1st Response Wildlife - Tucson's Humane Animal Trapping & Removal Services

Roof Rats are here!

Here in the desert, we are accustomed to encountering Rock Squirrels, Packrats, Kangaroo Rats, Harris Antelope Squirrels, and Mice.  Several years ago-as early as early 2000, Phoenix began to find Roof Rats in buildings, consuming citrus and competing with Packrats for dens in attics.  It is speculated that Roof Rats, native of Asia, had arrived in California in shipping containers and had found their way to Phoenix in delivery trucks.  From there, Roof Rats, not a native species in the US, have spread across Arizona and 1st Response Wildlife and others, are finding them in attics and around homes.

 Somewhat smaller than Packrats and, needing only an entry point the size of a quarter, Roof Rats pose a significantly greater threat to our area.  First, they are very active and, when foraging for food or water, will often have a range of 300 yards in searching for fluid in citrus, irrigation tubing, or a water source-such as a dripping air conditioning pipe.  Secondly, while they typically live high off the ground, climb trees and high wire lines to gain access to buildings, in the desert, they will burrow in the ground and live at ground level. This means they can, as they forage for food, be found almost anywhere and, since they are smaller than Packrats, can gain entrance in some areas where, if gnawing through insulation, wood, or drywall is necessary, need smaller holes in order to gain entrance. Thirdly, Roof Rats, unlike Packrats, will have several more babies per litter and, while Packrats usually live, one to a nest, Roof Rats may live in groups of 6-8 in one den and forage together.  What this means, of course, is that if you find one Roof Rat, you probably have several more.  It also means that, while Packrats and Roof Rats may have as many as 5 litters a season, the fact that Packrats usually have 1-2 babies in a littler, Roof Rats, on the other hand, can have 5-8, resulting in a proliferation of Roof Rats quicker than Packrats.

Roof Rats can easily be distinguished from Packrats by their size and the length and composition of their tail.  Their tails lack hair and are typically longer than the rat itself-as seen in the pictures below:

What we now find, is that there is an additional rodent that is trying to establish residence in our area, it is a no-native species and, since it is active and can reproduce rapidly, it is imperative that a homeowner or business retain the services of a Wildlife trapper like 1st Response Wildlife, with experience and strategies to both catch and remove Roof Rats but, also can inspect and seal up points of entry to deter and discourage any rodents from gaining entry to your home, business, storage areas, or property.

For more information on trapping and removing Roof Rats or rodents of any kind by 1st Response Wildlife, give Josh a call at 520-260-9517

Javelina and Relocation by 1st Response Wildlife

Arizona has Javelina.  If you have not encountered them yet, you probably will.  They often run in a herd of 6-12 individuals, comprised, usually with a dominant bull male, females, and 1-3 juveniles.  You will see them crossing the road, in parking lots, in your yard, lounging under your trees, or even surprising you when you get home inside your tipped over trash can.

Javelina are not pigs.  In fact, they are collared peccary which have migrated north from Central America and are found south all the way to southern areas in South America.  There are a couple of species and, based on your location in the Tucson area, you may see males weighing in at 40-50lbs, while in southern Arizona-say around Sierra Vista, you will see much smaller Javelina with a bull male weighing in at only 20-25lbs.  (Seeing a herd of Javelina in Sierra Vista may make you think you are seeing them in miniature.)

In any event, Javelina are not to be approached or challenged!  They have 4 tusks-2 on either side of their mouth which can really tear up a pet or you.  Last year, two women in Maricopa County were knocked over and their legs chewed up and, this year, two people have already been attacked in the Tucson area.

Their most common enemy is a coyote.  People who walk their dogs may encounter a single Javelina or even a herd on their walk.  Javelina’s eyesight is poor but, their sense of smell is acute.  If they smell a dog in proximity to where they are feeding or passing through, they may stop and challenge or even come after the dog as a defense against their getting attacked by what they think is a coyote.  The best option, if you see Javelina, with or without your dog, is to get out of the area.

1^st Response Wildlife is one of just a few wildlife companies licensed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department to humanely trap and relocate Javelina.  Trapping is usually not the first choice for wildlife companies.  Investigation as to why Javelina are frequenting an area, in someone’s yard, or making a specific area a place where they bed down is required.  Sometimes people in a neighborhood, an RV park, or, who have property that is adjacent to a wash, are actually feeding them.  This both encourages the Javelina to remain in that area and, raises the possibility that someone or someone’s pets will get hurt. 

A call to 1^st Response Wildlife will result in a discussion with a business or homeowner as to the location, frequency, and level of danger, destruction, or nuisance perceived to be the result of Javelina.  A couple of easy fixes are often the best solution:

1. Finding out who is feeding them and asking them to stop
2. Chasing them out of a back yard and then having a handyman install a fence/wall, or installing a gate to the property to keep them from getting in.
3. Waiting to put out the garbage until just a few hours before pickup-instead of leaving it out overnight
4. Choosing an alternate path or time of day to walk a dog.

Only after a determination of whether there is a real need to trap and relocate the Javelina in question, will actions be taken to capture them.  There are various methods of doing this, ranging from hand snaring a single animal from a confined space, to setting up a formal baiting program and full sized Javelina trap.  In cases where there is a large herd, AZGFD wants to get involved to dart and collar the herd so that after they are moved to another location, they can be tracked.  Each case is different and always involves and follows the guidance of the AZGFD.  The AZGFD has several locations around the state where they direct wildlife service companies to release Javelina that have proven to be dangerous and/or a nuisance.  Some of these are within 30-40 miles of Tucson and some are several hours drive up into remote areas.

1^st Response Wildlife has been involved in the program to capture and release Javelina and the pictures and videos to follow highlight Javelina from several different perspectives:

1. Entering a trap
2. Working with a single Javelina that was hand snared in the open
3. The responses (2) of a Javelina in a transport kennel-not too happy and clicking its tusks
4. Taking care to keep a Javelina hydrated and cool as well as providing a calming environment for transport
5. Setting a transported Javelina in a new environment where it will no longer be a nuisance
6. Watching a Javelina released from its transport kennel

Javelina often feed at night.  Using a trail camera, you can see two videos show them entering a trap 

https://youtu.be/u17sWAMseUs

https://youtu.be/uh0CjzTntSA

This picture shows a single Javelina that was hand snared in the middle of Tucson that was causing an dangerous situation in a parking lot where workers were concerned about safely getting to their cars. The video that follows shows that he is not happy and, if you listen closely, in the first video, just after he was snared, he clacks his tusks.  In the second video, he has been held for two days while he was being observed to ensure he was healthy, fed and watered, and now he is on his way to being relocated.  Still not happy.

https://youtu.be/WLlvUzvoJzQ

In the transport kennel on the way to be released but still reminding, with the tusks clacking, that he can be dangerous

https://youtu.be/Vh5LoEXuUK0

 

Javelina in a covered kennel, with the cover wet down/soaked to help keep it cool as the water evaporates during transport and, the Javelina inside has been sprayed to keep it cool while in transport.

 

A general view of the type of environment where the Javelina will be released showing a variety of vegetation and cover.

https://youtu.be/6Gld9qxsSIg

 

The Javelina, at the release site, unloaded and ready for release.

 

Finally the Javelina is released back into the wild.

 

https://youtu.be/TFuYCJh9H64

If you have Javelina in and around your property that are causing a problem, challenging your pets, or are considered dangerous, please give AZGFD a call to discuss your level of concern, or give 1^st Response Wildlife a call.  Not every Javelina call results, as described above, in capture and relocation.   It is important to have your situation reviewed and a plan of action mapped out.

Trapping and relocating Javelina can be an expensive proposition, particularly if there is more than one Javelina.  Set up a Javelina trap and baiting takes time and, if a Javelina’s range takes them away from the area of concern for a while (a week to three weeks or more), expectations of a quick fix can be disappointed.

Bottom line, if you have a Javelina problem or any other wildlife issues, please consider giving 1^st Response Wildlife a call to discuss.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), Javelina, coyotes, snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, opossums, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), ringtails, exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

RARE Photos and Video of Humane Bobcat Family Relocation-by 1st Response Wildlife

Bobcats are a common sight in and around southern Arizona and greater Tucson.  In fact, Arizona is one of the few states where bobcats are comfortable living and raising their families in urban areas, around homes, businesses, golf courses, and resorts.  Some resorts, for example, believe having a family of bobcats walk through their grounds adds to the allure of their property and their support of nature.

When bobcats, however, decide to have their young in close proximity to a home where there are young children, small dogs, or even in an attic, then 1^st Response Wildlife is often called for a consult to determine if and how a business or homeowner should react.  In some cases, there is no action required but, in other instances, an agreement is reached for the mother and kittens to be humanely live-trapped and safely relocated.  The primary goal of a mother bobcat is to find a safe location to birth and raise her young to an age where they can fend for themselves.  Choosing an attic, a protected area on a roof, a den in the desert above flood stage on the side of a wash, under a porch, or in a shed where there is an opening, are all pretty common locations chosen.

What follows is an extremely rare series of pictures and videos of a mother bobcat and her three kittens that had chosen a birthing location within 50 feet of the back door of a residence where three small children and two small dogs played and spent hours within a few feet of where the kittens were hidden.  The mother instructed the kittens to remain hidden while she hunted for food but, the fact that children and pets could walk right up to the hiding place without knowledge of the kittens, placed them in some danger from a mother returning with food and possibly reacting in a protective way to their presence.

After a discussion with the homeowner, 1^st Response Wildlife was contracted to live-trap, remove and relocate the family unit.

Here is a picture of the hidey-hole where the three kittens were hidden, safe from coyotes, other bobcats (usually male bobcats which might want to kill them in order to protect their territory), people, hawks, or even javelina.

Here is a picture of the first two bobcat kittens that were removed from the hidey-hole by 1^st Response Wildlife using bite proof gloves.

After they were caught, the mother came back to check on their whereabouts and she was live-trapped as part of the process for family capture.

Here is a picture of the third bobcat kitten, again, captured with bite proof gloves after it came out and got itself isolated in a spot it could not get out of by itself. (note, even at this age, the size of the kitten's claws.)

Once the three kittens were caught, they were reunited with their mother in a large transfer enclosure complete with food and water-in preparation for transport to a safe location where they would be released, over a few days, back into the wild.

Here is a picture of the family, back together, in the transfer enclosure ready to be relocated.

Here is a picture of a safe location where the enclosure will be placed and then the mother will be allowed to search and find a new home to raise her young.

Here is a picture of the transfer enclosure with the family inside in the safe and protected location.

