, AND THEN ALSO THEY CAN GET INTO TROUBLE WITH, WITH, UH, WITH DOGS.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE WHEN THEY COME OUT OF THE DEN.
SO JULY AND SEPTEMBER, AND I HAVE A VIDEO THAT WILL SHOW YOU ABOUT THAT.
THIS IS AN AREA THAT'S USUALLY AN OPEN FIELD, TALL GRASS THAT HAS A TREE LINE CLOSE BY OR AN ESCAPE ROUTE.
THIS IS WHERE THEY TEACH THEM HOW TO, YOU KNOW, HUNT FOR BUGS OR HUNT FOR RATS.
UH, OPEN FIELDS USUALLY ARE A GOOD PLACE FOR THAT.
USUALLY A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN RUN AROUND AND PLAY AND LEARN THE SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO.
SO THIS IS A KIND OF A RENDEZVOUS SITE THAT, AND I'LL TELL YOU THE STORY ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR FAMILY.
THERE'S DAD WITH THE PUPPIES VERY CLOSE TO A TREE LINE, BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY AN OPEN FIELD THAT IS IN MCKINNEY THAT IS CLOSE TO A RESIDENTIAL AREA, A LIBRARY, AND A BASEBALL PARK.
BUT THIS HAS BEEN THE RENDEZVOUS SITE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND EVERYBODY THAT LIVES AROUND THERE KNOWS THAT THEY'RE THERE.
THEN THERE'S DISPERSAL SEPTEMBER THROUGH JANUARY.
SO AGAIN, SEPTEMBER THROUGH JANUARY, THIS IS WHERE THERE'S EITHER FORCED DISPERSAL OR VOLUNTARY DISPERSAL, WHERE NOW THE OLDER MEMBERS OF THE PREVIOUS LITTER GET PUSHED OUT, OR THEY MOVE OUT TO GO FIND THEIR MAID OR GO FIND THEIR OWN TERRITORIES.
THIS IS WHERE WE ALSO GET A LOT OF CAR STRIKES.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, COYOTES THAT HAVE LIVED IN THE NATAL AREA FOR A LONG TIME.
NOW THEY MOVE ON AND DON'T UNDERSTAND STREET PATTERNS OR STREET LIGHTS.
COYOTES CAN DETERMINE THAT IF THEY'RE IN AREA LONG ENOUGH, THEY CAN KNOW HOW TO KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE.
BUT THE YOUNGER ONES GET IN TROUBLE DURING THIS TIME.
AND THEN AGAIN, THIS IS KIND OF THE, THE, THIS IS ACTUALLY A PUPPY THAT BY THE TIME THAT YOU GET TO THIS, TO SIX MONTHS, EIGHT MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD, THEY ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE FULL GROWN ADULTS, WHEN IN REALITY THEY'RE STILL KIND OF LEARNING THE ROPES.
AND THEN THE LAST IS COURTSHIP NOVEMBER THROUGH DECEMBER.
THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL SEE A LOT MOVING AROUND.
COYOTES BORN IN APRIL CAN LOOK LIKE MATURE COYOTES BY NOW.
AND YOU DO HAVE INCREASED VOCALIZATIONS IN SIGHTINGS.
AND WHEN WE HAD, WE DID THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS 2017, WE WERE JUST LEARNING, THIS WAS A STRANGE COYOTE THAT WERE STRANGE COYOTES THAT WERE IN OUR AREA, UH, WHERE WE HAD TRAIL CAMERAS.
AND WE DIDN'T REALIZE TILL YEARS LATER, THIS WAS ACTUALLY COURTING, UH, BEHAVIOR THAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE THEY'RE COMING IN, THEY'RE PUSHING OUT THE COYOTES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE, WHICH THEY DID EVENTUALLY.
BUT THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF COURTING BEHAVIOR.
SO THOSE ARE THE SIX TIMES A YEAR, AND IT REALLY DOES COVER THE ENTIRE YEAR.
[01:35:01]
YOU ESSENTIALLY CAN'T SEE THEM.BUT NOW YOU KNOW WHY THEY MAY BE OUT.
UH, AND THEN, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THERE'S DIFFERENT REASONS AND THEY CAN BE DIFFERENT AGES WHEN THEY'RE OUT.
I'M JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A FAMILY LOOKS LIKE TOGETHER WHEN THEY'RE OUT.
SO NOW TALKING ABOUT THE BENEFITS AND THE THREATS, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, UH, COYOTES HAVE JOBS.
AND AGAIN, THEY'RE VITAL TO, YOU KNOW, KEEPING, UH, AN ECOSYSTEM BALANCED.
UH, AGAIN, IF THEY'RE NOT AROUND, IT CAUSES THE ECOSYSTEM TO, TO, UM, TO COLLAPSE.
BUT WHEN THEY'RE AROUND IT REPLENISHES IT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES HUMAN INTERVENTION IS KIND OF THE BIGGEST, UH, THE BIGGEST, UH, UM, ISSUE THAT THEY HAVE.
SO AGAIN, IT'S BETTER TO LET 'EM DO WHAT THEY WERE DESIGNED TO DO, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL CONNECTED IN THIS URBAN AND SUBURBAN ECOSYSTEM.
SO S CAN HELP IMPROVE, UH, IMPROVE BIRD POPULATIONS.
THEY KEEP URBAN, UM, UH, MISSILE CARNIVORE SPECIES THAT LIVE ON THE EDGE OF HUMAN DOMINANT AREAS LIKE SKUNKS, SQUIRRELS, FOXES, IT KEEPS 'EM ALL IN CHECK.
