Breaking News Animal Expert Comments with Diana L Guerrero

Mountain Lion Attacks In Colorado & California Cougar Incident

2008-08-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

Funny, I was just writing about animal attacks this week when I found this story about the cougar that entered a home in Colorado and grabbed a sleeping pet.

Wild animals are getting habituated to humans due to all the encounters and close proximity to people as we continue to encroach and trespass into their limited habitats.

Just a few weeks ago two other cougars were causing problems in Durango--including one cat that attempted to attack a boy driving a mower--the cat missed.

I've heard an interview where one of the lion dog guys (guys that track mountain lions with dogs) mentioned that many of the incidents with mountain lions involve younger animals.

Is this true? I need to find that source...but I believe it might be since younger animals leave their mom to go out on their own and then get run out of established territories by dominant animals.

Also, humans provide a lot of resources when they live in close proximity to lion country--like cougar snacks (dog, cats). Many attract wildlife by feeding prey animals near their homes and also supply water--then are surprised when the predators follow.

Is there anything you can do to avoid animal attacks?

First, if you are out in the wilderness, adjacent to it, or hear about a predator in the area--follow the suggestions put out by authorities--and find out if there is risk in the area you are visiting.

It amazes me how many people are surprised to find a bear or other animals in their yard when they feed wildlife, keep pet food and water sources just outside their doors, or place trash outside a day before pickup.

I have a screen door with an iron grid so that I can leave my door open and get air--this has proved valuable when the raccoons and coyotes use my deck. So far I haven't had any larger visitors.

Also, people need to leave wildlife alone and to be aware that most animals are highly active at dawn or dusk and at night.

A bit of common sense might help to avoid meandering into a predator at times when they are most active.

Now there is always the bad luck factor--being in the wrong place at the wrong time but using common sense and taking precautions helps mitigate that.

Today there was a poor example custom made for this post--a hiker who lacked common sense took liberties by petting a cougar cub and then got attacked by a mad mother lion. Now the protective mother cougar may loose her life over human stupidity--her three cubs may be orphaned.

If she wanted to kill the person--why didn't she? She wanted the person to leave her cubs alone--also she needs to live to take care of the small critters.

On the opposite side of the spectrum there was the woman who used her common sense and a machete to thwart off a mountain lion attack.

I've been talking about animal attacks all week over at Ark Animals but you can find my past comments on how to avoid cougar attacks here.

Where is chimpanzee Moe?

2008-07-03T01:45:00.000-07:00

Jungle Exotics an animal training facility in Devore, California is the home to Moe an African chimpanzee who is 42 years old--at least it was his home until Friday, June 27, 2008--when the chimp escaped.

As of July 3, 2008 the chimpanzee has not been located.

Although accounts say Moe the chimp was rescued in the 1960s, it was more likely that he was purchased for a pet.

Poachers often killed (and still kill) mother animals to obtain young primates for the pet trade.

Contrary to belief, primates do not make good pets.

Today, private ownership is illegal and violates the Endangered Species Act unless you meet certain provisions and are under permit.

The general public has a misconception that chimps are amiable animals from images found in movies and television commercials--captive chimpanzees are not like that image--in fact they are highly dangerous.

Jungle Exotics is a licensed facility and another company (Amazing Animal Productions) nearby faced charges on animal abuse (Animal Legal Defense Fund vs Yost) and was banned from working with chimpanzees as part of the settlement agreement back in 2005.

Despite the fact that Moe was confiscated from the Davises' West Covina home after he mauled a police officer's hand and bit off a woman's fingertip in two 1998 incidents The UK Sun starts off incorrectly referring to the apes as "monkeys" and states,

Mr Davis’ spokesman Mike McCasland said: “He’s a very personable, sweet, nice chimp."

but in the same story reports that Jungle Exotics

"...was Moe's fourth home since authorities removed him from the Davises' West Covina home after he mauled a police officer's hand and bit off a woman's fingertip in two 1998 incidents."

