Did you know that the Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital in Walnut Creek is the first and largest wildlife rehabilitation center in the United States? It treats more than 5,500 injured and orphaned wild animals each year, including raptors, owls, foxes, reptiles and much more.
As the human population continues to grow, our activities have an increasing impact on the native wildlife in Contra Costa. More than 98% of the animals treated here are admitted due to adverse contact with human activity. Here are some easy things you can do to protect our local wildlife:
- Keep wild animals wild - don't feed wild animals, and keep pet food in at night.
- Pick up fishing lines or hooks - birds, mammals and turtles can be seriously injured from getting tangled in fishing line or swallowing hooks.
- Do not use rat or mouse poison, or sticky traps - snap traps are more humane for rodent control and not likely to harm other animals.
- Grow a wildlife-friendly garden - avoid pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and plant gardens that will attract birds and butterflies.
- Prune trees and shrubs in the fall - some birds and mammals begin nesting in January, and nesting season can last into August.
Click here to learn what you should do if you find an animal that needs help, and learn more about the Lindsay Wildlife Experience here.
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