THESE ANIMALS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO DECIMATE BIRD POPULATIONS AND COYOTES CAN HELP CONTROL THEIR NUMBERS.
UH, ONE COYOTE CAN EAT 1800 RODENTS PER YEAR.
SO AGAIN, THEY PROVIDE FREE RODENT CONTROL, ALTHOUGH PEST CONTROL COMPANIES WOULD NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT.
AND THEY SCAVENGE ON CARRY-ON.
AND TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THIS IS THIS, THIS COYOTE IS CARRYING A BEAVER, UH, CARCASS.
SO IMAGINE IF THAT IS THAT HUGE HOW NOT BIG THE COYOTE IS.
COYOTES ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, 25 TO 35 POUNDS.
WE JUST DON'T SEE 'EM IN RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER THINGS.
SO WE THINK THAT THEY'RE HUGE.
UH, THEY'RE OMNIVORES, WHICH MEANS THEY EAT MEAT AND PLANTS, AND THEY'RE OPPORTUNISTIC GENERALISTS.
UH, THEY EAT A VARIETY OF FOOD ITEMS, MUCH LIKE OUR DOGS ARE PRETTY MUCH EAT ANYTHING, INCLUDING BUGS, SEEDS, NUTS, FRUITS, RODENTS, FROGS, AND FRESH CARRY ON.
THEY ALSO, UH, THIS IS ALSO WHAT ATTRACTS TO, TO WHERE PEOPLE LIVE.
THEY ALSO, UH, EAT FRUITS, UH, WILD FRUITS LIKE PERSIMMON.
SO THEY ALSO AID IN SEED DISPERSAL, UH, SO THEY CAN HELP, UH, UH, OTHER, UH, PLANTS AND TREES, UM, GROW IN OTHER AREAS.
SO YOU'RE, YOU DO SEE THE PERSIMMON SEEDS IN THE SCAT COYOTES HELP CONTROL DISEASE, UH, TRANSMISSION BY EATING SICK ANIMALS.
AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER BENEFIT THAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT THEY HAVE.
SO THE MAIN THREAT TO COYOTES, UM, I, ONE COYOTE IS KILLED EVERY SINGLE MINUTE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THEIR MAIN THREATS ARE HUMANS OR HUMAN RELATED.
MOST COYOTES DIE BEFORE THE AGE OF THREE.
UH, THEY TEND TO LIVE IN THE WILD ABOUT EIGHT YEARS, EIGHT OR NINE YEARS.
UH, BUT MOST OF 'EM DON'T MAKE IT THAT FAR.
SO LOSS OF HABITAT, UH, AND HABITAT FRAGMENTATION LEADS TO CONFLICT.
UH, OUR CONFLICT WITH WILDLIFE, RAPID GROWTH OF DENSE HUMAN, UH, POPULATIONS, LIVING RIGHT UP AGAINST REMAINING WILD SPACES LIKE DALLAS, HOUSTON, AUSTIN, CALIFORNIA, AND EVEN UP IN CANADA, IS CREATING AN INCREASED RISK OF HUMAN INTERACTION WITH COYOTES.
AND SO THIS PARTICULAR CASE, LIKE THIS IS TWO DAYS OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE DEN FOR THIS PARTICULAR COYOTE.
THERE WAS THREE IN THIS, IN THIS, IN THIS GROUP.
UH, WHEN THE MOM WENT INTO THE DEN, IT WAS A WILD AREA.
BY THE TIME THE PUPS CAME OUT A FEW WEEKS LATER, THEY HAD ALREADY CLEARED THIS WHOLE AREA AND THIS EROSION GUARD WAS UP AND THEY ENDED UP BUILDING A NEIGHBORHOOD HERE.
SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH.
VEHICLE STRIKES, MOSTLY YOUNG COYOTES THAT ARE VENTURING OUT ON THEIR OWN OR ARE FAMILIAR TERRITORY FALL VICTIM TO THIS FAST MOVING TRAFFIC.
SO YOU HAVE THIS COYOTE HERE, BUT YOU CAN'T SEE, THERE'S ACTUALLY ANOTHER ONE OVER HERE.
SO WE FIGURED THE TWO OF 'EM WERE RUNNING TOGETHER.
THEY WERE BOTH YOUNG COYOTES, BOTH FEMALES THAT WERE HIT BY A CAR.
SO WE ARE THE PREDATORS OF COYOTES.
SO THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE KILLING THEM, BUT WE'RE THE ONES THAT, THAT, THAT TEND TO HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT OF THEM.
SO WE HAVE WILD, UH, WILDLIFE KILLING CONTESTS.
UH, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'VE HEARD OF THOSE, BUT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE PAY MONEY TO ENTER A CONTEST SO THAT THEY, WHOEVER KILLS THE MOST COYOTES OR THE BIGGEST COYOTE WINS THE POT OF MONEY.
AND
'CAUSE THEY THINK, WELL, WE'LL GET RID OF COYOTES AND YOU CAN MAKE MONEY AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHY IT'S NOT A, A GOOD THING TO DO.
AND ALSO WHY THEY'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO GET RID OF COYOTES.
UM, TRAPPERS ARE HIRED FOR PREDATOR CONTROL.
NIGHT HUNTING AND VIGILANTES LIVING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ALSO KILL MANY COYOTES.
SO PROJECT COYOTES HAS BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS TO BRING AN END TO WILDLIFE KILLING CONTESTS.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THEY'RE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE COYOTES ARE BENEFICIAL SPECIES.
