This summer was a tough one for the area with several large wildfires that burned right up to the city limits. At one point 90,000 people had to evacuate their homes. Around 50 homes were destroyed and at least 2 people lost their lives. We were a few blocks from the evacuation zone but thankfully did not have to leave. The sometimes-overlooked cost of these fires is the lost habitat and food sources for wildlife that occur. With critical areas burned animals are already making their way into urban areas to find food. The park I sometimes walk my dog at had a mother bear and two cubs darted and removed this last week. This area is well within the city and not normally considered bear habitat. With record snowfalls predicted as a historic is El Nino is forming off the west coast we could have a terrible winter for wildlife.
This is a crappy photo but is indication of the movement of wildlife in the wake of the fires. Bears live on the mountainous west side of town and rarely venture to the areas east of there because it is desert. I run my trail cameras along the river corridor east of the city. I collected my memory cards yesterday and was shocked to see a bear. Over 10 years of monitoring this area and I have never seen one before. Wolves have been spotted just north of the area as well. Maybe I will get lucky and catch one of those cameras.
I have not seen any mountain lions for a few months. It may explain why I am seeing a lot of bobcats.
I think it is going to be an interesting winter for wildlife monitoring. We shall see what we see.