The quotes come from am Associated Press Release which also appeared in the Los Angeles Times release which actually says,

"He's a very personable, sweet, nice chimp," McCasland said. "He's not going to be aggressive unless he's provoked."

Just what will provoke the chimp?

That is hard to determine. Anything could but local animal control did not think Moe would be a imminent threat.

When first asked about this I suspected that Moe would turn up at someone's home and according to this video he first showed up at the caretakers home and then turned up at a remodeling project scaring the workers.

Why authorities were not notified earlier is unknown.

Chimpanzees are omnivores and will eat meat but a coyote is more likely to have grabbed the neighbor's chicken as reported in the video--I'd want to know what animal tracks were near the fence.

Helicopters have not flushed the chimp and he has not been sighted since he first escaped.

Due to the high numbers of rattlesnakes in the area--it does not look good.

As of today, Moe the chimpanzee has been missing for just under a week.

Sightings can be reported to Animal Care and Control at (800) 472-5609.

Read more on the incident:

Whittier Daily News

Los Angeles Times: Moe the chimp part one and Moe the chimp follow up report.

CBS 2 reports Moe the chimp is missing.

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin report on Moe the chimp.

Predators in Action: Bear Attack Commentary Link

2008-04-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

The bear attack in Big Bear is not too far away from my location. Read my commentary about Predators in Action and the Grizzly bear attack here.

Mountain Lion Attack Commentary

2008-03-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

Locally, one of my neighbors just shared that a mountain lion was up on her roof. She lives on the edge of the forest and mistakenly went out to investigate why her dogs were going crazy.

Fortunately, the cougar took a 20 foot leap away from her and ran away. I've been thinking of carrying a firearm when I hike and this confirms that it probably would be a good idea.

Here we are seeing an increase of predators into the human populated area for a couple of reasons--the main one is that the large fires that swept through the area last fall left vast terrain uninhabitable to most of the larger wildlife.

So, the critters have relocated to adjacent areas and mountain lions, bobcats, and bears are being seen and encountered with more frequency because of it.

I've touched on this topic before but am revisiting it based on the two mountain lion attacks that have been in the news over the last week.

The first cougar attack allegedly took place in South Dakota on March 3, 2008. I dismissed it when I heard the preliminary reports but now I've taken a look at the photo of Ryan Hughes and the two tooth marks on his face--it could have been a younger, inexperienced cougar.

I spoke to a reporter yesterday and then took some time to review the cougar attack accounts I've been ignoring. Currently the attack was not confirmed by officials. I believe this is for a few reasons.

First, it would be the first documented cougar attack on a human in South Dakota history (at least we think it would be), then there is a bit of concern because of the alcohol content found in the blood of Ryan Hughes, and finally the investigative team that went out with lion dogs (these are dogs that specifically track mountain lions) did not pick up the scent.

Usually there will be some sort of sign or scent left in the area. Pug marks (mountain lion tracks), fur, scat, and in this case--Hughes reported that the cougar had a kill in its mouth (red fox). I would expect to hear of an area where the kill took place.

So unanswered questions are: Were there any signs of a cat in the area? Did Hughes really surprise the cougar? If so, was the cougar defending its prey--and did it pick the prey back up? Was it a different type of animal instead of a mountain lion? And why would Hughes make up the attack?

People often mistake smaller predators for larger ones. In fact, here in California people have mistaken house cats for cougars and reported bobcats as mountain lions. However, Hughes did describe an irritated tail twitch. As of yesterday, the South Dakota cougar attack is still unconfirmed and under investigation by wildlife officials.

The lesson to be learned here is that you should have someone with you when out in the wilderness. I already gave you some mountain lion safety tips and encourage you to review them if you travel out into the wilderness or live in areas adjacent to wild lands.

Next, a rabid mountain lion attempted an attack on 10-year-old Paul Schalow. The family was celebrating Paul's birthday on Saturday when the older female cougar launched her attack. You can catch the interview video about the cougar attack encounter here.

