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Drought Causes Winter Risks for Wildlife
By
Katie
Pratt
 LEXINGTON,
Ky., (Oct. 17, 2007) – With the drought lingering into fall,
wildlife could be forced to venture onto private property,
searching for food and warmth as winter nears. Without an
adequate food supply, animals must move to another area to get
necessary nutrients or be unprepared when winter begins.
“If plants don’t produce enough food because of drought
conditions, wildlife can go into the winter without the proper
conditioning or fat reserves,” said Tom Barnes, wildlife
specialist for the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension
Service. “This could cause them to not reproduce as well.”
With no other choice, animals must search for food alternatives,
which could lead them into people’s backyards. Landowners can
take precautions to keep wildlife away from their homes. One way
to keep wild animals away is not to give them easy access to
food by leaving out dog or cat food overnight. Make sure all
garbage containers are covered, and keep doors and windows
secure. If an animal comes onto personal property, don’t feed
it, Barnes said.
“When people feed an animal, it encourages them to get close and
familiar with humans, which creates the potential for future
problems,” Barnes said.
Not only does feeding wildlife cause potential problems for
humans, but it could endanger the animals. Some corn contains
high levels of the toxic chemical aflatoxin, which can be
potentially hazardous if ingested by wildlife, Barnes said.
In addition to increased appearances on private property,
wildlife may be seen more on the roadways this fall. Motorists
should be weary of animals venturing onto highways because
wildlife may be attracted to roadway medians. The runoff from
the small amount of rain in the area has caused many medians to
stay lush and green, Barnes said. This can look extremely
appealing to an animal that has no other food source but dried
up forage.
The effects of the drought on aquatic life may not be as visible
to humans, but risks associated with low water levels do exist.
Kentucky State University Extension Specialist for Aquaculture Bob Durborow said
when water levels are low, fish are forced closer together.
“The water gets hotter and oxygen can’t stay in the water as
long,” he said. “Fish can be stressed severely or suffocate.”
In constrained quarters, fish don’t have a lot of room to
release waste and the chance for fish to transmit diseases to
one another increases, he said.
“If 20 percent of the fish have a mild infection and they are in
close quarters, 100 percent of the fish population could get
sick,” Durborow said.
He said shallow water areas are conducive to algae and weeds,
which can clog ponds. Propellers with outboard motors and
fishhooks can get easily tangled in algae and weeds.
“It’s just a mess,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of weed problems
and bare, earthen banks along the edges of ponds around the
state.”
Not only do weeds and algae increase, but the drought also
provides ideal conditions for organisms such as midges to
flourish. Midges can carry a virus that causes epizootic
hemorrhage disease or bluetongue in wildlife. The virus is
transmitted when a midge bites an infected animal and then bites
an uninfected animal. While the diseases can be fatal to
wildlife, they do not affect humans.
“There have been 76 counties in the state to report animals that
have died from EHD or bluetongue,” Barnes said. “This is the
worst outbreak the state has had in three to four decades. The
drought only makes it worse.”
Another effect of the drought on wildlife is the increase in the
potential of forest fires. The fall fire season began Oct. 1 and
won’t end until Dec. 15. Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher issued a
ban on all outdoor burning Oct. 4 because of the extreme drought
conditions.
“October typically has less rain than other months. With no rain
this summer, it is extremely dry,” said Douglas McLaren, UK
extension forestry specialist.
Falling leaves are a huge fuel source for fires, but with the
drought conditions the state is experiencing, grass could easily
catch fire, he said. McLaren emphasized that any person who
starts a fire either directly or indirectly, is responsible for
all the suppression cost of the fire, including labor and
equipment.
If a fire does occur, typically wildlife will get out of the way
and venture into unfamiliar areas, including private property
and roadways, McLaren said.
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Contact: Tom Barnes, 859-257-8633
Douglas McLaren, 859- 257-2703
Bob Durborow, 502-597-6581
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The UK College
of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission, reaches across
the commonwealth with teaching, research and extension
to enhance the lives of Kentuckians. |
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