THEY'RE CATEGORIZED AS VERMIN IN TEXAS, AND THEY CAN BE HUNTED AT WILL, THEY CAN BE SHOT AT ANY TIME.
AND THE ONLY THING KEEPING THAT FROM HAPPENING IS ANY CITY LAWS THAT YOU HAVE OF DISCHARGING FIREARMS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THEY, THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY PROTECTION.
[01:40:01]
OH, AND THE, THE LAST ONE'S A POISON THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.THE SECONDARY RODENT SITE, AGAIN, IS ANOTHER, UH, ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR THEM.
SO THIS IS A, THIS IS A QRA CODE IF YOU WANNA SCAN IT, OR AT THE END YOU'LL SEE, UH, ALSO THE QRA CODE THAT WE HAVE.
SO YOU CAN LOOK INTO SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE SHARED TO BE ON THE, ON THE COYOTE CODE, I'M SORRY, THE, UH, UH, PROJECT COYOTE NEWSLETTER TEAM SEND OUT NEWSLETTERS WITH UPDATES ON SOME OF THE THINGS THEY'RE DOING TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, HELP CARNIVORES, BUT, UH, UH, COYOTES, IN PARTICULAR WITH KILLING CONTESTS, RODENTICIDE, AND A FEW OTHER THINGS.
SO IF YOU WANNA SCAN THAT OR SCAN OUR CURE CODE AT THE END SO THAT YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION.
SO THIS IS WHY WILDLIFE KILLING CONTESTS DON'T, UH, DON'T WORK.
AND THIS IS ASIDE FROM THE SEASONAL MILESTONES, THIS IS THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT SLIDE IN THIS WHOLE PRESENTATION.
SO, UH, SOMETHING HUMANS HAVE IN COMMON WITH COYOTES IS THEY SELF-REGULATE THEIR POPULATIONS AND WILL ONLY PRODUCE AS MANY COYOTES AS AN AREA CAN SUPPORT.
AN 800 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE CANNOT SUPPORT AS MANY PEOPLE AS A 1500 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE, AS CAN A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE.
SO, UM, SO COYOTES CAN, UH, UH, CAN ONLY BE SUPPORTED BY THE RESOURCES LIKE FOOD, WATER, AND SHELTER.
SO, KILLING CO UH, COYOTES DOES NOT WORK AS A CONTROL OPTION IN THE LONG RUN AND CAN CREATE THE OPPOSITE EFFECT BECAUSE A STABLE PACK HAS ONLY ONE BREEDING PAIR AND THEY MADE FOR LIFE.
REMOVING THE FAMILY OF, UH, OF, UH, REMOVING A FAMILY OF COYOTES CAN CREATE AN UNINTENDED, AN UNENDED AREA WHERE TRANSIENT COYOTES CAN ESTABLISH AS THEIR OWN TRANSIENT, LIVE ALONE OR IN PAIRS, AND ARE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES OF THE YEAR TO FILL THE VOIDS CREATED BY KILLING RESIDENT COYOTES FROM A STABLE PACK.
IF A BREEDING FEMALE IS KILLED, IT COULD RESULT IN OTHER YOUNGER, INEXPERIENCED FEMALES GOING INTO OVULATION WHEN THEY USUALLY WOULDN'T.
AND COYOTES RESPOND TO POPULATION DECLINE BY INCREASING THEIR REPRODUCTIVE RATES WITH LARGER LITTERS RESULTING IN MORE COYOTES.
IF YOU LEAVE THEM ALONE, THEIR NUMBERS WON'T GROW.
BUT AS LONG AS THE MOM AND DAD ARE AROUND AND THE PACK WILL REMAINS STABLE, COYOTES ALSO TEND TO ABANDON THE PAC STRATEGY OR SCATTER.
AND THIS IS THE REASON THEY'VE BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE IN SINGLES AND PAIRS, IN ORDER TO SURVIVE WHEN THEY'RE PERSECUTED, THEY'VE DEVELOPED AN ADAPTIVE EVOLUTIONARY DERIVED STRATEGY USED FIRST WITH WOLVES FOR SURVIVING UNDER PERSECUTION.
AGAIN, IN, IN, WHEN THEY WERE EVOLVING.
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY COULD SURVIVE, WHICH IS REFERRED TO AS FISSION FUSION ADAPTATION.
IT ALLOWS THEM TO ALTER IT TO EITHER FUNCTION AS A FAMILY OR SURVIVE AS SINGLES REPAIRS.
JACKALS COYOTES AND HUMANS ARE THE ONLY ANIMALS WHO DO THIS.
SO WE CAN LIVE SINGLE OR WE CAN LIVE IN FAMILIES, AND IF WE ARE BEING PERSECUTED, WE SCATTER AND WE CAN SURVIVE INDIVIDUALLY OR WE CAN SURVIVE TOGETHER AS A PACK.
UH, AND WOLVES, THAT'S WHY YOU CAN KILL SO MANY WOLVES IN ANY OF THEIR ANIMALS BECAUSE THEY'RE PACK ANIMALS AND YOU CAN KILL 'EM, YOU KNOW, ALL AT ONCE.
AND AGAIN, USING POISON IN THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTED COYOTE SPREADING ACROSS NORTH AMERICA.
SO THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF FISSION FUSION ADAPTATION.
INSTEAD OF GETTING RID OF THEM, YOU ACTUALLY CREATED MORE.
SO THIS IS KIND OF AN EXAMPLE, UH, WHEN WE WERE CALLED TO THIS HOUSE BECAUSE THEY HAD THREE COYOTE PUPS UNDER THIS DEN.