Cougar attacks are not so rare as they once were. However the risk to humans is pretty low in comparison to other animal injuries and attacks--check out this older Bureau of Labor Statistics page.

Finally, I have not updated my statistics on cougar attacks in a while (2004) but if you are looking for more info, links, and books related to the topic drop by.

Homeless Pets & the Mortgage Crisis: More Links

2008-01-22T14:40:00.000-08:00

So, I guess my little rant was well timed. Here are a couple of other links if you are thinking about a related story about homeless and abandoned pets from the mortgage crisis.
NBC Video on Homeless Pets & the Mortgage Crisis

Foreclosure Pet Crisis Article

Homeless Pets: Innocent Victims of Foreclosures & Housing Market

2008-01-20T10:25:00.001-08:00

I just read an article in the Sacramento Bee about homeless pets as innocent victims of the California housing market. Wow, where have they been?

In September of 2007 the Press Enterprise took a look at local shelters and humane societies who were seeing the trend of increased numbers of relinquished animals and the speculation was that the homeless pet increase was due to the mortgage crisis hitting San Bernardino and other parts of California.

Everybody has reported it--but what are they doing about it?

What can you do about it if you lose your home?

One thing to do is to prepare a pet resume. What is a pet resume? It is a document you present to potential landlords with a summary of a companion animal's best qualities and that also highlights your qualities as a good tenant and pet owners.

Pet resumes should include an appealing picture of your pet, state the animal's age, activity level, breed or pedigree, good behaviors, participation in training, and the standards of care he or she receives.

Get letters of recommendation from your pet's trainer, groomer, activity groups, kennel or pet sitter. It wouldn't hurt to also get letters from your immediate neighbors stating how your pet is a great canine or feline citizen and neighbor.

As for you, obtain letters of recommendation from past landlords and your realtor about your qualities as a home owner, tenant--and ask your community pals to write notes about how you are a good pet owning neighbor.

In addition, more and more pet friendly rental databases are popping up on the web. Try searching:

People with Pets
Move dot com

You can access my audio on pet resumes here or on iTunes under Ark Animal Answers.

Elmendorf, Alaska Wolf Pack Troubles

2007-12-29T10:16:00.001-08:00

Here is a link to the CNN Video on the two women who were surrounded by a wolf pack while walking their dogs. The wolves were known to be an issue in the area so why did they venture out anyway?

This report from Fort Rich talks about several incidents with the same wolf pack.

As wild animals become more habituated to humans and we continue to squeeze them into smaller and smaller territories, continue to build within wildlife habitat, such events will continue to increase.

Here is an interesting summary on wolf attacks, I am not familiar with the author.

In response to the recent attacks on dogs and then the women with the dogs, the area has been restricted to entry due to the Elmendorf wolf pack incidents.

On a side note, urban coyotes make snacks out of pets regularly.

Incident Logs & Other Questions

2007-12-29T08:11:00.000-08:00

The report from the San Francisco Chronicle makes me wonder how often the zoo actually has emergency drills.

Another question crossed my desk yesterday, what were three guys of that age doing at the zoo on Christmas day? Isn't that unusual--wouldn't they be hanging out with their buddies or people of their own age group?

Perhaps they were wildlife enthusiasts--but I doubt it.

Zoos across the nation are being asked about their safety practices and are reassuring the public. However, accidents do happen and so drills and training are essential.

The other issue that keeps getting raised is that regarding the zoo employee actions. First, only trained personnel can handle fire arms and tranquilizers. Second, tranquilizers do not work fast enough to safely contain a predator when there is danger to humans or other animals.

I am a bit shocked that it looks like the Security department delayed entry to the municipal rescue agencies--did they not have a mutual aid agreement in place? Were the rest of the non-animal employees left out of the disaster planning review drills?

Yes, there is only speculation over the taunting of the Siberian tiger , however the animal would have needed high motivation to climb out of her enclosure.