Here is a picture of the family inside the enclosure in their new location with the relocation process well underway.

 

1^st Response Wildlife provides a humane service for live trapping and relocation of animals that are creating a safety issue or are causing a nuisance in and around someone’s property or business.  In mid to late summer, fall and winter, for the most part, this entails capturing an individual Coatimundi, Raccoon, Bobcat, Ringtail, Opossum, Skunk, Coyote, or even a domestic animal, such as a cat or dog.  These relocations are relatively straight forward because the individual animal is creating a problem and can be live-trapped and relocated miles from the property where it is creating a problem.  In the case of a domestic animal, a trip to Animal Control for adoption is an immediate solution.

In the case of families of animals, however, relocation is not a simple, live-trap, transfer, relocate, and release situation.  The Arizona Game and Fish Department is very clear on how it wants Licensed Wildlife Service Companies to handle family re-locations. Foremost, a consideration for the health and safety of all members of the family is paramount. They must stay together, be moved to a safe location in proximity to water, a food source, and, to a protected environment.  The release process 1st Response Wildlife uses to ensure these guidelines are followed, happens over several days and the family has to be monitored and the mother allowed to become acclimated to the sights, sounds, smells and surrounding area.  This is called a “soft release.”

For this family of bobcats, a “soft release” was planned and, for probably one of the “first times ever,” the activity and guidance of the mother bobcat was caught on camera and presented below.  The family was moved to a safe location where food and water was presented for 3 days and then, on the third night, the door to the enclosure was left slightly ajar so the mother could explore the surrounding area, find a spot she felt comfortable moving the kittens to and then return and guide them to their new home.

A trail camera was set up to capture the mother in the process of relocating the family.  

In the YouTube videos below, you can see this happen over time. In this first one you can see the mother outside the enclosure looking around, checking the area and, as she leaves the viewing area, probably checking for food sources such as pack rat nests etc.. (note how narrow her sides are-common for a nursing mother.) 

https://youtu.be/gtt4DraQ8IU

After she has looked around, she returns and calls to the kittens. You can see the eyes of the kittens still in the transfer enclosure.

https://youtu.be/UYPiG6cA_5Y

The first kitten is called, walks under the mother’s legs and they leave together.  Looking inside the enclosure, you can see two sets of eyes remaining.

https://youtu.be/v3GxuYxWj1s

The mother returns and the second kitten leaves with her.  Now, all you can see is just one set of eyes left in the enclosure.

https://youtu.be/ogFjx7SyQak

The third and last kitten (curiously) comes out of the enclosure and walks to the right of the picture.  The mother does not enter the picture here but, she does collect this third kitten and the relocation of the family is complete. 

https://youtu.be/eGUe9irqb6Y

About an hour later, a Javelina enters the picture and thankfully the entire family has successfully relocated and is safe.

https://youtu.be/1ynjmYEKIjg

1^st Response Wildlife uses this same process on other Wildlife families where the determination is made that relocation is in the best interest of the family and the particular area the mother has chosen to birth and raise them.  Care is taken to ensure the safety of the family and the situation with the business or homeowner is satisfactorily addressed.  This series of photographs and videos is unique because the actual relocation by the mother was captured in real time.  It also demonstrates the care taken by 1^st Response Wildlife and the mother bobcat in scouting and then safely finding an acceptable and safe location, following a proven process that ensures the bobcat family and, in this case, the homeowner are satisfied with the relocation.

If you would like help with any Nuisance animals, noises in your building, see or hear something in or around your home, business, or property and would like help identifying it, humanely removing it, with the assurance it will be relocated to live in a safe environment, please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call to discuss your options.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), coyotes, snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, opossums, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), ringtails, exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Bloody Bobcats!

Arizona has a significant bobcat population.  Arizona Game and Fish Department, in fact, reports that thousands are taken by hunters and fur trappers each year across the state.

Here in southern Arizona, homeowners, hikers, golfers, and winter snowbirds typically enjoy bobcats in a different way-taking photographs, watching bobcats walk through back yards, lounging on patios, and even sharing a fairway or green during a round of golf.  In rare cases, a small pet, chickens, or doves feeding at a bird feeder have become prey of bobcats in the neighborhood.  When something like this happens, very often, a homeowner or Property Management Company places a call to 1^st Response Wildlife to discuss their options.

Here we see what homeowners often see and photograph outside their picture windows or just beyond their property line.

1^st Response Wildlife, as a licensed nuisance live trapper under the direction of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, is focused on working with homeowners and Property Management Companies to understand their specific situations, discuss and educate the interested parties on their options and then, if required, trap and relocate bobcats that truly are a nuisance.   In some cases, making an area with pets or chickens more secure, changing bird feeder locations, and being aware of bobcat habits is all that is necessary.  For others, however, when a female bobcat decides to have her babies in an attic, a bobcat really is preying on or threatening pets, the best option is to trap and relocate them.

One situation where bobcats were creating a nuisance resulted in the application of a term usually applied in the UK to this blog-“Bloody Bobcats.”  While this term is broadly and often used or applied in jest, in the case of one homeowner, it turned out to have a specific application.  It seems that bobcats in the neighborhood had decided that the front edge of their Santa Fe home was a great place to bring and consume their prey.

As you can see, this line that runs down the front of the home, just above the garage is ugly. 

Closer inspection by the homeowner and then by 1^st Response Wildlife, identified the material constituting the line, as blood from prey that bobcats would bring and consume on the roof.  (Hence the moniker, “Bloody Bobcats!”)  The homeowner and his neighbor had observed and photographed bobcats in the neighborhood on a number of occasions.  However, when this behavior continued and the line became more pronounced, it was decided to ask 1^st Response Wildlife to relocate them.

The area was inspected and it was discovered that, perhaps one influencing factor for bobcats choosing a roof as a dining location, was that a large herd of Javelina frequented the area.  To confirm that competition for the same travel routes, a trail camera was set up and, as expected, for a period of time, the herd was photographed foraging around the perimeter of the home.

Here we see Javelina inspecting and actually tripping the bobcat trap.

Once the Javelina moved on and the area was cleaned up, as you can see in the somewhat grainy photograph below, taken at night, a bobcat returned and, in the picture below, came-to-trap. was removed and relocated several miles away where there was plenty of its normal prey, water, and shelter.

Here is the bobcat resting in the trap ready to be relocated.

Once the area was cleared, the bobcat was removed and relocated several miles away where there was plenty of its normal prey, water, and shelter

If you have bobcats living in your area, around your business, home, or property you manage and believe they are a nuisance, 1^st Response Wildlife would be happy to talk with you about your experiences and explore ideas for living with them or, if it is determined that they are really becoming a nuisance, trap and relocate them for you.  Please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call for the best outcome for you and for what can be those, “Bloody Bobcats!”

If you would like help with any Nuisance animals, noises in your building, see or hear something in or around your home, business, or property and would like help identifying it, humanely removing it, with the assurance it will be relocated to live in a safe environment, please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call to discuss your options.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), coyotes, snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, opossums, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), ringtails, exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Coyote-Well On Its Way To Becoming a Chupacabra, Captured By 1st Response Wildlife

Coyotes in Southern Arizona are a fairly common sight.  Often you can hear them “singing,” at night if they have their next meal cornered.  For the most part, coyotes seen in and around urban areas have become quite comfortable living in close proximity with humans.  The challenge this presents, of course, is that an unattended small pet often becomes a target for coyotes, with stories each year of coyotes killing cats, small dogs, chickens, and pet rabbits.  The term, Anthropogenic, is used to describe a situation where humans have had an effect on nature.  This term is often used to describe how urbanization of what formerly were open spaces, has caused coyotes to adapt to humans, buildings, and man-made habits and structures instead of historical environments around southern Arizona that only had cactus, trees, desert, and creosote. 

Coyotes, living in urban areas, such as Tucson, South Tucson, Oro Valley, Green Valley, Vail, Saddlebrooke, and Catalina, because of their adaptive nature have expanded their food source from wild animals, road kill, and rodents to garbage, pets, and, in some cases cat/dog food from well meaning citizens who leave food out for feral cats.  Hunting range, limited by structures and homes can reduce hiding places for prey and increase the potential for a meal that might be easier to obtain that hunting down and chasing a bobtail or jack rabbit in the open desert.  This absence of fear has encouraged urban coyotes to the extent that they have been known to team-stalk someone walking their dog – where one coyote will approach from the front and the second and third will come up behind the dog walker and little dog(s) in an attempt to obtain an easy meal.  Often, coyotes can become bold and do not necessarily run away when they encounter humans.  Some might think this is because they mean to attack, but it may only be because former encounters with humans didn’t result in anything hurtful-reinforcing a comfort level that is not seen in other wild animals.

Recently, 1^st Response Wildlife was called to investigate and possibly trap a coyote that had been seen repeatedly around a heavily populated area.  What was of particular concern by the Property Management Organization was that one particular coyote consistently was approaching the residents/renters and had been observed as close as 5 feet.  It was also reported that this particular coyote did not look well and, in fact had begun to look like it was on its way to becoming a “Chupacabra.”  (A Chupacabra, if you Google it, was once thought to be a scary mythical animal that attacked at night and was eventually named a goat-sucker/Chupacabra because it attacked domesticated animals, was hairless, and somewhat emaciated=scary)  Scientists eventually realized that the term Chupacabra and the appearance of the animals documented were really just a coyote, a wild dog, or even a fox, with all having lost their hair due to Mange and, were probably too sick to chase normal wild prey.

There are three types of mange and all are caused by small mites called Sarcoptic mites which burrow under the skin, resulting in the animal scratching the area and eventually, as the mites spread, an animal becomes weaker and loses its hair in the areas where the infestation/mites reside.  In the worst cases, in addition to losing hair, the animal develops bacterial infections as well – resulting in a very scary looking and smelly “beast,” of mythical folklore. Untreated, the mites keep burrowing in the host animal and can be transferred from one animal to another but are unique to the type of host animal.  So, if a coyote has mange, also called Scabies, the mange is easily transferred in the den, where the coyotes come in close contact to each other, or to a dog that may have contact with a coyote but escapes.  If a human were to come in contact with that particular canine mite, while some mites could be transferred to the human and cause some itching, a canine mite cannot survive on a human host and will eventually die.

Below are a couple of internet copied pictures of animals (Chupacabras) that are examples of the end state of what mange can do. (They are but two of dozens that can be found and are shown here for comparison purposes to the pictures of the coyote in question-further in this blog.)