SO WE PUT CAMERAS UP ON THE VERY FIRST NIGHT, UH, THIS IS WHAT WE SAW.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS AT FRANKFURT, THE TOLLWAY, UH, FRANKFURT AND THE TOLLWAY, UH, JUST INSIDE A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO YOU CAN MAKE SEVERAL ASSUMPTIONS HERE, BUT THE MOST OBVIOUS THING IS THAT THEY'RE REGULATING THEIR NUMBERS.
THE PACK WAS UNDER THREAT, SO THE FEMALE HAD MORE, MORE PUPS.
THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST HOW THEY DO IT.
NOT ALL OF 'EM WILL SURVIVE, BUT MORE OF 'EM WILL SURVIVE THAN HAVING FOUR OF 'EM AND ONE OR TWO OF THEM DYING.
IF YOU HAVE SEVEN OF 'EM, WHAT IS A GOOD OR EIGHT OF THEM? WHAT IS THE CHANCE THAT YOU, THAT MORE WILL SURVIVE? UM, TH THAT IS YOU, THAT AND THAT.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE A STABLE PACK IN YOUR AREA, IF YOU'D NEVER SEE 'EM AND THEY NEVER BOTHER YOU, WHY WOULD YOU TAKE THEM OUT AND THEN RISK ANOTHER ONE MOVING IN? AND THEN THEY'RE UNPREDICTABLE.
UH, AND WE HAVE SEEN THAT HAPPEN BEFORE.
NOW KIND OF DETAILING A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE SECONDARY, UH, RODENTICIDE POISONING.
SO THIS IS A KIND OF THE COMMERCIALIZATION, RIGHT? UH, THIS IS, UH, UH, THE CHUPA CABRA.
AND IN MY CULTURE, THE CHUPA CABRA IS LIKE THIS, THIS MONSTER THAT COMES OUT AND SUCKS THE BLOOD OF ANIMALS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
BUT IN REALITY, IT IS A COYOTE WITH MANGE, UH, SUSCEPTIBLE TO COLD TO HEAT.
UH, THEY EAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S ALSO, UH, HEREDITARY, OR NOT HEREDITARY.
IT CAN BE, IT'S, UH, CONTAGIOUS.
SO IT CAN BE PASSED TO THE PUPS, UH, AND, UH, THEY LOSE THEIR FUR.
AND AT SOME POINT THEY START TO ALSO
[01:45:01]
HAVE DRY SKIN.THEY START TO SCRATCH THE SKIN, THEN THEY CAN GET INFECTIONS.
AND IT, THE THING ABOUT IT IS THAT IT IS TREATABLE.
WE'RE CALLED OUT TO THIS COYOTE THAT HAD MANGE, AGAIN, REALLY CHECKED OUT, AND IT WASN'T FEELING WELL.
UH, WE GOT HIM MEDICATED IN ONE DOSE WITHOUT TAKING HIM.
WE DIDN'T HAVE TO TRAP HIM OR ANYTHING, THAT GENERALLY HOW WE DO IT.
AND THIS IS THE WAY HE LOOK ABOUT FOUR MONTHS LATER.
AND REALLY IT IS THE, THE, THE, THE THING IS THAT THEY HAVE THESE MITES ON THEIR BODY ALL THE TIME, BUT WHEN THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS COMPROMISED BY THE POISON, UH, THEN THE MITES ATTACK THE BODY.
AND THAT'S WHEN THEY START TO SCRATCH AND ITCH, AND THEIR SKIN GETS CRUSTY AND THEY START TO LOSE THEIR FUR.
THE MEDICATION THAT WE GIVE THEM, UH, IMMEDIATELY KILLS THE MITES AND THEIR BODY CAN KIND OF RESTART AND RECHARGE, AND THEN THEY CAN START FIGHTING OFF THE MITES AGAIN.
SO ANOTHER THING THAT'S A THREAT TO KITES IS DOGS OFF LEASH.
IN THIS CASE, YOU SEE HERE, UH, BABY QUEEN, SOMEBODY, UH, UH, UH, COYOTE THAT WE HAD SEEN SINCE SHE WAS A, A, A PUPPY, UH, AND THEN THIS IS A RHODESIAN RICH BACK IN THIS PARK, IS YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE YOUR DOGS OFF LEASH.
AND THIS GUY ALWAYS HAD HIS DOG OFF LEASH.
AND YOU NOTICE HOW HE SMELLED THE SAME PLACE WHERE SHE, WHERE SHE PEED.
AND ABOUT A WEEK LATER, WE SAW HIM ON THE CAMERAS AGAIN.
AND SOMEBODY HAD COME ACROSS A SCHOOL GROUP HAD COME ACROSS THIS COYOTE.
THEY GOT TO SEE A COYOTE UP CLOSE.
SEE THAT THEY'RE NOT THAT BIG, THEY'RE NOT MENACING, BUT THIS IS BABY QUEEN.
IT WAS SOMEBODY THAT WE, YOU KNOW, IS REALLY SPECIAL TO US.
UH, BUT AGAIN, DOGS OFF LEASH ARE A BIGGER THREAT THAN YOU REALIZE TO COYOTES MORE THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
SO COYOTES ARE DEEPLY MISUNDERSTOOD ANIMALS AND HU HUMANS LIKE TO CREATE MONSTERS.
SO THERE'S A CONSTANT STREAM OF MISINFORMATION IN PLACES LIKE NEXTDOOR AND FACEBOOK.
