Happy World Wildlife Day to all our feathered and furry friends! Since 1973, World Wildlife Day has reminded us to slow down and appreciate all the beautiful animals we are surrounded by, and bring awareness to the conservation they provide our environment. From a scurrying raccoon, to a high-flying sparrow, each species is just as important as the next in creating an interconnected ecosystem. As we take today to recognize all the beautiful things wildlife contribute to our world, you may be asking yourself, “what can I do for them?”

Believe it or not, without urban wildlife, our day to day lives would look a lot different. Pests and insects would run rampant through our yards and homes, while trees and other plants would be in short supply. Our world would not be the same without the help of our local wildlife friends, so this year, let’s focus on the ways we can help their populations thrive. Let this blog be your guide this World Wildlife Day to help the animals in your community, and learn more about how they help you.

Raccoons 

While you may know them by their less affectionate name “trash pandas”, these furry little critters contribute a great deal to the health of our environment. Since raccoons are carnivorous scavengers, they will eat almost anything they get their paws on. Not only does this make our forests and backyards cleaner, it helps limit the spread of bacteria and diseases.

The best way you can protect raccoons is with a wildlife-proof garbage bin. Although trash serves as an easy meal for raccoons, there may be harmful chemicals and materials inside. Seal your garbage tightly and wrap any broken glass or sharp metal in napkins before throwing them away. This helps protect raccoons against injury if they happen to pry their way inside. Protecting your trash also encourages raccoons to eat food from their natural environment.

Skunks

Much like our raccoon friends, skunks are scavengers that help control other critter populations, but they are best known for their great gardening abilities. As they look for grubs and other bugs to feast on, they dig little holes through our yards and gardens, allowing for seeds to access fertile soil with ease. 

To help skunks like they help you, place a clean water bowl at the far end of your property away from your home. Skunks retain most of their water from the meat and plants they eat, but they sometimes love a drink of water after a meal or on a hot day. Placing a clean water bowl on the low ground is a great way to bring the skunks in your community some joy.

Squirrels

Although skunks help our plants flourish, squirrels take the title for wildlife’s best gardener. As they run through our yards, squirrels carry tree nuts and seeds with them, dropping or hiding them all over the community. With lots of experience, squirrels are able to determine a good nut from a bad one, and choose the healthiest nut to hide away in the soil. Although squirrels often come back to their stash, many nuts and seeds are left behind or accidentally dropped. These happy accidents help plants grow in much greater numbers, while also ensuring they are spread throughout the community.

All that tree planting can make squirrels famished. Bird baths are the perfect way to keep your local squirrels hydrated, and cool as summer approaches.  Be sure to keep water and squirrel feeders as far away from your home as possible, and clean up fallen seeds on a regular basis.

Birds

Birds are hard at work everyday to keep insect populations at bay. As they fly or peck at dewy grass, they eat hundreds of insects, consuming up to half their body weight in food a day – now that’s a lot of bugs! On their trips through our neighborhoods, birds will also disperse seeds, helping plant species spread.

Placing a bird feeder as far from your home as possible is the perfect way you can help keep the birds in your neighborhood fed. As spring arrives, many birds will be looking for the best nesting site. Building or buying a bird house is a great way to keep birds and their babies safe and warm. Be sure to hang your bird houses in the far corners of your property, so as not to encourage birds to nest within your home.

Handling Wildlife Conflicts Humanely 

The wildlife in our communities work hard to earn their keep, but wildlife living within your home can be dangerous for both you and the animals. The best way you can handle any wildlife conflict is with the help of humane wildlife control experts.

Relocation can cause animals to become confused and disoriented –  putting them at great risk. Instead of relocating wildlife to a different location, threatening their ability to survive, Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control encourages all species to naturally rejoin their existing ecosystem. We then focus on animal proofing your structure against future wildlife intrusions, protecting your home and the animals in a humane manner.

With spring approaching, many wildlife mothers will birth new litters within our communities, and sometimes within our homes as well. Skedaddle’s humane removal methods give young wildlife the best chance of survival by keeping family units intact. After a gentle hand removal, babies are kept safe and warm in a baby reunion box, while their mother relocates them to an alternative den site one by one. By their mother’s side, and in their natural environment, babies have the greatest chance of thriving. If you have wildlife on your property, Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control provides humane and efficient services that protect all species of wildlife.

It’s important to remember the best way to keep wildlife safe is to keep our distance. Wildlife will often feel threatened or distressed when approached by humans – even if the intentions are for good. By protecting wildlife from afar, and allowing them to thrive in our communities through their daily activities, we can coexist peacefully alongside one another for decades to come.