 

After an inspection of the area where the coyote had been reported/seen and, as a result of numerous eye-witness descriptions of a rather ugly/sickly/scary looking coyote, 1^st Response Wildlife set some traps that are specific to canines. 

The beauty of these traps is that they are not designed to catch cats, Javelina, bobcats, raccoons, or coatimundi.  They also do not harm the animal but, hold it until a trapper can arrive, transfer it to a carrier and move it to another location.  With respect to this particular coyote and, based on all the reports, 1^st Response Wildlife was fairly certain that this was probably a fairly sick coyote, with mange, that would need to, after capture, be taken to a rehabilitation location for inspection by a veterinarian.  (Left alone in the wild, the Property Management Company and the residents/renters who had encountered the coyote at close range, reported that, it did not look like a healthy coyote and, its lack of mobility suggested that, without medical attention, it might not survive.  In the mean time, however, they were all worried about the safety of their pet dogs and cats many of which were walked 2-3 times a day.)

Here we see the first picture of the captured target coyote.  It has not been hurt and is just waiting for help.

Here we see the coyote, transferred to a carrier for transport to a rehabilitation facility. (Note its undernourished condition and the absence of hair on the rear end of the animal above the tail.)

Here is a close up of the right hindquarters of the target coyote clearly showing all the hair missing with a full blown case of mange.  This animal, without help, certainly is on its way to looking like one of the Chupacabras pictured above.

The following day (animal was captured late in the evening), the animal was transported to a rehabilitation center which logged it into their facility where date, time, location of acquisition took place (for Arizona Game and Fish Department's records) and an assessment was made by a veterinarian. Thankfully, the animal was not harmed and there was a place in Tucson to take it for evaluation and follow through.

If you are a homeowner, business owner, Property Management Company and you find that you have a nuisance animal in or around your property, please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call to discuss options for dealing with it or humanely removing it.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Great Horned Owl Sounds Alarm-1st Response Wildlife Responds

Southern Arizona has some of the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Homes are built with picture windows that allow for viewing the sights as well as shielding the home in the summer months from the most intense sunlight. Perhaps you have windows like these or even larger.

In any case, these windows also can become incidental hazards for our avian desert dwellers. There are lots of reports of Cooper’s hawks chasing doves or quail during daylight hours and having those fleeing capture smashing into what, to the hunted, is an escape route. Homeowners report stunned or worse, maimed or killed, humming birds, quail, and doves that have mistaken a window as a path to safety. Rarely, but, recently, several incidences of Owls hitting windows, for whatever reason, have resulted in early morning loud thuds on picture windows. One such collision resulted in a Great Horned Owl hitting a picture window with such force that it set off the home alarms. Needless to say, the family and their dogs were startled and seriously concerned as to the nature of the sound of something hitting their picture window and then the subsequent screaming of their alarm. On the patio, outside the picture window, they found this Great Horned Owl, stunned and out-cold. 1st Response Wildlife was called and after an on-the-spot evaluation it was determined that, while the Owl was immobile, it was alive and should be taken to a licensed rehabber for further inspection. What remained a mystery was what had brought a Great Horned Owl onto a covered patio with such force that it ended up smashing into the picture window. 1st Response Wildlife carefully gathered up the Owl and transported it to a rehabilitation site. (Here you can see the Owl, in a safe transport carrier-still out-cold.)

Upon arrival at the rehabber, the Great Horned Owl, (pictured here), has recovered somewhat, but is still a little foggy.

The rehabber logged the Great Horned Owl into their facility-capturing location the Owl had its incident, time, and date. (This is for their log that must be kept and reported to the Arizona Game and Fish Department on all animals submitted for rehabilitation). A thorough inspection of the Owl was completed and it was determined that nothing was broken and it will be kept until it is fully back to normal, at which time, it will be released back into the wild. A discussion as to the reason for the Owl hitting the picture window in the first place remains a bit of a mystery but, since the rehabber has two more Owls that have also had picture window mishaps, there are some theories as to whether this particular Great Horned Owl was being chased by another Owl that wanted this one out of its territory. Theory being that there was no prey in or around the patio where this collision occurred and the Owl had to fly a ways into and under a significant patio overhang. There may never be a complete explanation for this mishap but, based on the physical condition of the Owl, and the care that will be provided by the rehabilitation center, the story appears to be headed to a happy ending for the Owl. The homeowner and the family where it occurred are happy that the Owl is doing well and they did not have any serious damage happen to their home.

While rescuing wildlife is not the primary service provided by 1st Response Wildlife, from time to time, capture and transport to a rehabilitation center is provided.

If you would like help with Nuisance animals, noises in your building, up in your attic, your chimney, see or hear something in or around your home, business, or property and would like help identifying it, humanely removing it, with the assurance it will be relocated to live in a safe environment, please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call to discuss your options.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), coyotes, snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, opossums, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), ringtails, exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Opossum Capture and Release-Back into the Wild by 1st Response Wildlife

Animal Trapping in Southern Arizona requires knowledge and handling of a wide variety of animals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. 1^st Response Wildlife has years of experience in both educating the public about wildlife in the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona as well as humanely trapping and relocating a wide variety of species.  Sometimes, homeowners, property management companies, and businesses are surprised to find animals in and around their facilities that may be causing a noise or have become a nuisance but is actually a species they have not encountered here before-or they did not think would be found in this area.  For example, to native Tucsonans, the idea of thinking there is family or even a single Opossum in their neighborhood would probably be the last animal they would expect.  And, to make a sighting even more remote, because Opossums are mostly nocturnal, to find an Opossum on your property could be quite a shock. Such an occurrence happened this fall.

Opossums, are a fairly common site in many eastern states, but are not often seen in and around greater Tucson, Oro Valley, Catalina, Marana, or Saddlebrooke.  They are discovered occasionally after crawling into a load of produce or other bulk shipment from the south during the night and then, when that load is delivered north into Southern Arizona, the Opossum wakes up, ambles off and is found in a neighborhood, attic, or under a shed or manufactured home.  Their normal range in Arizona, however, remains more to the south of Tubac in areas like Arivaca and down into Mexico.

Opossums are opportunistic omnivores-meaning they will eat almost anything-plants, insects, reptiles, and animals-alive or dead.  Surprisingly they are mostly immune to venom from pit vipers which, given their range from Central America up into the southern border of Arizona and then across the southern states, rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouth snakes can become a meal for them. They are seen mostly at night and, when their food supply runs low in an area, they will move elsewhere in search of a new food source.  Because of this somewhat nomadic nature, Opossums, do not often dig or create dens.  Rather, they take shelter in piles of brush, storage areas, tree roots, larger spaces under manufactured homes, sheds, and, since they can climb, trees or even attics. 

Opossums are the only marsupial found in north America. They can give birth to as many as a dozen young which remain in the mothers pouch, for a time, and, as she is raising them.  Other than during the mating season, Opossums are solitary and actually, since the rarely carry rabies, provide, when left alone, a kind of clean up service in a given area.  They do, however, have 50 teeth, will growl when challenged, and can cause a threat to small pets. 

Recently 1^st Response Wildlife was called by a homeowner that was hearing sounds in the attic and around the home.  Because there is such a wide range of animals found in the Sonoran Desert, one cannot always predict which animal is causing scrapes, sounds, or munching noises in a closed space like an attic. Responding to the call, 1^st Response Wildlife trapped this Opossum pictured below.  Since this was clearly north of its normal range, it was determined that this animal should be evaluated and then transported back to an area that was within its northern range-both for safety related to the coming winter season and to be in proximity to other Opossums within its range.

Physical inspection identified it as a healthy male but, as it had probably hopped a ride on some load of material or vegetation that left it well north of its normal range, it needed to be prepared for a return.  It was transferred to a larger holding enclosure, fed for a few days to ensure there were no health issues, and loaded in that enclosure into a truck.

You can see that this Opossum has taken to burrowing into a soft towel, provided for warmth and comfort.

The enclosure was then covered for a 60+ mile trip south.

After a search for a suitable habitat that had a food source, access to water, and shelter, the Opossum, as you can see, in the YouTube video below, was released back into the wild.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkgcVEYgQyI&feature=youtu.be

If you would like help with Nuisance animals, noises in your building, see or hear something in or around your home, business, or property and would like help identifying it, humanely removing it, with the assurance it will be relocated to live in a safe environment, please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call to discuss your options.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), coyotes, snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, pigeons, hawks, ducks, opossums, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), ringtails, exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Reptile Education, Demonstrations, and Discussion by 1st Response Wildlife

The state of Arizona is home to the largest number of venomous snakes, the largest land lizard in the United States and the only venomous one.  In addition, during Monsoon season, the Sonoran Desert Toad (aka Colorado River Toad) emerges from its hiding place underground, to feed and reproduce.  Not all species in the southeast are either venomous or, in the case of the Sonoran Desert Toad, have powerful toxins.  Arizona also is home to a number of non-venomous reptiles that are helpful in controlling the rodent and insect population.

Knowing the difference between the venomous species and the non-venomous species that live in and around homes, businesses, schools, parks, trails, and storage sheds, can be lifesaving.  There are dozens and dozens of snake bites a year in Arizona with associated medical costs that can, with a significant envenomization, cost well over $100,000 to treat.  In addition to the cost, the discomfort, recovery period and permanent limb and nerve damage can be devastating.

1^st Response Wildlife provides an on-call service to identify, remove, and relocate all species of reptiles.  With 25 + years of handling reptiles, and dealing with the homeowners and businesses professionally, 1^st Response Wildlife is uniquely prepared to provide educational sessions to businesses, schools, Dude Ranches, property management companies, organizations, and groups interested in learning how to identify our reptiles and avoid snakebites.

!st Response Wildlife is licensed and has well over a dozen rattlesnakes from Arizona, South America, Mexico, and California. Education of the public is a cornerstone of and a requirement of the license to "Hold," venomous reptiles.  With this license Ist Response Wildlife stands ready and is available to provide sessions on reptile safety, identification of different types of reptiles, and recognizing which ones have which type of venom (hemotoxin/neurotoxin, or both).  Attendees find it valuable to see the differences between a pit viper (rattlesnakes) and non venomous snakes such as king snakes, gopher snakes and exotic constrictors.  1^st Response Wildlife will work with the educational site ahead of time to decide which species to bring.

Below are some of the reptiles that a site hosting an educational session can choose from for a session.  Reptiles are transported and displayed in locked enclosures and, with the exception, if requested, of non-venomous reptiles-which students or attendees may wish to handle, there is no danger from venomous or non-venomous reptiles.