I get sick of visitor behavior at animal parks and zoos--maybe Tatiana will be the new poster tiger for "Don't Disturb the Animals."

BTW: Did anyone get their mitts on the Dhaliwal or Sousa cell phones to see if anyone was video taping or snapping pictures?

Sources for Tiger Jumping Distances

2007-12-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, in my library I found in Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia Volume 12, Page 349 (copyright 1972) that tigers have been found to jump down up to 10 meters (32.8 feet) with the average of 5-6 meter jumps (16-19.7 feet).

In Walker's Mammals of the World, Fifth Edition, the citation in Volume II on page 1209 says, "It (tiger species) has been reported to cover up to 10 meters in a horizontal leap."

Based on these citations, it would have been completely feasible for Tatiana, the San Francisco Zoo's Siberian tiger to have jumped out of her enclosure.

Big Cat Jumps

2007-12-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

I thought this video might be of interest to you

Also, I found this citation but have no idea who the person is who has quoted the distances. Still looking for sources I can verify. According to Maxine Anbabell, there have been instances recorded of tigers leaping widths of as much as twenty feet, with one tiger seen to leap thirty feet.

Lucky Leap Theory...Part Two

2007-12-27T16:09:00.000-08:00

So, by now you probably heard that the moat and the wall at the San Francisco Zoo's Tiger Grotto was substandard.

How can that happen? Easy, same way the Lion House was a safety hazard--the place is old.

One of the jokes that used to be made at one private zoo and animal acting facility I worked for was that if you distracted the inspector enough, you could get away with most anything.

Sometimes they didn't really know the standards, either. Unless you measured you wouldn't know.

Reminds me of those lions who had to be locked up when the dirt flowed down to one end of the enclosure--just enough motivation and they would have got out.

Tatiana had the motivation and did.

So, I am guessing it really was a lucky leap--and can't wait to hear the statements from the two hospitalized victims.

SF Zoo Tiger Grotto Wall Fails to Meet Stated Recommendations

Lucky Leap Theory...

2007-12-27T11:40:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed reading the NY Times article on the San Francisco tiger attack this morning but I also posted a theory for my readers about the taunted tiger and a lucky leap. Waiting on Critter CSI for the verdict...

Which brings me to the question, who will be liable if that is the case? Would teasing a member of an endangered species to the point of retaliation that results in the death of the tiger (and the alleged instigator) put the liablity outside of the zoo and city of San Francisco?

The hidden questions on the tiger attack...

2007-12-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

If the zoo was near closing time when the animal attack occurred the questions that cross my mind and that have not been explored are:

*Who were the keepers assigned to the string that included the Lion House/Tiger Grotto?
*Was the zoo on minimal staff scheduling due to the holiday?
*What time were the cats scheduled to come in and where were the keepers at the time of the incident?

There is a lot of focus on the statement that the door was closed and that could not have been the reason the cat got out but that is often how animals do escape...human error.

My favorite tiger quotes of the day...

2007-12-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

“The tiger did not think he was playing,” said Marcan, who owns Adriatic Animal Attractions in Ponce de Leon and trains tigers for circuses. “The tiger was doing what tigers do. It’s not the tiger’s fault. It was human error.”

Marcan, who has trained hundreds of tigers for more than half a century, said he was not surprised when he heard about the attack.

“It’s a zoo tiger,” he said. “Zoo tigers are different from circus tigers. A circus tiger is like a college graduate. A zoo tiger is like a dummy, an illiterate.”

What Marcan is referring to is how an animal changes once it is trained to think. Many zoos have some form of animal training for husbandry and mental occupation but animal actors and other animal performers usually travel and are exposed to a variety of environments and training experiences.

This enrichment and mental stimulation changes the animal. It does not mean the animal is not a predator--they still remain deadly. However, when you work with animals you discern the differences.

You can read the whole article here. Most animal attacks are from human error so it will be interesting to see what the final verdict on the San Francisco tiger attack ends up being.

