Beware-of-Wildlife in foothills near burn areas

CONTACT: Ken Pellman DATE: December 10, 2009

Public Information Officer

(626) 579-8589 (Mon-Thurs)/cell (626) 226-6085

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

RESIDENTS IN BURN AREAS MAY EXPERIENCE

MORE ENCOUNTERS WITH WILDLIFE

ARCADIA, CA – County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and County pest management experts remind residents in the foothills and near the recent wildfire burn areas to be cautious about wild animals that may have been displaced by the Station Fire and subsequent debris flows. Coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, bears, and other animals may find their way into residential areas looking for food, water and shelter.

 

The best way residents can prevent wild animals from frequenting residential property is not to leave any food outside. This includes pet food, and pets themselves, which wild animals may consider food. Pick up fallen fruit on your property and harvest your gardens regularly. It is important to keep garbage containers tightly covered. Residents should never intentionally feed wild animals, as doing so creates a danger for residents and teaches the wild animal to depend on humans.

 

Additional Safety Tips:

• Do not approach wild animals, even small young ones, no matter how "cute" the animal appears.

• Consider hiking, biking or jogging with a partner.

• Try to avoid jogging or hiking near wildlife areas when wildlife is most active: dusk, nighttime, and dawn.

• Keep a close watch on small children.

• Clear brush and dense weeds on your property.

• If your property is infested with rodents, consider control measures as rodents can attract hungry predators.

 

For immediate threats or serious injury, call 9-1-1. For concerns over sightings or evidence of wild animals, contact one of the authorities listed below.

 

County of Los Angeles Pest Management

Coyote Information: http://acwm.co.la.ca.us/scripts/coyo.htm

Or, for more information on coyotes, rodents, or similar pests, call (626) 575-5462 (Monday through Thursday, business hours)

California Department of Fish and Game (Mountain Lions, Bears, Bobcats.)

Keep Me Wild: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/

(916) 322-8911

 

County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care & Control

Wild Animal Information: http://animalcare.lacounty.gov/wildinfo.asp

Shelter Information: http://animalcare.lacounty.gov/locationbycity.asp

Pasadena Humane Society

www.phsspca.org

(626) 792-7151

Glendale Humane Society

www.glendalehumane.org

(818) 242-1128

San Gabriel Valley Humane Society

www.sgvhumane.org

(626) 286-1159

 

Established in 1881, ACWM protects consumers and the environment through early detection and exclusion of dangerous, invasive insect and plant pests; enforcement of laws and regulations regarding safe pesticide use; operation of an environmental toxicology laboratory; clearance of weeds, brush, and debris from vacant land to reduce fire hazards; inspection and verification of accuracy of scales, meters, price scanners, and quantity labeling on packaged goods.

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