Santa Clara County Animals Digest

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and many wildlife rehabilitation centers have received reports of sick and dead band-tailed pigeons from locations along California’s Central Coast, the San Francisco Bay Area and Sierra Nevada foothill communities.

Woodland and beach regions known for tick activity across northwest California could be even more prone to the disease-carrying arachnids this year.

A small white deer is the sole survivor of a once-large herd created by famed publisher William Randolph Hearst.

A veterinary company that offers emergency pet services at 40 locations across the nation is preparing to open in the Ventura neighborhood.

After balking last month, Palo Alto approved a plan to welcome dinosaur sculptures to its newly renovated Junior Museum and Zoo.

Along the South Bay shore, volunteers are putting on heavy boots and flattening terrain to create western snowy plover habitat. The endangered bird (there may be less than 500 left) nests in flat ground under oyster shells.

Spring runs of a large minnow numbering in the millions have nourished Pomo Indians since they first made their home alongside Clear Lake more than 400 generations ago.

Beavers are returning to the South Bay, from the marshlands to the Peninsula’s creeks. They bring health to a riverside and can aid against the effects of drought.

Drought, human-caused climate change, invasive species and a “legacy” of environmental issues are permanently altering California’s landscape and placing some communities and ecosystems at increasing risk.

More than 300 dog owners in Palo Alto's Barron Park plan to submit a petition to the city to open a dog park in their neighborhood.

A dozen independent fish scientists are calling for urgent changes to sport fishing rules to save California’s largest freshwater fish after an unprecedented red tide this summer left hundreds of them dead.

A virus that is nearly 100 percent fatal to birds has been sweeping through the Bay Area with the fall migration and is reaching record-breaking levels across the U.S. It has been confirmed in wild bird populations in Palo Alto.

For eight straight days this summer, farmers in far Northern California drained almost all of the water out of a river in defiance of the state’s drought regulations. The move infuriated environmentalists and salmon-dependent Native American tribes downstream.

California pet rental laws can get tricky, and are slightly different between subsidized housing and rentals. The Bee breaks down everything that pet lovers need to know.

2022 State of the Birds Report shows decline in more than half of the bird population, with grassland bird species shrinking the fastest. On the bright side, waterfowl are thriving in the nation’s wetlands.

The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA is experiencing a large spike in the number of husky and husky-mix dogs available for adoption. The animals appear to be the latest in a long history of animals made popular by pop culture.

One of the Bay Area’s largest algae blooms could intensify with the arrival of the longest, most intense heat wave of the year—creating conditions that could kill even more fish across the San Francisco Bay, experts say.

More avian flu outbreaks have been reported, including a backyard flock of chickens in Sacramento County and a large outbreak among 1,500 privately owned birds in Butte County. The Butte County discovery prompted a declaration of a “local health emergency.”

Dr. Ronald Li, a veterinarian at UC Davis, treated 23 cats rescued from the Tubbs fire in 2017. In addition to the expected traumatic injuries, something else caught Li’s attention. “We noticed clots forming within their hearts,” he said. “But at that time, we didn’t know why.”

The monarch butterfly has been placed on the endangered list because of its dwindling numbers. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature added the migrating insect for the first time to its “red list” of threatened species.

Caring for animals rescued along 600 miles of coastline from Mendocino County to San Luis Obispo County, the Marine Mammal Center just ended its longest public closure since its founding in 1973.

The perimeter of Los Altos Hills’ Byrne Preserve added temporary residents to its habitat last week with an annual visit from a herd of approximately 400 grazing goats.

A dangerous bend on Highway 17 in Los Gatos, dubbed Laurel Curve, is notoriously deadly for wildlife attempting to cross the busy throughway. But after a decade of prep, work has begun on a wildlife underpass for at-risk species, such as mountain lions.

Spring is here, which brings with it wildlife youngsters. Many people who come across young animals may think they are abandoned or injured. This is most often not the case.

Backers of California’s High Speed Rail project haven’t had much to celebrate, given soaring costs and scaled-back service, but a new poll shows a solid majority of voters still want to move forward and finish the job.

California’s wildfires have been burning hotter and longer. Cal Fire keeps records of acres burned, structures destroyed and human lives lost, but there are no records of how many animals die or are injured by wildfires.

The Los Altos City Council has approved two fenced-in dog parks for north and south Los Altos, including a location at McKenzie Park that raised opposition from nearby residents.

Almost two dozen turkeys have taken over the NASA Ames Center in Mountain View, forcing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to attempt to trap and relocate the birds.

Whis-Purr Cat Rescue has purchased a van to perform spay-neuter surgeries, allowing more cats to become adoptable.

A mountain lion is considered to be responsible for a deer that was found dead in east Morgan Hill. It is considered to be a rare occurrence, as mountain lions are notoriously reclusive.

Pets in Need executive director Al Mollica has resigned, following some of his employees being accused of animal cruelty.

Pets in Need, a local organization benefiting animals, is cutting ties with the city of Palo Alto over what the group claims is a breach of contract. This means the group will no longer operate the Palo Alto animal shelter.