On a more familiar level, pets that have been socialized and trained are better citizens than a pet that has been kept outside in a yard all of its life. There are some pit bull dogs that are good citizens and others that aren't--such as those pit bulls who just attacked and killed a women in Barstow.

Big Cat Jaw Power

2007-12-26T15:00:00.000-08:00

Tatiana: San Francisco Zoo Tiger Attack

2007-12-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

Today has been a zoo (no pun intended) with all the phone calls from the media about this incident. I am glad to be of help and am amazed at the volume of calls. Just a few additional notes...

Zoos that meet the mandatory accreditation standards are required to maintain safety and emergency protocols that go beyond federal, state or local requirements. San Francisco Zoo is accredited by the AZA through 2011.

Why were the police called?
This is best answered by zoo personnel but in crisis situations there are usually specific protocols that are followed. In crisis situations, memorandums of understanding usually exist between multiple agencies which allows them to come in quickly. Police and fire are usually dispatched to crisis situations.

Police would provide additional backup and human management and they are astute in the use of fire arms. Usually there is a crisis management team on site. The team is usually zoo keepers and zoo animal management personnel. Contingency plans and mitigation are part of the accreditation process for zoos. However, I am not familiar with the current SF Zoo's practices of team training or protocols.

If you are looking for stats related to zoos the best source is the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.

What about my consultaiton at the SF Zoo?
This took place in 1996 when I was invited to visit by the curator. As a favor, I traveled up to the zoo to assess Tony the tiger (Tatiana's mate). The assessment/recommendations were published in the Journal of the American Association of Zoo Keepers in May of 1996.

Could the animal morph into a super tiger and leap over the moat and enclosure walls?
To my knowledge this hasn't happened before, however adrenelin and other circumstances could contribute to an unsual escape, but there is probably a more mundane explanation.

Links of interest:

AP list of animal attacks

Selection of tiger incidents

Tatiana: San Francisco Zoo Tiger Kills One, Injuries Two Others

2007-12-25T23:50:00.000-08:00

Lions, tigers, leopards, and other cats are predators--they are hardwired to kill living things and eat them. The recent tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo involved attacks on three visitors. There was one fatality and the other two victims are in critical condition.

According to Big Cat Rescue the U.S. (up through 2006) has 79% of ALL captive cat incidents. Since there is no reporting agency that keeps such records the actual numbers are unknown.

In a captive environment, predators will exhibit hardwired behavior, especially at feeding time or under stress conditions. Aggression is common in escaped captive wildife.

Although each situation is different, unfamiliar surroundings put an animal on alert and into attack mode. For the animals, survival of the fittest often translates into attack first--investigate later.

Just how Tatiana escaped has not been revealed yet. The refurbished exhibit was only reopened on September 7, 2007 so it will be interesting to see what the investigation reveals.

Wild animal escapes may be due to equipment failure, design flaws, human error, or damage to an exhibit, such as in the case of disasters.

My guess it that it is one of the first three. Since the exhibit has only been open again for a short time it is hard to say whether or not it was human error or exhibit issues or failure. Here is the link to my comments and other news info on the San Francisco's Zoo tiger attack in 2006.

Above: Chart of estimated wild cat attacks annually courtesy of Big Cat Rescue. Click to enlarge.

San Francisco Lion House Reopens as Feline Dining Area

Photos taken during rabbit feeding in San Francisco Zoo's Old Lion House

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Fatalities 2001-2006

Kern River Beavers

2007-12-21T19:01:00.000-08:00

Did you hear about the beavers who were given a death sentence because they chewed a few park trees? Fortunately, the public outcry changed everything.

We encroach more and more on wildlif--but the answer is not to kill them because they are inconvenient.

Check out this story about the Bakersfield beavers and the blog about the Kern River beavers that sparked some interest and a new blog with one post and 184 comments (when I checked).

Here is the video:

Cross Dressing Squirrels Thwart Snakes

2007-12-17T15:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, this one is something you can have fun with. Squirrels were found to chew up rattlesnake sheds and then lick their fur to help disguise their scent with the snake-scented saliva to thwart the snakes.

