DESERT WILDLIFE: Close encounters

Rich MacDonald sees four-legged guests at his MacDonald Highlands development all the time.

The president of the MacDonald Cos. recalls one time when a young-looking coyote wandered onto a fairway of the DragonRidge Golf Course, just a short distance from MacDonald's own home. Spotting the drive of an afternoon golfer, the coyote chased the bouncing white dot like it were attached to the back of a tasty jack rabbit.

Conditions are ripe in several areas of town for such close encounters with nature. Golf courses especially see a high number of rabbits, coyotes and migratory birds: rabbits and birds because of the water and vegetation, coyotes because of the water and rabbits.

Coyotes, rabbits and birds are common and accepted tenants on most local golf courses, and are generally benign, according to Christy Klinger, a biologist with the Nevada Division of Wildlife, who specializes in urban wildlife in the Las Vegas Valley. She cautions that migratory birds and coyotes do require responsible management.

"When we create these artificial environments, we are going to have these associated problems with wildlife. Golf courses aren't a bad thing, but they do attract wildlife, and some of that wildlife finds its way into neighborhoods," Klinger said.

In fact, the bulk of calls Klinger receives are from residents who have had encounters with either water fowl or coyotes, and many of them are nowhere near a golf course. Sometimes, people want help in ridding their neighborhood of these wayward beasts; other times, they want the state agency to help the poor critter out.

Almost always, the resident assumes something is wrong if there's a wild animal in his neighborhood.

"People often have the misconception that they live in a city and shouldn't see wildlife," Klinger said. "They think (the animals) are lost. They're not lost."

She explained that many animals live and even thrive in an urban environment, usually avoiding the detection of humans.

One of the most commonly reported problems occurs in back yards every spring. As migratory birds enter the valley in great numbers, many find their way to local water sources, Klinger said. Ducks in swimming pools is a major concern every year.

"People with pools have a very attractive back yard for them," Klinger said. "Sometimes it can get very ugly. Ducks die from chlorine, they leave a mess in the pool and in the back yard.

"People with ducks in their back yard need to haze them immediately."

The ducks present no great health hazard, she explained, but are messy and can create legal headaches if allowed to stay too long.

"Once the ducks make a nest and lay eggs, they receive federal protection. That can last until after the ducklings have hatched."

Coyotes, too, are quite comfortable in an urban terrain, feasting on the food that people leave behind.

"They are very opportunistic," she said. "They can establish themselves anywhere in town."

Her advice to those who spot a coyote: Watch them from a distance, scare them off, or leave them alone.

Keeping them away is a little more work. All Las Vegas residents are encouraged to feed pets indoors as coyotes can hurdle a six-foot fence, and to keep small dogs and cats indoors as much as possible. Keeping neighborhoods clear of trash and putting a lid on garbage cans can help. Most of all: Don't feed them.

"Never feed any wild animals. A fed coyote is a dead coyote," she said.

"We don't want them becoming too used to people. Even the ones that live in town, they are able to find food and live without detection. They don't need our help. They aren't lost, they know what they're doing."

Less troublesome, but of great concern to those reporting them, are snakes and injured baby birds, according to Klinger.

A small minority of snakes are actually poisonous, Klinger said, but most sightings are reported as rattlers, which are relatively uncommon.

She offers a quick test for determining if a snake is poisonous. Look at the tail for the distinctive rattle. No rattle, no rattler. Also, look at the snake's head. A triangular-shape head with a pronounced bulge from the body indicates a poisonous snake.

Saving cute little birds just isn't feasible for the agency, Klinger said.

"Everybody wants all the baby birds rescued," she said.

There are the unusual calls, as well. Last month, a bobcat was sighted in the northwest part of town. Local animal control officials deal with pets, but wild species such as bobcats require the Department of Wildlife.

"All of Southern Nevada is prime bobcat habitat," she said.

Unlike a lot of other wild animals, bobcats do get lost in town.

"They don't often come into town, but sometimes they lose their way," she said.

Quite a few other species are ill-suited to city life. Less commonly reported to local agencies are rare species, some of which are unique to the Mojave Desert. More fragile species such as the desert tortoise, various lizards, the kit fox or the bullfrog enjoy protection from various levels of government.

Several species fall under the umbrella of the Clark County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan. Developers pay $550 per acre to support this plan, which was originally established to protect the desert tortoise. With the tortoise recovering in numbers, other species not conducive to city living are also being safeguarded from development through developer fees.

Lew Wallenmeyer, who administers the conservation plan for the county, said developer fees have made the plan possible.

"Some of those species occur right around the edge of the valley," Wallenmeyer said.

Others are established at distant locations elsewhere in Clark County.

Wallenmeyer believes threats to local species are mostly under control, but said threats still exist from target shooters, illegal off-roading and dumping.

Human hostility and human kindness are both potential threats to wild animals, experts warn. Leaving them to their habitat while staying in our own is best for both sides, Klinger said.

"We can peacefully co-exist with coyotes and all other types of wildlife," Klinger said.

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