Below is a short list of reptiles which are available for an educational session:

Sidwinder

Western Diamondback

 Albino Rattlesnake

Black Tailed Rattlesnake

Gopher Snake (approx 5'), non-venomous

Arizona Black

Mountain King Snake (approx 4') non-venomous

Mojave

Gila Monster

Patternless Rattlesnake-Rare, Pictured below

Schools, colleges, universities, and other non-profit can, host an educational session with 1^st Response Wildlife.

Homeowners, hikers, property management companies, businesses, playgrounds, and school yards all encounter snakes, lizards, and toads.  If your organization, school, property management company, ranch, or business would like to have 1^st Response Wildlife provide education and discussion that would help you identify and better understand how to protect your students, family, pets, or customers, yet recognize and leave helpful reptiles alone to help with rodent and insect control, please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call. And, if, after a session, there is a need to install an exclusion barrier around your property or business to keep unwanted reptiles out, 1^st Response Wildlife would be happy to discuss the service options for this level of protection as well.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), cayotes, pigeons, owls, bats, hawks, ducks, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Bats where they shouldn’t be? Call 1st Response Wildlife!

Summer in the Tucson, Green Valley, Oro Valley, Catalina, Saddlebrooke Ranch, Picture Rocks, and other areas of the Sonoran Desert is a time when bats by the 10's of thousands help reduce the insect population and keeps homeowners, visitors, and pets, pretty much protected from mosquitoes.  We are blessed to have over 2 dozen species of bats that help us in the summer.

In the evening, if you have the time to park and watch the area around major bridges-over-washes, you will see thousands of bats leave on their evening hunt.  If you are sitting on your patio or in your courtyard at dusk, you may also see a few or a group of bats suddenly drop from roof top hideaways and fly off to feed for the night.

Bats in and of themselves, avoid contact with people, pets, and major objects, using  sound to navigate and find their food. (Using a technique called echolocation-like ultrasound).  Unless a bat encounters netting, is sick, gets lost by inadvertently entering an open garage door, or is one of the species that feeds on grasshoppers, scorpions, centipedes, and crickets on the ground and gets stranded, one rarely sees a single bat isolated and/or away from a common roosting area.

Each summer, 1^st Response Wildlife receives calls about a single bat in a business, a home, or from a homeowner that has discovered significant amounts of droppings (guano) beneath a tiled roof,  Viga joints  (Heavy round timbers/beams that protrude through exterior walls of Santé Fe style homes), or the joints of a wall and exterior ceiling.  One of the reasons for calls is that it is pretty common knowledge that bats carry disease-of primary concern, rabies.  Since only a licensed Animal Trapper, a representative of Animal Control, or the Arizona Game and Fish Department should deal with bats, it is extremely important that a homeowner or business owner, have bats dealt with professionally.

1^st Response Wildlife has years of experience helping homeowners and businesses deal with bats.  In many cases, after an evaluation of the situation is completed, education on what the options are to deal with a bat issue is all that is needed.  If, however, there is a lone bat in a business or home, or if a homeowner has a significant guano problem, then 1^st Response Wildlife has equipment, materials, and techniques that can help remove a single bat and/or encourage a family of bats to find another place to call home.

Pictured below are a few examples of activity where a business or homeowner worked with 1^st Response Wildlife to deal with bat problems. (It should be noted that one method bats use to get into small cracks or openings in homes or businesses is to land on a wall and then, using what amounts to small finger nails on the tips of their wings, they will crawl up a wall and squeeze into an opening that, to a homeowner, looks impossible for anything to be able to access.)

Here are a couple of examples where a homeowner had enough bat guano that they wanted to have their family of bats find elsewhere to roost.

 

Here is an entry point bats were using at the joint where the Viga meets the wall in a Santé Fe style home (Note the flashlight.  Peering deep into the entrance, I could see a family of bats roosting.)

 

Here is a single bat in a business that found its way into the business overnight and the employees found it the next morning.

 

Here is a close up of that bat (Medium sized) in a transfer container

 

A Mexican Free Tailed bat (extremely small-can fit into very small cracks) Picture enlarged

 

If you encounter a bat in your home, business, see a bat on the ground in the daytime; please remember it is best not to touch it!  Since bats do carry diseases, primary among them being rabies, make sure you get your pets vaccinated regularly and, for goodness sake, keep any children or others from touching or picking one up.  Rabies can be spread by saliva, not just from a bite.  Remember, many of the bats we have here in the summer have extremely small mouths and may not be able to actually open their mouth wide enough to bite a medium or larger animal, or even an adult finger.  However, if a child, person, or an animal finds a sick bat and handles or plays with it, the saliva can be transferred and cause serious problems.  In the case of a pet, particularly one that has not been vaccinated for rabies, the saliva from the pet’s mouth can mix with that of the bat and rabies can be transmitted even more easily. Rabies can be deadly to humans and animals, so bats are not to be taken lightly!

Please call 1^st Response Wildlife if you have bats that you find in your home or business, guano under eaves or overhanging roof tiles or Viga.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), coyotes, snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, pigeons, hawks, ducks, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

 

Cute, but destructive: 1st Response Wildlife Helps a Homeowner with a Nuisance Rock Squirrel Family

1^st Response Wildlife traps and relocates all of the squirrels found here in the Sonoran Desert.  Of the three most commonly found in the greater Tucson, Oro Valley, Catalina, Green Valley and Vail areas, Rock Squirrels are the largest in size and most destructive to foundations, vegetables, sheds, cement slabs, and other areas in and around dwellings and businesses.

The other common squirrels-the Round-Tailed Ground Squirrel and Harris’ Antelope squirrel,  are also destructive, creating extensive burrows and underground tunnels, but they usually dig their entrance holes more in open desert, around plants, or under trees.  Newcomers to the area often mistake the Round Tailed Ground Squirrels as small Prairie Dogs and Harris’ Antelope Ground Squirrel as Chipmunks.

The Rock Squirrel seems to like to create its living space under structures.  1^st Response Wildlife has found entrance tunnels under sheds, hot tubs, garages, large Aloe Verde plants, homes, businesses, and other locations where a Rock Squirrel can create a burrow under extensive overhead structures which are often man made rather than open desert.  Some reports have included pictures of near collapse of a structure due to Rock Squirrels removing significant amounts of dirt from a corner or a large portion of the building.  One recent customer of 1^st Response Wildlife had large amounts of dirt removed from under a foundation, filled it with cement, and this year, Rock Squirrels were back burrowing back under the foundation, just to the side of the new cement!

Recently 1^st Response Wildlife was called by a homeowner who loved animals but realized that what were once one Rock Squirrel, then two, had become a family of Rock Squirrels.  Initially it was fun to watch one or two Rock Squirrels playing around cactus and a foundation wall.  When spring of this year came, however, the homeowner finally realized the two had multiplied and the back yard was now where the Rock Squirrel family was being raised.  When the family number grew to 7, the homeowner realized that these cute Rock Squirrels and their even cuter offspring were destroying the garden, burrowing under plants and areas that would be compromised and one was even observed eating a lizard.   The cute family of Rock Squirrels had transitioned from being cute to becoming a nuisance.

Pictured below is an example of the size of a Rock Squirrel’s burrow entrance.

 

Here on the back of one of 1^st Response Wildlife’s trucks are the traps holding the family of 7 Rock Squirrels-ready for transport

These pictures show an adult and then one of the youngsters who tipped over his water and is still a bit wet.

Once the entire family was captured, they were moved 20 miles away and released in a safe area, complete with water and shelter.  The burrow entrances were filled in and the homeowner was happy to be able to replant some of the vegetables and plants that had been destroyed, was hopeful that the lizard population would return to normal, and was pleased that the family unit was retained-albeit in a distant location.

 If you find that you have a family of Rock Squirrels burrowing around your home or business creating a nuisance, running on your roof or, as 1^st Response Wildlife has already found this year, running loose inside the living room of a home, please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call to discuss safe and humane ways to capture and relocate them.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), rock squirrels, owls, bats, hawks, ducks, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Animal Education, Animal Capture, Animal Trapping, Animal Rescue, Animal Relocation-1st Response Wildlife Does It All!

Southern Arizona, the Sonoran Desert, and greater Tucson are homes to a number of wild animals.  Many are beautiful, when observed in the wild, but can be a threat to small pets, children, and a nuisance to a business or residence.  The Arizona Game and Fish Department has very clear guidelines for approaching situations where an animal or reptile is observed on and around property.  Whenever possible, the protocol is to observe, accommodate, film, and appreciate our wildlife-but not disturb.

However, if you, as a homeowner, a business owner, a Property Management Company, or a renter, feel that an animal, reptile, or even a dog has become destructive, a nuisance, or a threat to yourself, your family, or a pet, please consider giving 1^st Response Wildlife a call to discuss your options.

The general rule of thumb, 1^st Response Wildlife follows, is to first listen, understand, and investigate a concern.  Information and education about a particular animal may be all that is necessary to put one’s mind at ease.  However, if an animal or reptile turns out to be an orphan, is living too close to a home, burrowing under sheds, decks, and/or is destructive or threatening in nature, then a plan of action which often includes an open free style capture, trapping the animal, or even rescuing it, may be the best response.  In most cases, nuisance animals, reptiles, and birds, will be relocated to a safe but distant location from where they were captured. (Birds, rescued/retrieved from a chimney, often will be released immediately, in the area where they were captured-after the chimney/entry point has been sealed up, to ensure they remain in their home area but do not venture back down into an open-ended chimney stack.)

The list of animals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds which 1^st Response Wildlife works with customers to better understand and direct the recommended plan of action, is quite extensive.  With the exception of protected species and those which need special one-time permits from Arizona Game and Fish Department to remove and relocate, services available to homeowners, businesses, Property Management Companies, and renters include Education, Capture, Trapping, Rescuing, Relocation, and seminars about:

Animals and Reptiles of Arizona, Bobcats, Raccoons, Ringtails, Coatimundi, Foxes, Skunks, Squirrels, Pack Rats, Harris’ Antelope Squirrels, Kangaroo Rats, Rabbits, Gophers, Round Tailed Ground Squirrels, Lizards-exotic and regional, Colorado River Toads (aka Sonoran Desert Toad) Tortoises, Bats, Gila Monsters, Owls, Buzzards, Ducks, Hawks, Rattlesnakes-any species, Gopher Snakes, King Snakes, Night Snakes, Long Nosed Snakes, exotic snakes (which may have been released), Coyotes, Dogs, other former pets-Peacocks, Iguana, etc..  Special permits can be obtained by a homeowner or business for specific bird and animal removal or deterrents, but it is best to check with 1^st Response Wildlife and AZGFD for larger animals, such as Javelina, Puma, Bears, Badgers, etc.