UH, ALSO, UH, MEDIA WITH A CLICKBAIT, WHEN YOU EVER SEE A STORY ON THE NEWS, AND WE CAN, WE HAVE VARIOUS EXAMPLES HERE WHERE EVERYBODY'S REALLY SCARED AND THEY'RE IN, IN A WAY PERPETUATED WITHOUT INTENDING TO, I THINK.
UM, SO THAT WE WERE TRYING TO KIND OF DISPEL THAT A LITTLE BIT.
AGAIN, IF YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO AND WHY THEY DO IT, THEN HOPEFULLY YOU GET A BETTER IDEA AND NOT FEEL AS, AS, AS AS SCARED ABOUT IT.
SO WE'LL SHARE AN EXAMPLE OF THE HYSTERIA AROUND COYOTES, BUT ALSO THE REALITY.
SO WE'VE ALL HEARD THIS BEFORE, CAN YOU HEAR THAT? HOW MANY COYOTES THERE DO YOU THINK THERE ARE? OKAY, SO THAT'S THEIR VOCALIZATION.
THERE'S ONLY THREE COYOTES, BUT IT MAY SOUND LIKE A LOT MORE.
SO AGAIN, THE SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR COYOTE IS CANA LA TRANS, AND THAT'S LATIN FOR BARKING DOG.
UM, COYO HOWLING IS AN ANCIENT LANGUAGE THAT'S EVOLVED SINCE PLYING.
AND THEIR ABILITY TO CREATE A VARIETY OF SOUNDS CAUSES A A, A FEW SOUNDS TO SOUND LIKE A CHORUS OF MANY.
THEY YIP HOW AND BARK TO DEFEND TERRITORY, LOCATE FAMILY, CELEBRATE FAMILY, WARN EACH OTHER OF DANGER AND GREET ONE ANOTHER.
THEY CAN HEAR EACH OTHER OVER THREE MILES AWAY.
AND SO THIS IS THE WAY THEY COMMUNICATE.
UH, THEY KNOW THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS' VOICE WHAT THEY'RE SAYING AND THE URGENCY OF IT.
THEY'RE TALKING TO EACH OTHER AS WELL AS OTHER COYOTE FAMILIES.
THEY'RE HIGHLY SOCIAL AND FAMILY MEANS EVERYTHING TO THEM.
SO THE MYTH IS, YING COYOTES MEANS THAT THEY'VE KILLED SOMETHING AND ARE CELEBRATING THE KILL.
THE REALITY IS COYOTES DON'T ADVERTISE THEIR FOOD SOURCE, WHICH MAKES SENSE.
SO THAT, SO IT'S JUST A MYTH THAT THEY'RE CELEBRATING A KILL OR THAT THEY'RE KILLING A PUPPY WHEN YOU HEAR THEM YIP AND HOWL.
AND THIS, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE EXAMPLE OF IT, A LONG VIDEO, BUT IT'S WORTH IT.
SO IT SEEMS THAT THE, THE ONE, THE ONE ON THE LEFT IS THE MOM AND THE OTHERS ARE PUFFS BY THE WAY THEY GREET HER.
BUT WHAT IT IS IS LIKE GEOLOCATION.
AND YOU CAN LITERALLY HEAR THEM GETTING CLOSER TOGETHER.
AND WE OBSERVE THAT MANY TIMES.
THIS IS WHEN THE FEW TIMES THAT WE'VE EVER CAUGHT IT ON THE CAMERA, SEE THE REVERENCE THEY PAID TO THE, TO THE MATRIARCH.
AND THEN THE OTHER MYTH IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VICIOUS AND SCARY.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, BUT IN REALITY, YEAH, IN THE FIGHT BETWEEN A COYOTE AND A BOBCAT, THE BOBCAT WINS BECAUSE OF THE MURDER.
MITTENS A A A COYOTE ALSO DOESN'T WANT TO HURT THEMSELVES AND NOT BE ABLE TO HUNT.
[01:50:01]
OR FLIGHT.AND THE FLIGHT IS GONNA BE THEIR FIRST REACTION, GENERALLY, BECAUSE THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T WANT TO, THEY DON'T WANT TO GET HURT.
HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE, FIGHT OR FLY.
SO ARMADILLO WAS EATING SOME FOOD.
A LADY LEFT OUT, THE COYOTE WANTED IT, BUT THE ARMADILLO WAS HAVING NONE OF IT.
AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS CUTE FOR 10 SECONDS, BUT REALIZE THERE WAS ALMOST FIVE MINUTES OF THIS, OF THIS.
AND IN SUBSEQUENT VIDEOS OF THEM GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES.
ALRIGHT, SO COYOTE FAMILIES, UH, THIS IS TONY HAWK.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT WE TREATED FOR MANGE IN MCKINNEY.
AND AGAIN, TONY WAS A GREAT DAD.
WE NOTICED THAT OF ALL THE, THE FAMILIES THAT WE FOLLOWED, TONY HAWK RAISED HIS KIDS.
AND IN OTHER CASES IT WAS GENERALLY THE MOM OR THE, OR THE SUBORDINATE OR THE SUB SIBLINGS.
BUT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THIS IS THE FIELD THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
THIS IS THERE, THE RENDEZVOUS SIDE.
THERE'S A LIBRARY, THERE'S BASEBALL FIELDS, THERE'S, THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE'S AN APARTMENT COMPLEX.
AND THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A WASH THAT WASHES ALL THE WAY TO, UH, UM, GOLF COURSE.
WE THINK THEY'D HAVE THE BA THE PUPPIES IN THE GOLF COURSE, AND THEN THEY BRING 'EM OUT HERE SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN HOW TO HUNT.
