Monday, July 18, 2011

A Sad Time For The Wildlife...!


Due to the continuing heat and drought, even the wildlife is in trouble, especially the young!

This is part of all natural disasters we almost never think about. Nature has a way of dealing with hard times that may, at first glance, seem very harsh to us. However, Mother Nature has been doing this for a long, long time and is very good at what she does. We will never understand it fully, but maybe we aren't meant to. It may make us sad, it may confuse us, but some things are best left to a higher power, don't you think?

Texas wildlife newborns abandoned due to heat, drought

© 2011 The Associated Press
July 17, 2011, 1:26PM

LUBBOCK, Texas — The extreme heat and persistent drought seen in much of Texas is taking its toll on wildlife, with deer, birds and other animals abandoning or unable to feed their young.

Pregnant does are having problems carrying fawns to term, and most of them born prematurely aren't surviving, according to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Other does are abandoning their newborns because drought-induced malnutrition has robbed them of their ability to produce milk.

Abandoned fawns found all over the Panhandle and South Plains have been brought to the South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Ten had been brought to the Lubbock wildlife center by the end of last week.

"With the drought, there is no feed for the mother deer. And if they can't feed, they can't produce milk. They can't feed their babies, so they are leaving them," center volunteer Gail Barnes told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

The newborns that don't starve are easy prey for predators such as bobcats. One fawn that survived an attack was brought to the South Plains center, Barnes said. "It's in isolation, it's torn up so bad," she said.

Other fawns are in bad shape as well, she said.

"They are emaciated and dehydrated, and we are having to hydrate them. They are responding after several days of hydration," Barnes said.

Song birds and birds of prey also are suffering in the drought.

"They are abandoning the nest and abandoning the young because they have to be able to feed themselves to fly and get food to feed the young," Barnes said.

Temperatures have verged on or surpassed 100 degrees consistently across the northern half of the state since Memorial Day.

Texas A&M University researchers have found that this past February to June was by far the driest on record for that five-month period with a statewide average of 4.26 inches of rain. The next driest occurred in 1917 with 6.45 inches.

The drought has been going on even longer, however, with October to June also the driest since official climate record keeping began in 1895 in Texas.

Because of the drought, the fawns will have to stay at the rehab center for three or four months, Barnes said.

"We can't release them in the usual places because there is no water, so we are looking for places that still have a water supply," she said.

Even when rain comes, the problem will not end, she said.

"When the drought ends, the problem won't be solved for about a year," she said. "The grasses have to grow back, the rodents have to come back, all the trees have to grow their limbs back. This is long term."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7657127.html#ixzz1SQ2E6YNc

Now we can go and sit on the patio with our coffee. No rain in the forecast, just hot weather!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes nature can seem cruel in that way but it´s better the mother gets a chance to survive than that both of them die. But since we humans tends to intervene those fawns that are found usually survives too :-)

Have a great day!
Christer.

Anonymous said...

That is sad indeed, but certainly not the 1st time this has happened. In the North, wintertime snow causes deer to 'yard up' and eat as much as they can find. Down south, its the summer with droughts and heat that cause stress.

Animals weren't the only casulties, Native American tribes going to periodic times of famine as well. They were nomadic for a reason - people use up resources, and finding them is easier by moving around.

I hope the affected animals get some badly needed rain soon. Down here, Whitewing Dove season generally brings in the rain, it seems.

Ben in Texas said...

The one thing I have noticed that this drought has cause a change in is WASP!! Had them early this year. But now not a one.. my barn usually has a bunch of them. Seriously I don't see a one when I go out there. Other thing I am NOT seeing is dragon flies.
Mother Nature can be a cruel bitch. Survival of the fittest

chinasyndrome said...

Jim,the last couple years seems like really weird weather patterns to me.But I only have 49 years in on this rock.Maybe its just normal to Ma Nature.Might want iced tea on the porch in this heat.Stay cool Bro!

China
III

Michael Ultra said...

It has never been easy to live in Lubbock. I have so much to do cleaning out my house and the weather is not helping. We have had a 5 min. rain since October 2010. Enough, already!

Momlady said...

Mother Nature has her reasons for doing what she does. She is showing us who is really in charge and that man shall not have dominion over the earth.

Dizzy-Dick said...

Just think of all the amphibians that will have no place to reproduce. I used to have thousands of frogs on my property, but hope they get themselves berried deep enough in the mud to suvive.

MyBulletinBoard said...

The joggers say they have to be careful running near reservoirs and such now because the snakes are showing up for water. Nasty!

JoJo said...

Sad story. We expected to see lots more bear down in the towns sice the fire. We did have the mauling in Pinetop a few weeks ago. It puts you on high alert which is a good thing.
I sure hope you get lots of rain soon.
Iced coffee would be great this morning.

Mechanic in Illinois said...

I hate to see the deer population go down, less deer to hunt. Bow season is right around the corner, October 1. I wouldn't know what to do without deer hunting. Thanks for the info and have a great Monday.

BigBadSis@gmail.com said...

Sad, maybe, but as you said Mother Nature (or our creator) knows much better than we do.

HermitJim said...

Hey Christer...
I guess that it's hard times for all the critters all over the world right now.

Many of my blogging friends that have live stock are having a hard time feeding them!

Just have to let nature take it's course, I suppose!

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey Anon 6:26...
All over it seems like weather is a big factor in the cycle of life!

Let's just hope this isn't the new normal!

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey Ben...
I've seen less than normal wasp, bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds! Most of the yellow jackets I see are on the ground and not flying!

Many things different this year!

Thanks, buddy, for coming over today!


Hey China...
For the past couple of years, there does seem to be a real shifting of the weather pattern.

Scares me to think of what is going to happen later in the storm season!

Hey, thanks for coming over, my friend!


Hey Michael...
I can certainly understand how the weather is not allowing too much working around the house!

Is the lake in your yard drying up? Seems like a lot of them are!

Good luck on the getting the house ready!Thanks for dropping in!

HermitJim said...

Hey Momlady...
She is pretty good about sharing a swift kick in the pants from time to time!

She will always be the Boss, so we better get used to it!

Thanks so much for coming by today!


Hey DD...
Now that you mention it, I haven't heard much from the frogs in the ditch out back!

I imagine that they will burrow far enough to protect themselves. They have survived pretty well so far!

The birds are really loving the bird bath out back! I have to fill it everyday, because of the slashing and the heat!

Thanks for taking the time to come by this morning!


Hey LizBeth...
Shared resources will be the norm until the weather breaks all over!

I didn't think about the joggers, but I can see where that's a problem. At least they are already in the running mode!

I really appreciate the visit today!


Hey JoJo...
Staying on high alert during this kind of weather is always good, especially after the fires did away with a lot of the food source for the bears!

We are hoping for better weather, but we all have to wait and see what nature has in store!

Thanks, sweetie, for coming by today!


Hey Mechanic...
Hunting season might be a little poor this year! Not much natural resources out there for the game!

Keep us posted, OK?

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey Sis...
We just have to wait and see what Mother Nature has in store!

I do hope all is good in your neck of the woods!

Thanks for the visit today!

Anonymous said...

I live out inthe woods surrounded by Oak and Hickory trees with a squirrel in each one it seems some times. Bout a year ago I looked out the window one morning and counted 16 of them in my yard. Every year I grow a lot of tomatoes, but this is the first year that the squirrels have bothered them. So far I have live trapped about 14-15 of them and one coon and relocated them, always close to one of the lakes. Tyler has now had 20 days in a row over 100 and working on # 21. It is noon and 98.

Unknown said...

It is a sad truth when you think about it, for something to live something must die!

Unknown said...

From dust to dust