Placer County Animals Digest

The Office of Habitat Conservation’s Restoration Center has awarded $27.8 million to bring Central California Coast coho salmon back to California rivers, funding projects by Trout Unlimited, the San Mateo and Gold Ridge Resource Conservation Districts, and the Nature Conservancy.

Researchers tell LAist that half of California’s population of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, which are endangered, died last winter due to record weather. Causes of death include avalanches, starvation and getting eaten by mountain lions after moving to lower elevations for food.

A team of UC Davis researchers found that birds nesting near farmland were half as likely to have at least one fledgling successfully leave the nest when temperatures spiked. However, forests seemed to provide a protective buffer against high temperatures.

Written by Center for Biological Diversity scientist Tiffany Yap and illustrated by artist Meital Smith, “Tales of the Urban Wild: A Puma’s Journey” takes the reader through diverse habitats, across busy freeways and inside science labs to learn about one mountain lion’s survival story.

Animal Place, an animal sanctuary in Nevada County, is offering a program designed for students interested in farmed animals and their care. The program is sponsored by an organization called Leaders for Ethics, Animals and the Planet.

The Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District detected St. Louis Encephalitis virus in a mosquito sample near the Lincoln Airport—only the second time it has been detected in a mosquito in Placer County, although surrounding counties have detected the virus this summer.

There’s an official state bird, mineral, tree, fish, insect, lichen, fabric, sport, dance, soil and even dinosaur.

Placer County Animal Services debuted two umbrella structures to provide shade and security for dogs, staff and volunteers. Funding was supported by two local dog-lovers.

If you’re at home right now, the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District wants you to do something really quick: Go outside and flip over that bucket. And while you’re at it, tip the water out of your neglected bird bath.

In a new study published Aug. 17 in the journal Science, fossil records at La Brea Tar Pits indicate that the disappearance of California’s sabertooth cats, dire wolves and other large mammals nearly 13,000 years ago was linked to rising temperatures and fire activity spurred by people.

California’s only native sunfish, the Sacramento perch, was once abundant before invasive species decimated it. As the planet heats up and threatens cold-water game fish, the Sacramento perch may be on the cusp of a comeback, thanks to its ability to tolerate warm water.

As the planet heats up and threatens many cold-water game fish species like trout, the Sacramento perch may be on the cusp of a comeback, thanks in part to its ability to tolerate warm water and extreme conditions.

The new pack consists of at least five individuals not previously detected in California, including one adult female, who is a direct descendant of California’s first documented wolf in the state in recent history, (OR7), and four offspring (two females, two males).

A Trump administration plan for delivering more water to Central Valley farmers—bottled up in court by opponents for almost four years—could be returned from legal limbo this summer by House Republicans.

The summer adoption special to encourage more people to adopt and give these pets a loving home.

Wildlife biologists for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife this morning safely immobilized a large female conflict bear responsible for at least 21 DNA-confirmed home break-ins and extensive property damage in the South Lake Tahoe area.

The California Tahoe Conservancy has awarded a $500,000 grant to the nonprofit Wildlands Network, in partnership with Pathways for Wildlife, for a multi-year study of wildlife connectivity in the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

There’s a possible rise of four invasive animals in California—another consequence from downpours last winter and spring. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services warned about a potential population surge due to storm-related flooding.

A petition is gaining traction in South Lake Tahoe that would push the City Council to ban horse-drawn carriages, leading the carriage owners to push-back on allegations of mistreatment of the horses.

Luis Yauri Oyola hopes one day to buy a tractor to start a business in Peru; he estimates that he is six years away from that goal, for which he will have spent more than a decade of his life living thousands of miles away from his family. He is on call 24/7 and doesn’t leave the job site except for necessities.

As oppressive heat continues to blanket much of the U.S., it’s especially crucial to take precautions to protect yourself and your loved ones—furry friends included.

A rodent posing a serious threat to levees and native marshlands has found its way to Sacramento County. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife first sounded the alarm on nutria in 2017, when the large South American rodents were detected in the San Joaquin Valley.

Research by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s snake fungal disease project indicates that the pathogen is occurring in more locations and impacting more snakes in California than previously known.

Place County’s first West Nile virus cases of 2023 were detected in Roseville in a sample of dead mosquitoes and a dead bird, the Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District said.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has implemented a new policy recognizing the ecological benefits of beavers while mitigating conflict over damage to land and property (depredation).

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed that multiple sightings of what is believed to be the same wolverine occurred in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Wolverines are classified as fully protected and listed as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act.

Concerns were raised over the placement of the designated dog park in Incline Village due to public safety access and potential harm to the surrounding creeks at the Village Green.

As temperatures start to warm, bear cubs and yearlings are emerging from winter dens.

South Lake Tahoe's 77-year-old trout farm was "well and truly dedicated" to be preserved by the Native Sons of the Golden West.

A male driver parked his vehicle at an intersection in Rocklin on May 18, reportedly trying to help some ducklings, when a teenage driver struck the pedestrian in the roadway.

Photographs have been flowing into the Tahoe Tribune email featuring bobcats that have been spotted around the region, leading the newspaper to explore whether there are more of the felines in the area.

Ranchers in Placer, Nevada, and Yuba counties, along with UC Cooperative Extension and county agricultural departments, have established a program to facilitate livestock and human safety before, during, and after wildfire and other emergencies.