AND SO IF SOMEBODY COMES IN FROM HERE, THEY RUN OVER HERE.
IF SOMEBODY COMES OUT FROM THIS TREE LINE, THEY RUN OVER THERE OR THEY RUN OVER THERE.
AND LUCKILY THE LIBRARY KNOWS THEY'RE THERE AND THE CITY DOESN'T HARASS THEM.
UH, THEY DON'T USUALLY GET INTO ANYBODY'S WAY.
TONY HAWK IS A GREAT DAD, SO THIS IS HOW CLOSE THEY ARE TO THE HOUSES.
AND THEN THIS IS, IF YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION, YOU DON'T SEE THIS BEAUTY, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, YOU THAT YOUR, THE YOUR POP UP OUT OF THE GRASS AND THEY'RE JUST KIND OF SITTING THERE MINDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS.
THEY KNOW WE'RE THERE, UH, WE'RE NOT GETTING IN THEIR WAY AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING IN OURS.
SO AGAIN, THE RENDEZVOUS SIDE IS WHERE THE PUPS ADAPT TO THE PACK STRUCTURE, WHERE THEY PLAY, WHERE THEY LEARNING HOW TO HUNT AND AVOID PEOPLE.
AND THEN LOOK AT, AGAIN, THE PERSONALITIES, LIKE THE PREVIOUS VIDEO.
THIS IS WHEN YOU START BEING ABLE TO TELL THEM APART AGAIN, THE TWO SIBLINGS WITH THE DAD, AND THEN THIS IS BLONDIE.
BLONDIE WAS ALWAYS SUPER SUBMISSIVE.
SHE WAS ALWAYS SCARED OF EVERYBODY.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE BRAVE, YOU KNOW, O OVER PERSONALITY COYOTES THAT GET THEMSELVES IN TROUBLE OR THE SUBORDINATE ONES.
AND WE THINK THESE ARE SUBORDINATE ONES ARE THE ONES THAT USUALLY GET KILLED BY, BY DOGS OFF LEASH BECAUSE THEIR IMMEDIATE REACTION IS TO, IS TO LAY DOWN OR STOP.
AND ALL THE TIMES THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS, I'VE NEVER BEEN ATTACKED OR, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE, WE TAKE IN COYOTES THAT HAVE BEEN HURT.
AND GENERALLY YOU CAN PICK 'EM UP WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE HURT OR YOU JUST COVER THEIR FACE AND YOU CAN DO, YOU KNOW, PUT A MUSCLE ON 'EM IF YOU NEED TO, BUT WE DON'T USUALLY NEED TO BECAUSE THEIR INITIAL THING IS TO SHUT DOWN FROM THE TIME THEY'RE PUPS.
THEIR THING IS SHUT DOWN OR HIDE, OR DON'T LOOK, IF I DON'T SEE YOU, YOU DON'T SEE ME.
BUT THIS IS ANOTHER THING THAT WE LEARNED IN THIS VIDEO, AND IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR LATER THAT WE REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
AND YOU KNOW, TONY'S THERE WITH HIS, WITH HIS PUPS AND THEY RUN UP TO HIM AND WE THINK THEY'RE GREETING AND WE THINK THIS IS REALLY CUTE.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE EVENTUALLY WE SAW IS THAT THEY'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON HIS MOUTH.
AND THEN YOU SEE AT ONE POINT WHERE HE DOES SOMETHING AND THEY STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO HIS MOUTH.
SO WHAT HE DOES IS HE EATS, HE EATS FOOD, AND THEN HE PARTIALLY DIGESTS IT AND REGURGITATES IT, AND THEN THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE EATING.
SO THEY GO BACK AND WANT SOME MORE, BUT HE DOESN'T HAVE ANYMORE.
SO WHEN A COYOTE COMES UP TO SOMEBODY AND NIPS AT THEM, IT ATTACKED ME, IT BIT ME.
BUT THAT'S ALSO, THEY COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR MOUTHS.
AND SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WHEN THEY GO UP TO SOMEBODY AND THEY'VE BEEN FED BY A PERSON, THAT THEY'LL GO UP TO THEM AND NIP AT THEM TO GET THE, HAVE THE FOOD COME OUT.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS A, A PUPPY THAT NOW IN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER LOOKS LIKE A, AN AN ADULT.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHY THEY GET THEMSELVES IN TROUBLE.
WHEN, WHEN WE SAW HER ACROSS THE STREET AT THE SCHOOL, KAREN, MY WIFE WAS LIKE, GET BACK OVER THERE.
BUT EVENTUALLY THEY KIND OF STARTED GOING ALL OVER THE PLACE AND STARTED TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THEY NOW CAN MOVE ON TO MAKE THEIR OWN FAMILIES.
SO AGAIN, NEVER INTENTIONALLY OR UNINTENTIONALLY FEED, YOU KNOW, FEED, UH, UH, COYOTES AGAIN, LEAVING FOOD OUT, LEAVES FOOD OUT FOR EVERYBODY.
UH, AND AGAIN, ONE, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THEM.
BUT TWO, IT'S ALSO NOT A GOOD IDEA.
UH, YOUR PET MIGHT ENCOUNTER A WILD ANIMAL THAT DOESN'T DISCERN FROM A DOMESTIC PET OR PREY.
NEVER INTENTIONALLY FEED, UH, WILDLIFE AGAIN.
ELIMINATE FALLEN SEEDS AND FRUITS.
REMOVE FIREWOOD OR BRUSH PILES.
AND DON'T LET, LET IT ALL FLOW.
ELIMINATE ACCESSIBLE WATER SOURCES.
