Santa Cruz County Local Animals News Articles and Digest

Water Animals

Science Spotlight: Why Do Humpbacks Breach?

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.

From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

Environment Land Use & Development Parks & Recreation Animals Resilience

Dune Resilience Project Begins

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.

From SF Gate...

Animals

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 .

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

Education Environment Animals Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Natural Wonders of Santa Cruz ... Spring Renewal

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.

From Los Angeles Times...

Business, Economy & Jobs Environment Animals

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.

From SF Gate...

Environment Animals

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.

From Hilltromper Santa Cruz...

Environment Land Use & Development Parks & Recreation Animals Land Trust of Santa Cruz County

Land Trust of Santa Cruz County Protects Habitat for Rare and Endangered Santa Cruz Long-Toed Salamander

03/26/2024
Image for display with article titled Land Trust of Santa Cruz County Protects Habitat for Rare and Endangered Santa Cruz Long-Toed Salamander

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County acquired 14 acres of core habitat critical to the recovery of the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander.

From Hilltromper Santa Cruz...

Education Animals History Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Fossil Sloth Bone Found in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the First of Its Kind Report in This County

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.

From San Lorenzo Valley Post...

Animals

The Equestrian Way: Canham Farm Horse Rescue and Rehab Offers Sanctuary

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.

From Hilltromper Santa Cruz...

Animals History Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Fossil-Hunting Fun in 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.

From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

Environment Animals

Gray Whale Population In Decline

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.

From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

Environment Animals

California Sea Otters Slow Coastal Erosion

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.

From Monterey Herald...

Animals Sustainability

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.

From Los Angeles Times...

Land Use & Development Animals Sustainability State of California

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.

From Los Angeles Times...

Health Animals

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.

From SF Gate...

Environment Animals Sustainability

Eager Crowds Are Threatening a Bay Area Beach Ecosystem, Scientists Warn

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

From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

Animals Sustainability

Sea Otters Help Hold Up California’s Kelp Forest

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.

From YubaNet...

Animals Government

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.

From California Healthline...

Health Animals

Possibility of Wildlife-to-Human Crossover Heightens Concern About Chronic Wasting Disease

02/01/2024
Each fall, millions of hunters across North America bag deer. Over the winter, people chow down on the venison steaks, sausage, and burgers made from the animals.

From SF Gate...

Animals History

New ‘Toothless’ Walrus Discovered Along California Coast

02/01/2024
An extinct species of walrus was unearthed in Santa Cruz County, evoking a time when California was teeming with odd creatures that feel closer to fantasy than reality, researchers said.

Santa Cruz County Local News: Animals