Part of the service 1^st Response Wildlife offers, in addition to its primary work directly with animals, is giving seminars on reptiles or animals in Arizona, as well as helping homeowners, businesses, and Property Management Organizations better understand how to live with our diverse population of animals and reptiles.  Frequent discussions about how to snake-proof your home, how to keep rock squirrels, mice, and skunks from returning to your property, and in-depth property and building inspections to point out and close up points of entry for unwanted “guests,” is a key part of "a day on-the-job" for 1^st Response Wildlife.

If you have small children, animals or feel that animals, reptiles, or birds, native to the area should not be living as close to your family or business as they are currently, please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call to discuss safe and humane ways to work to potentially relocate them.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

 

1st Response Wildlife Rescues

1^st Response Wildlife, in addition to trapping and relocating nuisance animals and reptiles, also works with homeowners and businesses that find and report an injured animal or bird to a rehabber-who then gives 1^st Response a call to participate in a rescue.  Tucson is blessed to have animal rehabbers and animal hospitals which treat and, when possible, nurse abandoned or injured wildlife back to health-until they are ready to be released into the wild.

Recently, 1^st Response Wildlife responded to two calls for help in capturing and brining injured raptors to be inspected and considered for rehabilitation.

The first was a Black Vulture that had been hopping from one neighbor’s yard to another favoring its right wing.  You have probably seen vultures soaring over the Sonoran desert in search of road kill or other “remains,” that they favor.  Here in the greater Tucson area, there actually two kinds of black winged vultures-the Turkey Vulture and the Black Vulture.  The Turkey Vulture is a bit larger and, if you see one up close, it has a red to maroon hairless head. The Black Vulture is a bit smaller and its head is hairless and black/grey.   (See a picture of a Black Vulture, courtesy of the National Geographic Magazine illustrated by Donald L. Malick, below)

 

When 1^st Response Wildlife arrived at the homeowner’s residence, the Black Vulture was on the ground, able to run and hop, but not able to fly.  The homeowner had seen it in the neighborhood for a few days and realized that it could not fly and therefore, it probably would starve, if left in its condition.  Using a net and carefully pursuing the Black Vulture, after following it through more than half a dozen back yards, the Vulture was captured, secured in a transport kennel (see below), and transported to a rehabber.  The rehabber, inspected it to determine whether is should be transported to Valley Animal hospital for treatment of a break in its wing. (You will note, in the transport, that the Black Vulture looks hot and has its mouth open. Remember, this vulture had not been able to fly, eat or have access to water, for at least 3 days.  In a few more days, it would have been too late to save it.)

 

The Rehabber, in the picture below, is seen, inspecting the Black Vulture's wing

 

The second rescue occurred in response to yet another call from homeowners who had observed a Red Tailed hawk which also appeared to have a damaged wing.  This raptor could get up into a tree, hop from branch to branch but, clearly, after several days, the homeowner and neighbors reported it could not fly, soar, and easily dive to capture food.

When 1^st Response Wildlife arrived, the Red Tailed Hawk had managed to make its way almost 35’ up into a tree.  Using a ladder and an extension pole, the Red Tailed Hawk was encouraged to hop to an outer branch, from where it was able to soar safely to the ground.  It was not able to fly, so again, carefully approaching it and using a net, 1^st Response Wildlife was able to safely capture it.

Below is a picture of the Red Tailed Hawk, secured by Josh, from 1^st Response Wildlife, followed by a picture of the Hawk in a transport.

 

In the transport, on its way to the rehabber.

 

Here we see the rehabber carefully inspecting the Red Tailed Hawk’s wings to determine where the injury was located, before making a determination as to whether it needed attention at the animal hospital or whether a few weeks in an aviary with time to heal would allow for its release back into the wild.

 

Rescues of raptors, injured, orphaned, or abandoned juvenile animals, reptiles, and birds, are not the-day-to-day line of business for 1^st Response Wildlife.  However, being able to work with rehabbers, animal hospitals, homeowners, and businesses to help preserve the wildlife we enjoy here in Southern Arizona, is one of the services that makes the job of animal management worthwhile.

If you have an injured or orphaned animal on or near your property, please consider what role you can play in helping that animal survive.  There are a number of rehabbers in Tucson who nurse these animals back to health and then release them into the wild.  Feel free to call a rehabber and discuss what you observe and together it will be determined what plan of action would be appropriate.  Rehabbers will determine if a rescue is called for and that is where, very often, 1^st Response Wildlife is called to humanely capture and rescue the animal.

For any nuisance animals, burrowing around your foundations, noises in your attic or chimney-or other trapping needs, please give 1^st Response a call.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

 

 

 

Rattlesnakes on your property-Call 1st Response Wildlife to remove them!

1^st Response Wildlife is experienced and ready to help you with any snakes on your property!

This is the season and the temperature is now at a point where homeowners and businesses alike are finding rattlesnakes on their property.  1^st Response Wildlife has 18+ years experience dealing with Snakes in the Sonoran Desert of all types and is particularly adept at helping a homeowner or business identify and relocate the unwanted venomous types.

There have been two alerts this year already, one from a local paper and, this week, from the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) in regards to the appearance of rattlesnakes.  The latest reminder, from AZGFD is for hikers, homeowners, pet owners, families with small children, gardeners, and business owners about the possibility of encountering unwanted animals-due to the fact that Tucson, Catalina, Oro Valley, Saddlebrooke, Vail, and Green Valley are all in a drought situation and reptiles, along with other wild animals will be moving into urban areas looking for food and water. 

1^st Response Wildlife would also like to remind gardeners, landscapers, business owners, families with children and small pets to be alert and careful around shrubs, walking and hiking at dawn and dusk, and looking carefully on patios, porches, and especially before reaching in to retrieve a ball from under a bush or to trim a shrub.  Snakes, especially rattlesnakes blend easily into their surroundings and strike from almost any position-stretched out or coiled. You may encounter them on the prowl for prey, coiled up under a bush or, as some have reported and photgraphed, in a mating dance (see below).  

1^st Response Wildlife is an expert when it comes to rattlesnakes.  If you observe one on your property and would like it humanely captured and removed, please do not bother it but, observe where it is located, make the call to 260-9517 and every effort will be made to work with you as quickly as possible to remove it.

Arizona is blessed to have a wide variety of reptiles, the largest number of different species of rattlesnakes of any state in the union, but, since the state of Arizona values all wildlife, unless you are being threatened by rattlesnakes or any reptiles, it is best to get a professional, like 1^st Response Wildlife involved to help you remove and protect it so that the balance of life in the wild can be maintained.

The most common rattlesnakes you will encounter in the greater Tucson area are the Western Diamondback, the Mojave (also spelled Mohave), the sidewinder, possibly the Black Tail, and, depending on your elevations, even a few of the 13 species of rattlers in AZ.

Below are a few photographs to help you be sure you are dealing with a rattler.  Bottom line, however, it is better to be safe than sorry.  Calling 1^st Response Wildlife will help confirm identification before removal. (Hovering your cursor over the pictures will reveal the identity.)

  

 

If you find a rattler on your property, please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, squirrels (ardilla), coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Rescuing Juvenile Owls in Greater Tucson-1st Response Wildlife, Helping Them Survive

Owls in the Sonoran Desert come in a variety of sizes.  Burrowing, Screech, and Pygmy Owls are small and often seen only as mature adults.  Two of the largest owls, found in the Sonoran Desert, Barn Owls and Great Horned Owls, while not often seen in the daytime as adults, are found routinely as juveniles.  You might ask why that is.  Primarily, when these larger owls grow to a size where, when it is time to test their wings and begin active competition for space, if they fall from their nest and not be able to get back to its safety, they are so large that they are easily noticeable by homeowners and business people.  Also, because of their size and the fact they are still juveniles, not quite able to fly/escape; they are easy prey for coyotes, dogs, cats, and other larger predators.  In some cases they have been hurt when they tried to fly, their parent may have been hurt or killed in a night-time hunting accident, or, as is often the case with Barn Owls, a nest in a bale of hay is sold and transported to a feed store and, only then are baby Barn Owls discovered-parent-less. 

Whatever the reason, 1^st Response Wildlife averages several calls in the spring to pick up and transport juvenile Owls to rehabbers, where they are raised until they can fend for themselves before they are safely returned to the wild.  Again, because of their size, while there are calls to rescue and nurture smaller owls to maturity, the vast majority of Juvenile Owl calls in the spring are for the larger juvenile Great Horned Owls and Barn Owls.

Below are but a few of the pictures of Juvenile Great Horned Owls and Barn Owls which have been rescued and transported to one of the rehabbers which takes in, nurtures and then returns Owls to the Wild. (If you hover your cursor over the pictures, there are labels which identify what is pictured.)

These Juvenile Barn Owls, pictured below were, similar to others that were discovered last year in hay delivered to a feed store, living parent-less in hay and, without a quick response and transport to a rehabber, where they are being, for the moment, hand fed, it is easy to see, based on their age, that they would not have survived.

 

Four other juveniles were also among almost half a dozen Juvenile Great Horned Owls 1^st Response Wildlife has transported to a rehabber this spring.  (Each juvenile has its species, location where it was found recorded, the individual or business that discovered and reported it logged, and paperwork is submitted to Arizona Game and Fish Department.  This helps document territorial population of the species etc.)  Again, without direct care and nurturing to maturity, it is highly likely that none of these would have survived.  Below are pictures of transport, physical evaluation by a rehabber, and current juvenile accommodations.  Once these juveniles have completely feathered out, they are transferred to a large fly-way structure where they will practice flying, learning to eat food naturally found in the desert and, finally released back into the wild.

 

 

If you find an owl of any size that appears to be abandoned, hurt, or unable to find its way back to its nest, please call 1^st Response Wildlife or one of the rehabbers in the Greater Tucson area and we all would be happy to work with you to determine the best course of action to protect these valuable resources.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, squirrels (ardilla), coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Tucson 1st Response Wildlife Gives Back With Educational Sessions

The Arizona Sonoran Desert is recognized world-wide for its diversity of animal and plant life-some only found here in our area.  We are blessed to have the largest number of rattlesnake species, strong populations of amphibians, mammals, and birds, and a supporting climate that allows the species found here to thrive.

While 1st Response Wildlife is focused on the core business of humanely capturing, relocating and, if an animal is orphaned or hurt, working with rehabilitation organizations to bring that animal along, when possible, to a point where it can be released back into the wild, there is another aspect of its mission, which is to educate the public.