AND WE DO PUT WATER OUT DURING THE, THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER.
I MEAN, ALL ANIMALS CAN BENEFIT FROM IT.
UH, DISCOURAGE COYOTES FROM ENTERING YOUR PROPERTY BY USING MOTION SENSORS OR SPRINKLERS.
DON'T PANIC IF YOU SEE A COYOTE.
ASSIGNING A COYOTE DOESN'T REQUIRE A RESPONSE.
UH, NEVER APPROACH A SICK OR INJURED, INJURED COYOTE DO
[01:55:01]
CALL ANIMAL CONTROL.AND, AND, UH, AGAIN, THAT'S HOW THEY'LL RESPOND TO WILDLIFE.
THEY WON'T RESPOND TO WILDLIFE.
IT'S RUNNING THROUGH YOUR YARD.
UH, AND IF A COYOTE IS IN A PUBLIC AREA OR NEIGHBORHOOD, SHOW 'EM THAT THEY'RE NOT WELCOME.
THEY CAN ARE TRAINABLE LIKE DOGS.
YOU GO UP TO IT AND YOU SAY, I DON'T WANT YOU HERE.
YOU WAVE YOUR ARMS, YOU MAKE A LOT OF NOISE, AND THEY'RE GONNA TAKE OFF.
IF THEY STOP AND THEY SIT OR THEY LAY DOWN, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT, UH, UH, SHOWING YOU UP.
THEY'RE ASSESSING THEIR, THEIR ESCAPE ROUTE.
AND THE CLOSER YOU GET AND THE MORE NOISE YOU MAKE, THEY'RE GONNA TAKE OFF.
IF YOU'RE WALKING IN AN AREA THAT'S CLOSER TREE LINE, THEY MAY BE THERE AND THEY'RE ESCORTING YOU AWAY BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING THERE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO PROTECT.
BUT IF THEY'RE IN YOUR AREA AND YOU DON'T WANT 'EM THERE, AND THE YOUNG COYOTE, ESPECIALLY SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, IT LOOKS LIKE A FULL GROWN COYOTE HAS NOT LEARNED THE, THE FACT THAT HE CAN'T, HE SHOULDN'T BE AROUND PEOPLE.
AND THEN RESPECT, COMPASSION, EDUCATIONAL, UH, RESPECT, COMPASSION, EDUCATIONAL, EXCELLENT TOOLS THAT, UH, NATURE WELL.
IF YOU ENCOUNTER AN AGGRESSIVE COYOTE AGAINST SNARLING LUNGING, AGAIN, IF YOU CORNER A COYOTE, THEY'RE GONNA GROWL.
OR THEY MAY, THEY THEY MAY LUNGE, BUT ONLY IF THEY'RE CORNERED.
UH, IF THEY HAVE AN ESCAPE ROUTE, THEN THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA TAKE OFF MORE THAN ANYTHING.
AND THEN, UM, KEEPING THEM SAFE.
ONLY PETS OUTSIDE, WE'VE COVERED THAT.
NEVER LET YOUR DOG INTERACT OR PLAY WITH COYOTE.
PET FOOD AND WATER SHOULD BE KEPT INDOORS AND THEN JUST DO KNOW THAT THEY CAN, THEY, THEY CAN CLIMB BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO KIND OF USE THEIR HIND, THEIR HIND LEGS TO BE ABLE TO JUMP UP AND GET OVER FENCES AGAIN.
THIS WAS IN PLANO AND THEN THIS ONE IS IN HOUSTON.
UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF 'EM CAN, CAN JUMP QUITE A BIT.
SO WHEN THEY'RE IN YOUR BACKYARD AND YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THEY GOT THERE, UM, I'M JUST GONNA KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S LATE.
UH, PAY ATTENTION TO SIGNAGE IN NATURAL AREAS.
MORE AND MORE CITIES ARE DOING THIS AND LETTING YOU KNOW, AND, AND USUALLY IT'S, LUCKILY IT'S NOT NOW THAT THERE WAS AN ENCOUNTER, BUT THEY SEE OTHER CITIES DOING IT.
AND IT REALLY IS A BENEFIT TO THE, TO, TO THE CITIZENS TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS A DENNING AREA, SO BE CAREFUL.
UH, AND PEOPLE WOULD RATHER KNOW THAT THAN FOR THEM TO SAY, DON'T SAY ANYTHING.
'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA CREATE A STIR.
UM, IF IT GETS TOO CLOSE TO COMFORT, MAINTAIN EYE CONTACT, SMALL CHILL OR WALKING YOUR DOG, TAKE OVER THE LEASH IMMEDIATELY AND KEEP EVERYONE CLOSED.
PICK UP YOUR, YOUR SMALL DOG OR YOUR CHILD, WHICHEVER ONE YOU PREFER.
UH, AND IF THE COYOTE DOESN'T LEAVE, IT'S LIKE THERE'S A DEN, UH, PUPS OR FOOD SOURCE THAT A COYOTE'S PROTECTING.
HAZING WON'T WORK IN THIS CASE.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA LUNGE AT YOU, BUT BASICALLY THEY WILL BARK SO THAT YOU CAN MOVE AWAY AND KEEP GOING.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU LIKE THIS, THIS, THIS IS TONY HAWK.
AND LOOK AT WHAT HE'S DOING WITH HIS LEFT LEG.
HE BROKE HIS LEG AND WE WERE LIKE, AND THIS WAS ALSO LIKE IN JUNE, SO WE KNEW THAT HE WAS REARING PUPPIES.
MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIT BY A CAR STEP WRONG OR SOMETHING.
WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE HIM OUT OF THE, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO TREAT HIM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS SAD FOR US.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, HERE'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW DANGLY THE LEG IS, BUT THIS WILL SHOW YOU JUST HOW RESILIENT COYOTES ARE.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A YEAR LATER, AND THAT'S HIM.
UH, I'M SURE THAT HE PROBABLY HAS ARTHRITIS IN IT AT SOME POINT.
HE'S A LITTLE BIT OLDER NOW, BUT THAT'S MINDY GOING BEHIND HIM.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WE HAVE FOR NOW.
UH, JUST TO KNOW THERE'S A, HERE'S SOME BOOKS THAT YOU KNOW THAT, UH, ARE IN THE, UH, IN OUR, UH, IN OUR CURE CODE WHEN YOU SCAN IT.
DFW, UH, WHILE DFW WAS ACTUALLY DONE BY AMY MARTIN HERE IN NORTH TEXAS.
GREAT FRIEND OF OURS, A GREAT WRITER, AND SHE'S DOCUMENTED, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL OF WILD DFW ALL THE WAY FROM FORT WORTH THROUGH THROUGH DALLAS.
A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION ON WILDLIFE, ON TREES, ON PLANTS AND STUFF.
YOU WANT TO KIND OF LEARN MORE AND MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
AND THEN AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH WILDLIFE, PLEASE SHARE.
AGAIN, IT'S THE LINK IN OUR LINK.
YOU, YOU CAN HAVE THAT, THAT, THAT 9 7 2 NUMBER.
THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY THERE THAT CAN TAKE INFORMATION.
AND THEN WE HAVE DIFFERENT TEAMS THAT DEAL WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANIMALS.
IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD RESOURCE TO HAVE.
'CAUSE THEIR FIRST THING IS TO CALL TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE OR CALL THE, UH, UH, POLICE OR CALL ANIMAL CONTROL.
AND, AND THEY MAY NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO COME OUT FOR THAT, BUT FW WILDLIFE IS OUT THERE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
I'LL LET YOU TAKE THAT PICTURE, THEN I'LL MOVE ON.
I KNOW IT'S LATE, BUT IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
I KNOW I'VE KIND OF SPED THROUGH A LOT OF THINGS, BUT, UH, I SAW A LOT NODDING HEADS.
YOU ARE KIND OF WALKING AWAY WITH THE IDEA THAT THESE ANIMALS DO HAVE JOBS AND THERE'S A REASON THEY'RE OUT THERE.
THERE'S A REASON THAT THEY MAY BE OUT THERE WHEN YOU'RE NOT EXPECTING IT.
AND THEN THE MORE THAT WE KNOW, THE MORE WE CAN TELL OTHER PEOPLE, THE LESS AFRAID OR CONCERNED THAT WE ARE AND THE MORE THAT WE CAN BE, UH, UH, PRODUCTIVE PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM TOGETHER, TOGETHER WITH THE WILD ANIMALS AND A WILD FLOWER AND FAUNA.
[02:00:01]
THAT'S IT.SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR, UH, TOWN HALL MEETING ON OUR NATIVE WILDLIFE AND WE'RE GRATEFUL TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS THAT CAN MAKE IT HERE TODAY.
UH, MR. ROBERTO WITH PROJECT COYOTE AND MS. RACHEL WITH TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE.
UM, BEFORE WE CONCLUDE TONIGHT, IS THERE ANYONE THAT HAD ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ANY OF OUR SPEAKERS OR FOR ANIMAL CONTROL? UM, WE ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
UM, AND, UH, JUST ANY QUESTIONS AS YOU HAVE, YOU CAN GO AHEAD.
ANYONE YES MA'AM OR NOT OH, THAT ACTUALLY COVER THAT IN HERE.
THEY ARE DI THE REASON THEY COME OUT AT NIGHT AND YOU EXPECT THEM TO COME AT NIGHT IS BECAUSE THEY'RE LESS PEOPLE, LESS CARS.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THEIR PREY COMES OUT AT NIGHT FOR THE SAME REASON.
THEY SHOULD BE OUT DURING THE DAY BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AND SUBURBAN AREAS, IT'S SAFER FOR THEM TO STAY HIDDEN UNTIL EVERYBODY'S, YOU KNOW, GONE ASLEEP.
IF, UM, YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS LATER ON, UH, FEEL FREE TO, UH, REACH OUT TO US.
IF YOU LOOK ON THE AGENDA, IT HAD A PHONE NUMBER.
YOU CAN REACH OUT TO ANIMAL CONTROL WITH ANY OF YOUR, UH, QUESTIONS IF YOU DIDN'T GET THEM ANSWERED TONIGHT.
WE ALSO DO HAVE PAMPHLETS OUT THERE ON THE TABLE THAT HAVE WAYS FOR YOU TO CONTACT US, EITHER BY EMAIL OR IF YOU NEED TO PUT IN A SERVICE REQUEST FOR ANY ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE RELATED TO ANIMALS OR ANIMAL CONTROL.
YOU CAN ALWAYS CONTACT US THAT WAY.
UM, IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE ALWAYS DIAL ON 9 1 1
AND SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR ANIMAL CONTROL, UM, TOWN HALL MEETING TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
UH, THANK YOU MS. TAMMY FOR HELPING US PUT THIS ON HEATHER AS WELL AND CHIEF JESSICA FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE.
AND THANK YOU NO FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT WITH ME.
AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS.
I KNOW IT'S LATE AND PROBABLY A FAR JOURNEY FOR YOU, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.