Santa Cruz County Local News: Animals


All Local Animals News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: From the coast to the mountains, Santa Cruz County’s landscape has given way to human development. But residents can make all parts of the region more hospitable to native species.
Backyard Ecology

Tips for creating wildlife-friendly habitat in Santa Cruz County, no matter where you live.

Image caption: RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt

What do resource conservation districts protect? Pretty much everything that’s worth saving.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

04/24/2024
Several bills making their way through the California Legislature seek to address overcrowded animal shelters and streamline how animals receive care.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

04/20/2024
California has released 500,000 salmon into the Klamath River. As dams are removed, the fish will be some of the first to return to a free-flowing river.

Hilltromper Santa Cruz logo From Hilltromper Santa Cruz...

04/17/2024
Image for display with article titled Science Spotlight: Why Do Humpbacks Breach?

More than 40 feet long and weighing up to 40 tons, adult humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are formidable giants. But their immensity doesn’t hinder their athleticism.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

04/15/2024
California State Parks and partner Friends of California State Parks are working together on a project to rehabilitate a number of dunes at Rio Del Mar State Beach to reduce erosion, increase resilience and restore wildlife habitat.

California Local Pin Marker From SF Gate...

04/14/2024
Obstacles are mounting for officials who are attempting to rescue a young gray whale that was discovered entangled in a gillnet off Laguna Beach was recently sighted off the coast of Thornton State Beach in Daly City .

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

04/06/2024
Image for display with article titled Natural Wonders of Santa Cruz ... Spring Renewal

The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History has some tips on what to see in the blossoming new season, from wildflowers to migrating shorebirds to humpback whales.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

03/30/2024
Captains of fishing boats on the California coast are bracing for salmon fishing to be severely restricted — or possibly canceled for a second year.

California Local Pin Marker From SF Gate...

03/27/2024
The goal is to eliminate habitat competition between "invasive" owls and native owls.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

03/26/2024
Image for display with article titled Yes, Beavers Can Help Stop Wildfires. And More Places in California Are Embracing Them

Beavers create unburned islands where plants and animals can shelter from megafires, research has confirmed. A movement is afoot to reintroduce the rodents to the state's waterways.

Hilltromper Santa Cruz logo From Hilltromper Santa Cruz...

03/21/2024
Image for display with article titled Fossil Sloth Bone Found in the Santa Cruz Mountains

Local students find Jefferson’s ground sloth fossil in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the first fossil evidence for this species reported in Santa Cruz county history.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo From San Lorenzo Valley Post...

03/14/2024
Image for display with article titled The Equestrian Way: Canham Farm Horse Rescue and Rehab Offers Sanctuary

Located in the rolling hills near Glenwood Open Space Preserve in Scotts Valley, Canham Farm Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation is a haven for abused and neglected domestic horses and wild mustangs rounded up from the range.

Hilltromper Santa Cruz logo From Hilltromper Santa Cruz...

03/12/2024
Image for display with article titled Fossil-Hunting Fun in Santa Cruz

Traces and remains of ancient creatures—from whale-ribs to a famous mastodon tooth—frequently surface on Santa Cruz beaches and in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

02/26/2024
Whale experts are anxiously awaiting the annual 2024 count of gray whales migrating through Monterey Bay, following a sharp decline in last year’s gray whale survey.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

02/26/2024
Elkhorn Slough’s resident otters were singled out when a team of scientists published a cover story in the prestigious journal Nature describing how they protect against erosion in coastal estuaries by eating burrowing crabs.

California Local Pin Marker From Monterey Herald...

02/24/2024
There was a time not so long ago when trained observers were overwhelmed by the number of whales migrating through Monterey Bay.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

02/23/2024
The Wildlife Conservation Board voted to award $10.3 million to the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County to preserve the 27,000-acre Camatta Ranch in Santa Margarita.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

02/14/2024
While temperatures aren’t warm enough for mosquitoes to run rampant, now’s the time to prevent breeding grounds.

California Local Pin Marker From SF Gate...

02/14/2024
Foragers at the beaches in Half Moon Bay might be damaging the area’s reef.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

02/12/2024
Within the last century, the recovery of southern sea otters has contributed to the health of California’s underwater forests, according to a new research paper from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
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