You can find the original papers in:
Clucas B, Owings DH, & Rowe MP. In press. Donning your enemy’s cloak: ground squirrels exploit rattlesnake scent to reduce predation risk. Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Clucas B, Rowe MP & Owings DH. In press. Snake scent application in ground squirrels (Spermophilus spp.): A novel form of antipredator behaviour? Animal Behaviour.

Giant Rat Discovered in Foja (New Guinea)

2007-12-17T09:18:00.001-08:00

Above photo of giant rat species discovered in Foja. Photo by Bruce Beehler...read more here.

Andes Armadillo Discovery: Parapropalaehoplophorus septentrionalis

2007-12-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

The findings were published yesterday in the Journal Of Vertebrate Paleontology. Scientific American has a podcast about Parapropalaehoplophorus septentrionalis.

The creature is a member of a family called glyptodonts that originated in South America and later entered North America after the two continents joined 3 million years ago.

Amazing just how many new animals and ancient animals are being discovered.

Sssssnake: New Species of Spitting Cobra Identified

2007-12-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

Above: Naja ashei. Photo courtesy Widlife Digest's Anthony Child

Africa's Naja ashei snake has been identified as a new snake species and it is the largest spitting cobra according to scientists at the conservation nonprofit WildlifeDirect.

Announced officially on December 7, 2007, blood and tissue samples helped confirm that these massive, aggressive, extremely venomous snakes are a separate, previously unidentified species.

Royjan Taylor of Bio-Ken received a phone call from Watamu about a snake eating one of her chickens. She called for help because she was aware that the snake might have been this species. Sure enough, it was. Check out the Naja ashei photos here.

Commonly known as Ashe's spitting cobra, the newly identified species is named after the late James Ashe, the founder of the Bio-Ken Snake Farm research center in Watamu, Kenya (a coastal town about 2 hours North of Mombasa). Ashe first caught a larger-than-normal spitting cobra in the 1960s and believed it belonged to a different species.

Royjan Taylor believers the recognition of the new species is an opportunity to raise awareness about snake conservation as well as a way to fine-tune remedies for the powerful bite. The discovery will help develop an anti-venin for the particular snake.

Naja ashei is one of 30 or so known cobra species and one of 126 known species of snakes in Kenya. Spitting cobras shoot their venom into the eyes of their victims. In captivity, handlers do well to use safety googles but face masks are better. Cobras usually rear up and flare their hood before striking or spitting.

These reptiles play a vital role in controlling rodent populations and are important to the ecosystem. Unfortunately, they have received a bad rap through time and many misinterpretations about these reptiles exist. As a general rule, humans fear and hate them.

Today we have learned much more about animals and the role they play. Technology has assisted us on this matter. Small, temperature-sensitive, implantable radio transmitters thave made it possible to collect unbiased information on the activity patterns, habitat use, and thermal ecology of snakes.

Just how snakes use their habitats and why they choose them is driven partially by behavioural thermo-regulation. Over time this data has revealed that micro-habitats exist within larger habitat contexts. If you want to learn more about this topic visit the Science & Environment Bulletin

Other links of interest:

Bio-Ken Snake Farm: You can take a Big 5 Snake Safari with this group.

National Geographic Breaking News

New Peccary Discovery in Brazil

2007-12-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

Above: Pecari maximus photo courtesy of Mark Van Roosmalen and Copyright by Roland Gockel

Nature is constantly amazing us with new discoveries. Recent news in the animal world is that a new species of peccary has been "discovered" by Dutch scientist Marc van Roosmalen.

Pecari maximus is about the size of a large dog. It is a distinct species, new to science but known to locals and hunted regulary. This makes the fourth species known to man.

Above: Pecari maximus photo courtesy of Mark Van Roosmalen and Copyright by Roland Gockel

This species is different from other species in that it is found in pairs or small family groups in contrast to other species of this type of animal--although they may also travel in larger herds for protection.

