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Sacramento County Animals Digest



California Declares Bird Flu Emergency

12/18/2024

As the first serious case of bird flu in a human is reported and more dairy herds across the state are infected, California Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency. Read on to learn what that entails.

California Dairies Ignore Bird Flu Threat

11/25/2024

Learn how health officials and California dairies are responding, or not, to the explosive spread of bird flu through dairy herds across the state.

Unstoppable Invasion: How Did Mussels Sneak Into California, Despite Decades of State Shipping Rules?

11/25/2024

Most ships discharging ballast water into California waters are inspected, but state officials have tested the water of only 16 ships. Experts say invaders like mussels are inevitable under current rules and enforcement.

A California Child Tested Positive for Bird Flu. Here’s Why This Case Is Different

11/19/2024

Bird flu has been spreading among dairy workers in California’s Central Valley, jumping from cows to people. A new suspected case in the Bay Area came from an unknown source.

Santa Clara County Ramps Up Response as Invasive Mosquito Detected in More Areas

11/01/2024

The invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitos have been detected in more areas of Santa Clara County, prompting officials to hold meetings to discuss their response to the threat posed by the species. 

A Century Later, Salmon Again Spawning in Klamath River After Dams Removed

10/31/2024

Sixty years ago, I was a reporter for the Klamath Falls (Oregon) Herald and News and with my family lived in a small house on the Link River, which flows out of Upper Klamath Lake, draining a large portion of the Cascade mountain range.

A Third Straight Year With No California Salmon Fishing?  Early Fish Counts Suggest It Could Happen

10/30/2024

Low counts of spawning salmon could mean another year without fishing. Experts say the outlook still has time to turn around.

Bird Flu Jumped From Cows to People. Now Advocates Want More Farmworkers Tested

10/29/2024

A strain of bird flu that imperiled California poultry and cattle has jumped to people. In humans, the symptoms are mild and the virus has not been transmitted among people.

Is a New Plan for Delivering Delta Water Worse Than Trump’s Rules? Environmentalists Say Yes.

10/24/2024

Growers support a federal and state proposal for operating California’s massive systems that send river water south. But it could harm more salmon and other endangered fish.

Sacramento SPCA Names New Chief Executive Officer

10/22/2024

Jennifer Brent has been named as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Sacramento Zoo Announces Resignation of Executive Director

10/04/2024

On October 4, the Sacramento Zoo announced the resignation of Executive Director Jason Jacobs and named a new team as the zoo prepares to move to Elk Grove.

H5N1 Bird Flu Infects California Dairy Cows

09/11/2024

H5N1 bird flu has been reported in three California dairy herds.

The Bats of Yolo County

09/09/2024

The Sacramento Observer shines a light on the hundreds of thousands of bats who make their home in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, and how they benefit local sustainable agriculture (and eat a lot of insects.)

One Person's Experience in a Sacramento Homeless Shelter

08/22/2024

A resident of the Roseville Road homeless shelter in Sacramento talks about their experience there.

Feral Cat Numbers Increase in Citrus Heights

05/25/2024

The Citrus Heights City Council heard concerns expressed at a recent meeting about the increase in feral cats locally, many sick and starving, and some possibly carrying a deadly virus.

Salmon Fishing Banned in Sacramento Rivers

05/21/2024

For the second year, the California Fish and Game Commission is banning salmon fishing in the Sacramento, American, Feather, and Mokelumne rivers.

Sacramento Zoo Move Approved

05/13/2024

The Elk Grove City Council voted to approve the move of the Sacramento Zoo to a 100 acre lot at Kammerer Road and Lotz Parkway.

California Wants Better Animal Shelter Conditions, Stray Population Curbed

04/24/2024

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

Goats and Sheep Are Roaming Elk Grove Grasslands. Here’s Why and How to Check Them Out

04/20/2024

Each year, a herd of 7,000 sheep graze and goats tend to the grass with their kids, or baby goats, in creeks and channels throughout the city, clear vegetation grow during the wet season to cut down on wildfire dangers.

As Salmon Are Released Into the Klamath River, Tribal Leaders See a 'Symbol of Hope'

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.

Officials Search for Gray Whale Seen Trapped in Fishing Net Off Bay Area Coast

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 .

'By Any Means Necessary' Sacramento Zoo Officials Say They Will Raise $50 Million for Relocation to Elk Grove

04/05/2024

Although Elk Grove taxpayers will shoulder most of the $302 million cost of the initial phase of the relocation and construction of a new Sacramento Zoo, other parties including the Sacramento Zoological Society will share the burden.

Salmon Populations Are Struggling, Bringing Economic Woes for California's Fishing Fleet

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.

Feds Propose Killing Nearly 500,000 'Invasive' Owls to Save Calif. Native Owls

03/27/2024

The goal is to eliminate habitat competition between "invasive" owls and native owls.

You Might Spot a Mountain Lion in California, but Attacks Like the One That Killed a Man Are Rare

03/26/2024

If hikers, bikers, campers, hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts haven't encountered a mountain lion while in the California wilderness, they might know somebody who has.

Mountain Lion Attack in El Dorado County

03/23/2024

A man was fatally attacked and his brother injured by a mountain lion in a remote area near Georgetown.

“Incredibly Strong” Steelhead Returns This Year

03/23/2024

Unlike the record low Chinook salmon returns on the Sacramento River this year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife noted a new record for the number of steelhead returning to the Mokelumne River.

Information About Sacramento Zoo Relocation Project to Elk Grove Released

03/23/2024

The City of Elk Grove has released information about the financing for the $400M multi-phase project to move the Sacramento Zoo to Elk Grove, but questions remain.

Awaiting the Count—Gray Whales Population Has Been Declining

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.

Central Coast Ranch That Is Home to Endangered Species to Be Preserved

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.

All This Rain Could Invite Mosquitoes Into Your Backyard

02/14/2024

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

Conservation Groups Initiate Legal Action Against Feds for Failing to Protect Wolves

02/07/2024

Ten conservation groups filed an intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its failure to list western wolves under the Endangered Species Act.

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