Tahoe Truckee Region Animals Digest

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

There's a new way for animal lovers to help the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe. A thrift boutique is set to open in early August, at 12047 Donner Pass Rd.

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.

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.

Nevada County Agriculture Commissioner Chris de Nijs has been appointed to the National Wildlife Services Advisory Committee, which advises the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack on recommendations for the department’s wildlife services program.

The California Tahoe Conservancy is closing the Upper Truckee Marsh to dogs—a seasonal closure that protects birds and other wildlife during the breeding season.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been detected for the first time in free-ranging California wildlife. One hunter-harvested mule deer, a buck from El Dorado County, was confirmed to be infected. The deer was harvested in 2021 and sampled for chronic wasting disease surveillance.

The salmon industry, worth about half a billion dollars, is devastated. The culprits: Drought and decades of water diversions and development.

Wildlife Ecology Institute was awarded $236,000 to assist in the recovery of the endangered canine in concert with state and federal agencies and Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks .

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to list the California spotted owl population in the Sierra Nevada as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Tahoe residents are all too familiar with the black bears that inhabit the basin, but a lot of time and resources go toward educating visitors and newbies.

A young, orphaned black bear is on the loose in South Lake Tahoe and officials are seeking help in locating it after it escaped last week from a wildlife shelter.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Nevada Department of Wildlife are supporting BearWise, a program that helps people live more responsibly with bears.

New research shows feeding mountain chickadees has no negative impact on the species as long as a few simple rules are followed.

The group is expanding its “Pet Pantry” program, which helps owners keep their pets despite financial hardships or other barriers.

The species, which once inhabited the upper elevations of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges, has been detected near Taboose Pass, on the eastern...

The Sierra Nevada red fox, which historically inhabited the upper elevations of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades in California and Oregon, has been detected near the eastern boundary of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.

Cal Orey, a South Lake Tahoe resident for the past 24 years, has produced about a dozen books—the latest titled “Soulmates With Paws.”

During the holidays, residents rally to save the lives of a bat and a dog.

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.

The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe is celebrating 10 years of its successful partnership with Truckee-based FiftyFifty Brewing Company.

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.

It’s that time of year again when bucks begin the chase portion of the annual deer rut. At this time of year, the potential for fatal collisions rises.

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.

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.