Wildlife Thoughts with the
ARLINGTON ANIMAL SERVICES , FIELD DIVISION
Q & A
What do you want the public to know about wildlife ? Wildlife animals are adaptable and will find their own food , water and shelter . To keep wildlife wild enjoy their beauty but do not provide food or water .
When you think of ' Arlington Animal Services ', most people probably think of stray animals , or all those cute puppies and kittens . While our team enjoys working with our domestic pets , it ' s the wildlife animals that truly excite our team . Especially our Animal Control Officers . Some of you might wonder , why ? The answer is because each wildlife situation is unique and far less common . Wildlife calls also allow the opportunity for our team to educate citizens about their favorite animals , the wildlife , who also call the City of Arlington their home .
Let Wildlife Be Wild
Preventing animals from becoming accustomed to people is the first step in reducing human / wildlife interaction .
PROACTIVE TIPS
Eliminate any attractions in your home or yard Keep your chimney capped Keep landscaping groomed Feed pets indoors or pick up immediately after Keep trash containers tightly sealed
What types of wildlife calls does Arlington Animal Services respond to ? Injured wildlife Wildlife in the home Problem animals
Always remember , “ If you care , leave it there ”. Enjoy wildlife from afar ! Many times having human contact can have unintended detrimental effects although people are just trying to help .
The Opossum wins the favorite wildlife animal award !
From Animal Control Officer , Samantha Brinkmann !
My favorite urban wildlife animal is the opossum . I think opossums are super cool , they do not carry rabies and eat things like snakes and ticks . Not only are they super helpful , I also think they are pretty cute !
I think the most important thing people can do to keep Wildlife Wild is to not interfere with them . If you see a raccoon or opossum in your yard just leave it be , it should be gone before you know it . Additionally , not leaving things like cat / dog food outside will prevent wildlife from becoming reliant on humans and stops wildlife from hanging out on you or your neighbor ’ s door step .
I would like people to know about the vacuum effect which is when you remove wildlife from an area , more will be back to take its place in the newly available territory . This means that trapping and removing wildlife from your property will only be a short term solution , there will always be a new animal to take its place . In my opinion , learning how to respect and co-exist with urban wildlife is the key to success .
From Animal Control Officer ,
Erika Brooks !
I have an obsession with opossums ! They are my spirit animal because they look mean but are actually super docile . I was dispatched to a 911 call for an opossum in a garage a couple weeks ago . When I got there the woman was absolutely hysterical . I picked the opossum up since it was so small , and I just knew it would not be any harm . After I removed the opossum from the garage I relocated it off site in a more wooded and secluded area where I knew it would have access to a water source . If people ever call about an opossum , I will most likely be the responding officer because when the opportunity arises to see one , I take it !