It is surprising that so many residents of Tucson, Oro Valley, Green Valley, Marana, Catalina, and Sahuarita live in close proximity to this plethura of animal life and yet, may not ever see, understand, or appreciate those species that live just on the other side of their walls or along the trails they hike.  Some of our animals and reptiles are gorgeous and helpful and others are dangerous.

As a trapper, licensed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, a key part of the mission of 1st Response Wildlife is to educate the public about how to interact with our wildlife particularly in regards to those that can be harmful and especially the ones that are commonly encountered by you, your children, and pets. Seeing those animals, reptiles, and amphibians in person and hearing the facts relating to the appropriate responses one should employ if they are encountered, helps protect family and pets from harm. While we are blessed to have a place where much of the wildlife in our area can be seen up close-the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, there are still many unanswered questions and thousands of children and residents who would benefit from a more personal educational session that allows for questions and answers and first hand experiences and facts which 1st Response Wildife can provide.

One of the ways 1st Response Wildlife gives back to the community is through educational sessions where either slide shows, accompanied by talks regarding these animals are presented or, sessions, where a few representative specimens, when possible, are brought along, as part of a demonstration to help the public understand their "neighbors."  Being able to identify and understand when and how to respond in a situation where one encounters an animal or reptile, can save a life!

Recently 1st Response Wildife had the opportunity to bring several specimens to a school and conduct two sessions in a safe outdoor setting.  The sessions encompassed demonstrations of non-venomous constrictors (snakes that capture and kill by constricting and suffocting their prey-rather than using venom) of Arizona as well as some venomous reptiles and one amphibian. Children were encouraged to view the dangerous species, safely housed in display cages and, for the non-venomous species, they were encouraged and allowed to inspect, touch, and feel their cool smooth scales. 

Below is a video that takes into account the scene where a Gopher Snake and a Mountain King Snake are held for the children while, on the table, between the two presenters, the venomous species are safely housed for viewing, but not touching.

http://youtu.be/TxVTaRJupfw

Below is a picture of children touching the beautiful Mountain King Snake-a constrictor that eats rats, mice, and even rattlesnakes

 

Children being introduced to a Gopher Snake-another constrictor that eats pack rats, mice, etc.

 

Safely housed in a display case is a Mojave Rattler-its venom contains both neurotoxins and hemotoxins.

 

Beside the Mojave is a Western Diamondback Rattler, probably the most common rattlesnake found around greater Tucson-its venom is a hemotoxin.

Most often seen after a Monsoon rain, the Sonoran Desert Toad (aka Colorado River Toad), is extremely dangerous to pets and can cause allergic reactions in people if handled without gloves.

The Gila Monster lives underground most of the time and eats round tailed squirrels, pack rats, eggs, etc.

 

Along with these demonstrations, 1st Response Wildlife also educates the attendees about the reptiles and amphibian lifestyles, dangers, and what to do if they are encountered.

If you would like to have 1st Response Wildlife come and present to your Home Owner's Association, school, business, or organization, please feel free to give 1st Response Wildlife a call and an educational session can be set up with live specimens or powerpoint slides. Discussions will include habitats, how to react when encountering animals, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as what to do if you, your children, or pets are bitten.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, squirrels (ardilla), coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Humane Bobcat Release From Rehab by 1st Response Wildlife

1st Response Wildlife works with non-profit rehabilitation centers to ensure that young Bobcats, raised in a protected, but close-to-wildlife-conditions environment can be released humanely and safely back into the wild.  These Bobcats find their way to a rehabber after found abandoned, hurt, or captured when they are too young to take care of themselves.

I have taken Bobcat kitts and other animals to rehab centers until they are ready to be released back into the wild. Because I have done a lot of work with Bobcats and feel very comfortable handling them, I was asked if I would come, capture and then release the ones in the pictures and video below, back into their new home.  They had been raised to maturity and were helped to remain distant and conditioned for life in the desert.

Here are a few pictures of these beautiful creatures, my humanely capturing them in their enclosure, kenneling them with the rehabber's help, and then a video of their release.  Enjoy.

The Bobcat pictured below is one of two kits that was brought to a rehabber and nursed to maturity.

Here is the same Bobcat below snared humanely, the capture step to allow me to control it and put it in a kennel for transport.

Now that I have the Bobcat snared, I place it in the kennel, which I will then take to an open area for release. In the following YouTube video, you will see me catch and, with help, kennel both of the Bobcats, now grown from kittens.

http://youtu.be/0f2LrqrPDyo 

After we catch the two Bobcats, we release them back into the wild.  The following YouTube video shows the rehabber and her assistant encourage the two Bobcats to leave the security of the transfer kennels and take up residence in the wild.  You will see that I follow one of the Bobcats to show you how easily these beautiful animals blend into their surroundings.  What I am trying to show is how easy it is for your, on a hike or a walk in the desert, to walk by a Bobcat and never see it.

http://youtu.be/T315kCncDy0

1st Response Wildlife gets calls from homeowners and businesses all the time with reports of Bobcats sightings, in Tucson, Oro Valley, Green Valley, Marana, Catalina, and Sahuarita, and even down in Sierra Vista.  Bobcats in our region are probably more comfortable living and raising their young in closer proximity to people than in most other states. If you think you are having a problem with Bobcats, think you have an orphaned Bobcat kit(s) in and around your home or business, or see an injured Bobcat which looks like it could be nursed back to health, please give 1st Response Wildlife a call.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, squirrels (ardilla), coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

1st Response Wildlife Skunk Myths and Facts

It seems every year there are news stories, reports and some hysteria about skunks, here in the greater Tucson, Green Valley, Catalina, Oro Valley and Marana areas.  One of these has to do with rabies and others include concerns about whether a homeowner or business should call a trapper to remove and relocate them.

Recently, in a conversation with one of the authorities on skunks, I came across a really nicely organized list of skunk Myths and Facts.  After contacting the author, who had posted them on her web page, permission was granted for a reposting on my site.  I would like to thank Share Bond, President of S.K.U.N.K.S, for allowing the reuse of Myths and Facts, with a few edits, for my blog.   

Thanks to Share, I am happy to include the following "Myths and Facts," for you:

FAQs about Skunk Facts and Myths

http://www.stinkybusiness.org/myths.htm

1.  Myth:  Skunks are rabies carriers.  (Fact:  This erroneous statement implies that all skunks carry rabies.  All mammals can contract rabies if infected from the bite of a rabid animal.  Most wild animals stay clear of skunks to avoid being sprayed in the eyes, so the odds that a skunk will get bitten by another species are rare.)

2.  Myth:  Skunks are the number one carrier of rabies.  (Fact:  Unvaccinated outdoor cats and free-roaming dogs are a much higher risk because of their access to wild animals.  The reported totals of how many skunks have rabies are very biased numbers.  Each county has a different animal that ranks number one.)

3.  Myth:  Foaming at the mouth is a sure sign of rabies.  (Fact:  Foaming at the mouth can also be a symptom of distemper, coccidian, round worms, ticks, or other internal or external parasite overload, diabetes, poisoning, liver failure, epilepsy, allergies, herpes, and severe dehydration and emaciation, all of which are more common than rabies.)

4.  Myth:  If you are bitten by a rabid skunk, you will die.  (Fact:  Research statistics show that 70% of those untreated victims of rabid animal bites did not get ill or contract rabies when they followed proper and immediate cleansing of the wound.)  Still, it should not be treated lightly!

5.  Myth:  Animal rehabilitators might accidentally release rabies-infected orphan skunks.  (Fact: Highly unlikely if done right.)  In the four to five months it takes to rehabilitate baby skunks, any who have rabies would have shed the virus and already died.  Any skunks released will have been observed long enough to be confident they do not have rabies.

6.  Myth:  Skunks carry rabies up to two years.  (Fact:  This has never been proven.  Even IF it were true, you can only get rabies from a bite of a rabid animal up to a week before it shows clinical signs of rabies whether it is two weeks or two years.  At that time the rabies would be in the saliva where you could contract the virus.  The rest of the "carrying" time you, nor any other animals, would not get rabies.)

7. Myth: According to the Dept. of Game & Fish, the only way to check an animal for rabies is to remove its head and examine the brain.  (Fact:  There are procedures that can be done on live skunks.  Saliva, tear duct, hair follicle, and estrogen testing are four, but they aren't considered as reputable.  It is even possible that a piece of brain tissue could be extracted from boring a little hole in the brain where the animal wouldn't have to be destroyed. What is considered to be the most reliable method to confirm rabies, however, remains removal of the head and examination of the brain.)

8.  Myth:  There is no rabies vaccine for skunks.  (Fact:  This is not true!  There is documented proof that the Imrab "killed virus" rabies vaccine works on 100% of the tested skunks, and it immunizes from one to two years.  This vaccine has been sold for over 20 years for dogs, cats, ferrets, and other animals, with coverage ranging from 1-3 years after inoculation.)  It may not appear on labels from the manufacturer so it is best to check with your veterinarian if you have or are considering a skunk for a pet.  For rehabbers, vaccinating skunks before release helps in rabies control.

9.  Myth:  Skunks walking around during the day is a sure sign that they have rabies.  (Fact:  Skunks will come out any time of the day or night when there is food available.  Trying to fool skunks by placing pet food outside during the day does NOT work.  Orphaned baby skunks look for their mother, food and help 24-hours a day until they find what they need.  You would most likely only see them during the day.)

10.  Myth:  You can get rabies if sprayed in the eyes.  (Fact: You can only get rabies from the saliva when bitten.  There are rare cases where one could get rabies from handling the blood of a rabid animal's brain or if a rabid animal was shot in the head and it got into a cut or eyes.)

11.  Myth:  If you are sprayed in the eyes by skunk spray, you will go blind.  (Fact:  This is not true.)  There are a couple rare cases where an animal and a human died after being sprayed in the eyes by a skunk, but it was because of the stress from it that caused a heart attack.  The dog was left without being cleaned of the stench and it couldn't handle this.  The man had such a bad heart that any kind of stress would have had the same results.

12.  Myth:  Skunk spray is urine.  (Fact:  It is an acrid yellow oily foamy spray that comes out of a gland that is just inside the anal area.)

13.  Myth:  Skunks spray each other.  (Fact:  Skunks do not spray each other.  They may "whiff" when they are startled, play/fight or mate, but this airs out quickly.)

14.  Myth:  Skunks spray all the time.  (Fact:  If not startled or defending their young, they will rarely spray.  They give plenty of warning signals before spraying.  Their spray is a precious commodity that is saved for only life-threatening situations.  In a perfect situation, a skunk could actually go through life never spraying anything.)

