Wildlife Encounters on the Rise

This article was originally published on July 23, 2012 and expired on August 31, 2012. It is provided here for archival purposes and may contain dated information.

We are hearing more and more about the rise in wildlife encounters in many states. When the economy was thriving, in particular the construction of homes and roads, we were able to blame human land use choices for the continuing rise in human and animal encounters. Today we are at the mercy of some unbelievable weather patterns across the United States, not to mention an enormous wildfire or two.

Here in northern Illinois we do not have to worry about large wildfires although brush fires are not out of the question. The extreme drought pattern is forcing animals to be more visually exposed while searching out water and food. Though they coexist with humans all the time, being discrete takes a backseat to their need for survival.

Peggy Doty, University of Illinois Extension Educator, explains, "Wildlife is more at the mercy of the weather than humans and must adapt more drastically to survive." Doty suggests making sure all garbage cans are securely sealed and domestic pet foods be picked up each evening so there are no unwanted conflicts between pets and wildlife. Doty goes on to say, "You cannot deny an outdoor pet their water, especially in this heat, so if necessary place another water source outside of your home perimeter which would hopefully encourage a wild animal to avoid a domestic pet's water bowl."

Doty herself has experienced this problem and said, "Last week I let my two dogs out into our fenced backyard, prior to going to bed, when unbeknownst to me I had a pair of young skunks getting a much needed drink from a ground level bird bath. The information above is well researched as the score at my house stands at skunks two and dogs zero."

This particular type of encounter requires the use of a cleaning agent and the following works well. Mix one quart, 32 ounces, of hydrogen peroxide with one cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of dish soap in a bucket. Do not put this in a sealed container. Use a rag to sponge onto the animal avoiding the eyes and ear canals. You may find you have to bathe some animals twice depending on the accuracy of the skunk. Doty adds, "You will never get all the oil off your pet but be assured it will wear off eventually."

University of Illinois Extension has a website to help identify wildlife as well as answer more wildlife related questions. You will find this information at livingwithwildlife.extension.uiuc.edu

Pull date: August 31, 2012