Searching for a new territory
Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008
BENTON COUNTY - A bear here, a fox there.
It seems the wild animals that once had free rein in this region are moving into the neighborhoods, and the reason is they have no place left to go.
Northwest Arkansas is one of the fastest growing areas in the country, and people who have lived here more than 15 years can testify there used to be quite a bit more natural habitat in the area for wildlife than there is now.
Regional biologist Ray Wiggs with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said he gets constant calls about animals - whether coyotes, bobcats or deer - that are sighted in residential areas.
"With all the new subdivisions and housing, we're limiting the habitat these animals have," Wiggs said. "If there's no hunting or negative pressure, they're really good at adapting, though reptiles and amphibians are going to be the hardest hit."
Prairie Creek resident Marcia Worley said the wildlife from the nearby woods has adapted nicely to her neighborhood on Putnam Road.
"For the last year, we've had a red fox that hangs around the houses here. It'll just prance around like a dog; it's beautiful," Worley said.
A week and a half ago, Worley and her husband, Matt, found the fox lounging in the grass in their backyard with a squirrel the fox caught lying nearby. The fox didn't move when Matt began taking pictures about 50 feet away.
"We're really an Andy Griffith Mayberry neighborhood. Our street really takes a lot of pride in nature," Worley said. "I think we all throw food over our back decks, and the animals know that they can find it there."
Friday's sighting of a black bear in Bentonville is another example of an animal that may just be searching for a new territory with easy food and easy shelter.
Wiggs said Tuesday there may have been another bear sighting in Bella Vista, most likely the same bear, he said; however, neither the Bentonville nor Bella Vista police departments could confirm the sighting.
"If there's a bear in town causing problems, we'll try and relocate it, but just seeing one is not a problem," Wiggs said.
Management problems begin with more prevalent animals such as deer or geese starting to move into peoplepopulated areas.
"Now the deer are coming into the neighborhoods to eat Mama's rose buses. In incorporated cities, this (presence of deer ) is really hard to deal with," Wiggs said.
The best way of effectively managing deer is maintaining quality habitat and controlled hunting, according to the commission's Web site. Wiggs said the control measures have come down to special hunts in some areas in north Arkansas, an option that may soon be available for residents on Holiday Island in Carroll County, the Arkansas county immediately east of Benton County.
"Fifty percent of people want to save every deer, and the other 50 percent wants them all dead," Wiggs said. "In the county, we can do the controlled hunts, but not within city limits, so we're going to have to work with the city officials to let us discharge firearms within the city. There's not much else you can do with deer."
Though finding deer in the neighborhood flower beds may not be a problem for some, hitting a deer on the highway or a county road can be threatening to any motorist.
"I see deer dead on the side of the road all the time," Wiggs said. "Management is becoming more and more of a problem in northwest Arkansas."
The federally protected Canada geese - which like to congregate in parks, golf courses and open fields near water - are also causing problems for property owners.
The Bella Vista Property Owners Association approved, during its June 19 board meeting, using a permit extended by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to kill 100 geese out of the estimated 1, 000 geese in the city. The approval was met with opposition from some residents.
Wiggs said the region is seeing a decrease in birds that need more natural habitat, such as herons, and an increase in birds that easily adapt to people and neighborhoods.
Toodie Laswell with Northwest Arkansas Wildlife Rehab in Gentry said she predicts many of the animals that residents take for granted today won't be around in 10 to 15 years, namely skunks, possums and raccoons.
Laswell said skunks - out of all animals - are more likely to adapt to people, but at this rate they won't survive. She said people are too scared of the friendly animal that often goes searching for food during the day.
"Many animals, like skunks, don't see man as a threat; they see man as a provider," Laswell said. "As long as people feed their dogs and cats outside or leave their garbage easy to get to, then there are going to be animals who will find it."
Laswell, who would prefer that people just find a way to get along with the animals, suggested that residents look for ways to prevent animals from being or becoming a nuisance.
"Look around and ask yourself why an animal would be coming to your yard. Food ? Shelter ? Cut it off, and they won't come anymore," she said.
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