15.  Myth:  Skunks cannot spray unless their back feet are on the ground.  (Fact:  Because skunks rarely spray, this is how these myths were determined.  A skunk can spray when the tail is held down or under, when it is doing a handstand-especially in the case of a spotted skunk, and when being hung by their tail.  They simply choose not to most of the time.)

16.  Myth:  A skunk cannot spray when hung by the tail.  (Fact:  See #15.)

17.  Myth:  A skunk cannot spray when the tail is tucked underneath to hide the anus.  (Fact:  See #15.)

18.  Myth:  Skunks smell.  (Fact:  They are very clean animals and actually smell better than dogs.  It is only what they spray that smells.)

19.  Myth:  Skunks can jump and climb well.  (Fact:  Only the little spotted skunk climbs.  Striped skunks have limited climbing abilities and don't fall well.  They cannot climb items such as table legs or jump like a cat.  A wild skunk can only get into a garbage can or onto a picnic table if there are bags of garbage piled next to it, or if the benches are next to the table.  To get over a fence, one side of the fence has to have a heavily-foliaged bush next to it or a huge pile of lumber that they can scramble up onto, but then when they get over to the other side, they have to make a long fall and sometimes can't get out/down.  With the exception of the spotted skunk, skunks don't climb into your attic, chimney or roof.  If you smell a skunk up there, there is a rare chance that it could be a spotted skunk, but more likely that it is an owl that was sprayed while killing a skunk.)

20.  Myth:  Skunks kill chickens.  (Fact:  Skunks cannot chase and catch fast animals such as the mouse, rat, or chicken unless it is dead, injured or trapped.  They usually eat the eggs, babies in nests or slow chicks.)

21.  Myth:  Skunks are useless vermin.  (Fact:  Skunks are important to the balance of nature.  They kill all rodents; black widow spiders, rattlesnakes, scorpions; and garden pests such as snails, crickets, gophers, grubs; cockroaches and all other insects.)

22.  Myth:  Skunks are polecats.  (Fact:  A polecat is a weasel.  The European polecat is the common household pet, the ferret.)

23  Myth:  Skunks are in the weasel family.  (Fact:  Skunks are no longer considered to be in the mustelid family, but a family of their own.  They never were really "in the weasel family" even when they were considered a mustelid, any more than that they would be in the otter, wolverine, badger, etc. family.  They are now in the mephitid, or mephitidae, family.)

24.  Myth:  Domestic skunks are just wild skunks.  (Fact:  Any animal that is more than three generations removed from the wild is considered domestic, but reputable skunk breeders have been breeding their stock for up to 60 years.)

25.  Myth:  If a domestic skunk escapes from a home, they can survive.  (Fact:  Only wild mothers teach their young how to survive in the wild.  Plus domestic skunks are descented; hence they have no way to protect themselves.)

26.  Myth:  If domestic skunks escape, they will spread disease to the wild skunk populations.  (Fact:  They are rabies free because of breeding, have been inoculated with the rabies vaccine, and are much healthier stock than the wild skunks. However, (25), since many domestic skunks were raised in captivity, they cannot fend for themselves when they escape.  It is best to call an animal trapper immediately to get help in re-capturing them to help them survive.

27.  Myth:  Skunks are nocturnal.  (Fact:  They are crepuscular which means they come out mostly at dusk and dawn.)

28. Myth:  Skunks are afraid of bees. (Fact: Skunks love to eat bees.  One of the reasons bee keepers build hives up and away from the ground is that skunks are not good climbers and a commercially set-up bee hive is relatively safe.  A bee hive occurring in nature, however, low to the ground or in the case of ground bees, is a great target for skunks.)

29:  Myth: Skunks are afraid of other animals.  (Fact: Skunks are fairly self reliant because they are aware of their ability to spray, which really annoys other animals.  You may see skunks frequent an area where people are consistently leaving out food for feral cats. Skunks can be drawn to food left out for these cats and get used to co-mingling with them.  Cat food, canned tuna, as well as other odiferous offerings call skunks as well as cats and this can be both annoying to neighbors when skunks are surprised and spray, or create a nuisance in the neighborhood because residents do not like skunks around.  The easiest way to reduce the number of skunks competing with the cats for food is to build/place the food up off the ground and call the cats when the food is offered and leave the food out only for a limited period of time before taking it away.  Never leave the food for long periods of time or overnight.  Using this method, the cats will learn to come when called and become familiar with time limits.  By the time skunks or other animals would have come to look for the source of the smell of food, it will be gone and soon they will lose interest.)

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, squirrels (ardilla), coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Tucson 1st Response Wildlife's 3 Most Encountered Hawks of the Sonoran Desert

In greater Tucson and Pima County, we are blessed to see several different hawks over the course of the year.  In the winter months, we will see a wider variety but, in the winter of 2014, for example, the warmer weather probably has reduced the wider variation seen in other years.

Three of the hawks we see, here in the Sonoran Desert most often, are the Red Tailed Hawk, the Cooper’s Hawk, and the Harris Hawk.  Each has its own personality, behavior and range. 

The Red Tailed Hawk is a large hawk found all over the US and is probably the most prevalent hawk you will see soaring as you drive.  Their name comes from the red on the underside of their tail feathers that develops as they mature.  I rarely get calls from a homeowner or business owner to capture and relocate them because they hunt in the open and attack from above.  Where 1^st Response Wildlife does get involved in Ret Tailed Hawk calls is primarily to help rescue one that is injured or a young bird that has, for some reason an undeveloped wing that, will not allow the hawk to develop and survive.

The one pictured below is a gorgeous specimen that cannot fend for itself because one of its wings has not developed and has become an educational bird that is living at Forever Wild-a rehabilitation center just south of Tucson.

 

The Cooper’s Hawk is a medium sized hawk and is easily distinguished, at rest and in flight, by its shorter wing span and longer tail.  This hawk is very fast and able to maneuver to catch pigeons, doves, and other birds in flight.  In fact, if you have a bird feeder, you have or will see a Cooper’s Hawk visit and probably attempt to prey on the larger birds from time to time.  This hawk’s range is from southern Canada to northern Mexico and you will see them all over this region.   1^st Response Wildlife does get calls to help capture and release Cooper’s Hawks from businesses and other locations where they may have chased a bird into a warehouse or structure and then find they cannot figure out how to exit.  Because they are so focused on their prey, they will sometimes hit structures and injure themselves, fly into buildings, and need to be rehabilitated.  I have even had customers report seeing them attached by a bobcat from below and behind when they were sitting on a homeowner’s wall looking at doves in a tree.   For those injured, I find that taking them to a rehabilitation center, like Forever Wild, allows them to be inspected, treated and then, if possible released back into the wild.  For those I capture in structures, garages, and warehouses, after inspection, if they are unhurt, a simple release allows them to return to a life of freedom.  The Cooper’s Hawk below is currently one that Forever Wild is rehabbing for release.

 

 

One of my favorite hawks of the Sonoran Desert is the Harris Hawk.  These are large Hawks and are only found in the Southwest US-AZ, NM, Texas, Southern CA and south to Argentina.   They feed on larger animals like ground squirrels, rabbits, reptiles, and ground birds like quail and partridge.  What makes them unique is that they are one of only two raptors that live and hunt as a family.  In and around Tucson and the Sonoran Desert, you will see them in family groups of between 3 and 8.  They cooperate in catching their prey much like coyotes or wolves hunt, driving their prey toward another family member and spelling each other as the chase evolves.  You will often see them together on a tree limb or electric power poll sitting close and even on top of each other and frequently exchanging places.  In fact, one of the more common causes of death for these hawks is that they will land on top of each other on an unprotected electric wire and one will fall off, hit a wire, make a connection and get electrocuted.  The Harris Hawk family is matriarchal, where the dominant female is in charge.  They tend to find a territory and, if prey is plentiful, you will see them frequently. 1^st Response Wildlife gets few calls for relocation of the Harris Hawk.  Most calls are for an injured bird which will result in a stint at a rehabber where it is nursed back to health.  As mentioned above, because these birds are territorial and somewhat friendly to humans, it is not uncommon for a Harris Hawk to be nursed back to health, released in the wild, and then adopt the territory of the respective rehabber as part of its new home.  Below are two pictures of Harris Hawks.  The first is one that has an injured wing and will remain as an educational bird by the rehabber, Forever Wild.  The second is a rehabbed and released to the wild, Harris Hawk that has adopted, as part of its territory, an area around where it was rehabbed and can be seen often, returning to hunt in the area of its adopted human family.

 

For a great experience in having an opportunity to see these and other hawks in flight and up close, be sure to make time to check when the raptor demonstrations take place at theArizona Sonora Desert Museum. They schedule a raptor demonstration that exposes visitors to several types of Hawks and, in addition to seeing them in their structures, the Hawks are, during demonstrations, released to fly overhead, land close by, and accept food from the docents.

If you have a Coopers Hawk in one of your structures, find any injured Hawk on your property or close by, please consider giving 1^st Response Wildlife a call and I will work with you to humanely accommodate capture, inspect, and either transport it to a rehabber or release it back into the wild.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, squirrels (ardilla), coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Tucson 1st Response Wildlife Diamondback Rattlesnake Rescue and Humane Relocation

Diamondback Rattlesnakes are common in Tucson and the surrounding Sonoran desert.  Attracted to dwellings which have an abundance of mice, lizards, and pack rats, homeowners and businesses see them on a frequent basis.  Rattlesnakes, in general are not aggressive if they are left alone.  However, if you bother them, they have just eaten, are close to delivering their young, or as you begin to trim a bush, you reach your hand under a branch and surprise them, a swift reaction, on the part of the rattler usually results in a strike.  In fact, the vast majority of snake bites in Pima County come from person-to-snake contact that has resulted from the snake being surprised, rather than the rattler aggressively pursuing the human.

From time to time, I get calls from homeowners who have set out a garden and, to keep out birds, they have surrounded it with bird netting.  Recently a homeowner called with a medium sized diamondback tangled up in his bird netting-probably while it was in pursuit of a lizard or a mouse.  Left alone, the diamondback would have died because it was so tangled up that the harder it tried to push out of the tangle of nylon bird netting, the tighter the strands became.  There really was no future for the rattler in that situation.  The homeowner did not want the snake killed, so a decision was made to rescue the rattler by stabilizing it and then carefully cutting the nylon netting.  As you can see from the picture below, taken with a phone camera, left alone in the Arizona heat, this diamondback was not going to untangle itself and would probably not have made it another day.

 

After carefully protecting hands and scissor work from the rattler’s head and fangs, the nylon was snipped away and the diamondback was transferred to a holding container to spend a couple of nights resting.  As you can imagine, the diamondback did not really know what was going on and, it was none too happy while it was being held down as part of the process in getting the netting cut off. 

Managing a rescue of this sort puts a great deal of stress on the snake.  When the netting was cut off and the diamondback was transferred to a holding container, I let it rest for two days so it could calm down.  It was inspected and appeared to be in good health, was offered water and was kept out of the heat of the desert while it had time to rest.

Two days later it was released outside the wall of the home where it was found, in the desert, within probably several hundred yards of where I suspected its den should have been.

Rescues of this sort are not easy.  In fact I had an associate help me hold the rattler while I cut away the remaining portion of the netting.  However, it is pleasing to treat a rattler with respect, have it rested and then return it to its natural habitat so it can continue to play a role in the circle of life.

If you find you have a rattler of any kind, not just a diamondback, that is caught or tangled up, like this, one that you determine may be too close to your home or business and would like it removed and relocated, please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call and I would be happy to come and work with you.

Thanks, Wildman Josh :)

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla), coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

 

Bat Humane Removal & Relocation

Greater Tucson is permanent home to several bat species and a temporary home for others which move to warmer climate as winter approaches.  There are more species of these little flying mammals in Arizona than almost any other state. Overall, there are over two dozen species of bats that make their home here! Using echolocation to find their targets, most of them are significant consumers of insects and, as such, are extremely valuable.  Some bats focus on nectar and my customers find that these little guys often delight in draining humming bird feeders over night in the summer.

While bats have a bad reputation for being a carrier of rabies, for the most part, the 10’s of thousands of bats overnighting under bridges, in caves and spending time under home and business eaves are major contributors to controlling mosquito,moth, and other insect populations.

Most of the calls to 1^st Response Wildlife are in response customer’s queries regarding how to get rid of bats, how to get bats to live around their property, requests to get bats out of their attic, or from folks who see what they think is bat guano on patios, walkways, or below overhangs. 

If I have a customer who wants to rid their property of overnight bats nesting under their eaves, I use professional means which does not harm the bats, but encourages them to choose other locations for their daytime sleeping areas.  If I am called to remove bats from attics, crawl spaces, or around a home or business, after I carefully capture them, I release them in areas where there are other bat colonies. 

Bats are known to carry rabies so a bat on the ground either injured, angry, or just unable to launch itself into flight can be a concern.  I use Kevlar gloves to handle these little guys and, after inspection, transfer them to either a rehabilitation site, if they are injured or to Animal Control if I suspect they may be a carrier.    

Since there are 28 species of bats which can be found in Arizona and because all bat species are protected, care must be taken to understand, identify, and be aware of both their value as well as what regulations protect and cover their management.  One of the best compendiums of information regarding bats in Arizona can be found on the Arizona Game and Fish web site.  It describes and details most of what you should know about our bats.  http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/urban_bats.shtml

If you have unwanted bats in your home or business, in your attic, under your eaves, suspect you have bats and would like them to roost elsewhere, give 1^st Response Wildlife a call and I will humanely help you discourage them from your property, if that is what you wish, and/or capture and relocate them.

Thanks, Wildman Josh :)

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla), coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Arizona Game and Fish Urban Wildlife & 1st Response Wildlife

AZ Game and Fish Urban Wildlife

I believe one of the most important parts of my responsibilities as a licensed humane trapper and relocation expert of animals, reptiles and birds of the Sonoran Desert, is helping my customers understand the rich mix of animals, reptiles and birds we enjoy.  I do not automatically hurry to capture and remove animals that are not injured or sick without talking to my clients about their individual situation and what they are experiencing with some animal that is found in and around their business or home.

Working closely with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, I carefully consider and discuss what is occurring and then, with my clients discuss the principles that the state of Arizona has in place to deal with an animal or reptile.  In many cases, a business owner or home owner can, with a little education, learn how to either live with, accommodate, or discourage an animal from being a nuisance and, one of the best resources I use is to refer them to the Arizona Game and Fish Urban Wildlife web pages, where there are extensive videos, discussions and suggestions concerning the wildlife in Arizona. 

This website, http://www.azgfd.com/w_c/urban_wildlife.shtml represents a great compendium of information and also represents the commitment that Arizona has to helping you co-exist with the animals we find here.  Along with my blog, I find that my clients are more comfortable with my approach, suggestions and, if I really do need to remove, relocate, or capture and take an animal or reptile to a rehabilitation center, everyone involved, including the critters, have a better outcome.

I communicate with Arizona Game and Fish on a regular basis and, in fact, their regulations in managing wildlife require that I keep them informed about my work as well as report and seek counsel on an ongoing basis so they can better understand what I see happening with wildlife, where it is happening, and how our wildlife management can be improved.

For more information about my approach to helping you with your wildlife questions, nuisance animals, or injured or sick critters, rattlesnakes, and bats, feel free to contact 1^st Response Wildlife, www.1stResponseWildlife.com, or my cell at 520-260-9517.  If you want to read more in-depth explanations and descriptions of our extensive animal and reptile population and find ideas on how you can co-exist with them, you will find that the Urban Wildlife section of the Arizona Game and Fish website, above, is an excellent resource.

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), exotics, and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Colorado River Toad aka Sonoran Desert Toad ~ Poisoning

The Colorado River Toad aka The Sonoran Desert Toad is found extensively across the southwest and particularly in Tucson and the surrounding areas. It is extremely dangerous due to the poison it expresses from glands behind its eyes.

This poison has been developed to protect these toads from predators and is fatal to small animals and reptiles, with very negative effects on bigger animals. These toads also can deliver their poison when they bite their intended prey, you or your pet, but this happens less often to humans and pets because neither tend to play or tease them long enough to get bitten. In fact the Colorado River Toad aka Sonoran Desert Toad has two kinds of very toxic poisons which, once they are expressed from its glands, have a potentially lethal effect on any animal that comes in contact with it, especially pets.

If you pick up a Colorado River Toad aka Sonoran Desert Toad and get some of the liquid on your hands and then rub your face, you will have an unpleasant reaction of burning, stinging and extreme discomfort. These poisons, 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin are some of the most powerful hallucinogens found in the animal world and certainly are nothing to be taken lightly. Since these are so powerful, great care must be taken to learn what these Colorado River Toads look like, protect and keep your pets, children, and yourself from contacting them directly and, if you believe they are too many of them or it is not possible to remove them yourself, consider calling 1st Response Wildlife at 520-260-9517. These Colorado River Toads are most often seen right after a monsoon when they come out from their burrows they have dug or from ground squirrel holes they have taken over. They are often seen, by the dozen after a strong monsoon, all around Tucson and areas to the north and south on the road, in open areas, back yards, and along washes and desert trails. This is the time that it is the most dangerous for your pets and children because they are, it seems, everywhere.

Less seen, but more subtle and often more dangerous are the individual Colorado River Toads that find their way into your back yard and burrow in and under places where they can find moisture. These are the ones your children and pets find and, when you least expect it, you will be called upon to act quickly in order to avoid a fatality for your pet and a lot of discomfort for your own or your neighbor’s children.

I have first-hand experience with a family dog that found a single Colorado River Toad and tried to pick it up in his mouth. I immediately observed the effect of the 5-MeO-DMT. The dog, immediately started frothing at the mouth, could not walk, had his eyes rolled back and I was convinced that he was going to die. Since time was of the essence and I knew there was no time to take him to an emergency pet clinic, I got a hose and began hosing out his mouth in an attempt to wash out as much of the poison as possible. The key to my pet’s survival was that I just didn’t put the hose in his mouth for a few seconds but kept up washing his mouth for 10 to 15 minutes. The outcome of the Colorado River Toad encounter, is that the dog lived and, after 20 minutes he was fully recovered. The lessons I learned from this are as follows: First, keep your eyes open, not only after a monsoon for the Colorado River Toad, but also routinely check around your home or business in areas that are conducive for the singular toad which may be hiding in plain sight. (See my picture above of a Colorado River Toad that had taken up residence by the dripping outlet for an air conditioner. Also note that I am handling the toad with rubber gloves.) Secondly, keep your animals and pets away from these toads-especially if you are walking your pet outside of your residence and encounter one on the sidewalk or in the desert. Thirdly, if you or your child comes in contact with one of a Colorado River Toad, keep your hands away from your face and eyes and thoroughly wash the body parts that have come in contact with the toad.

Fourth, if your pet plays with, tries to pick up, or paws at one of these toads, immediately isolate the animal and move it to a location where you can get a hose and wash off the area that has contacted the toad. If your pet has “mouthed,” the toad, then wash their mouth out for at least 10 or more minutes. (It is highly possible that you do not have time to get them to an animal emergency room before the result of “mouthing,” one of these Colorado River Toad, is fatal.) If you have any questions or do not feel comfortable removing one of these Colorado River Toads you find on your property, please give 1st Response Wildlife a call.

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Tucson Humane Wildlife Animal Trapping & Removal

Hi, my name is Josh Waling and I have loved animals since the day I was born. I live in the heart of the Sonoran Desert-Tucson, Arizona, which is one of the most unique places in the world. We have as much indigenous wildlife as the Peruvian and Amazon jungles. I have been catching and handling exotic reptiles for over 25 years. I've been humanely trapping nuisance wildlife here in the Sonoran Desert for 10+ years and I love my job. I get to help sick, injured or orphaned animals find their way back to the wild. I also like to educate the public about our animals here in the Sonoran Desert to help both people and wildlife live together harmoniously. My passion is reptiles, but I have found a love for working with all animals including bobcats, skunks, rattlesnakes, coyotes, ringtails, raccoons, coatimundi, badgers, javelina, and even domestic dogs. So, I hope everyone will enjoy following my adventures. Check out the posts, videos and pictures below to see what I've been up to lately. :) Since I have a GoPro head mounted camera, and a number of field cameras that capture photos and video day or night, if there are any animals or reptiles you would like to see that I haven't posted, feel free to email me.

 Give me a call if you need help with any animals that may have found their way onto your property and need to find a way back to their home, ask for an education session or just call for information on animals you would like to know more about. I would be happy to chat with you and, if you need my services, I will be there in a timely and professional fashion to remove them from your home and help them find their way back to either nature or a proper rehab facility. Thanks!

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Thanks. Josh

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), skunks, coyotes, pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, pigeons bats, squirrels (ardilla), coatimundi (gato solo), coyotes, badgers, possums, javelina, ringtail, rock squirrels, exotics, and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!