Read more about the pecari maximus here

Read the official report on pecari maximus here (PDF)

The peccary is closely related to swine and the hippopotamus but belong to the pig family from the New World (Tayassuidae). Until recently,only three other peccaries were known. These include the collared peccary, the white-lipped peccary and the Chaccoan peccary.

The giant peccary eats mainly fruit and exhibits little or no rooting behaviour. The habitat of the giant peccary is limited to dry wooded areas in a small region of the basin of the Rio Aripuanã.

The researchers expect the giant peccary population to be small and recommend that this new species should be placed on the Red List of threatened species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

Happy Thanksgiving & Pet Safety Tiips

2007-11-22T07:40:00.000-08:00

I know there are some of you journalists hard at work. Happy Thanksgiving. This release is out everywhere but I thought it might get you thinking about other seasonal pet safety issues...

Do you give in to cute pesky pets at the dinner table? This Thanksgiving holiday pet lovers are urged to resist the intense gazes and vocal demands of pleading pets. According to animal expert, Diana L. Guerrero. "There can be deadly consequences for animals during the holidays. Holiday threats to animals can include seasonal decorations, ornamental lighting, ingestion of inappropriate or toxic items, excessive consumption of rich foods or harmful food, candle flames, and many other hazards."

Guerrero is an animal behaviorist who writes columns on wild animal behavior, training, and animal etiquette. She is contributing editor to Resources for Crisis Management in Zoos and Other Animal Care Facilities and is the author of the holiday favorite, What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality: Inspiring Lessons of Wild and Tame Creatures and the newly released Blessing of the Animals: Prayers & Ceremonies Celebrating Pets & Other Creatures.

Before you sit down to feast, Guerrero suggests you take away temptation-from both guests and pets. " If you feed pets before the guests arrive you reduce the temptation for begging and stealing. You can also use a pet gate or play pen to house the pet nearby, but provide a safety barrier."

One of the easiest ways to avoid trouble is to make sure your guests know the pet rules and discourage them from feeding critters scraps from the table. Guerrero said, "The best approach is to make sure any animal is occupied with a chewy or playmates in another room. Once the table is cleared, make sure pets cannot get to scraps or bones."

Guerrero said the biggest hazards to pets on Thanksgiving include:

*Rich, fatty foods (turkey skins, gravy, etc,) can contribute to pancreatitis. This inflammation of the digestive gland is painful and can be serious--requiring emergency veterinary assistance.

*Cooked bones can splinter and cause tears or obstruction in a pet's digestive tract.
*Baking strings, if ingested, can create trouble if ingested by your pet.
*Onions in holiday stuffing can lead to canine anemia if consumed by your dog.
*Grapes and raisin toxins can cause kidney failure in pets.
*Ingesting chocolate can kill your pet.
*Caffeine and alcohol are also toxic for pets.
*Keep all goodies out of reach!

"Preventative safety measures are the best strategies," states Guerrero, " Keep leftover food out of reach and in tightly closed containers. Make sure garbage cans are secure to keep critters so they are safe from e-coli and unable to chew on leftover tinfoil."

The animal behaviorist suggests that pet households plan on providing appropriate chew toys or food occupation devices for pets during holiday activities. "The Kong Company produces a goodie dispenser that keeps dogs occupied. They also have some great bird and cat toys that provide similar activity. Most pet stores carry these products. The investment and preparation can insure that you have a happy and healthy holiday."

Even so, it never hurts to keep your emergency vet clinic or veterinary hospital number handy--and note which ones are closed during the holidays. You never know when you will encounter a disaster due to a delinquent guest or persistent pet.

Animal Disaster Preparedness: New Revised Booklet to be Released as a Podcast

2007-11-13T09:07:00.001-08:00

Despite animal rescue that goes back to the the early 1900s and the recent passage of the PETS Act (Pet Evacuation Transportation & Standards Act), animal disaster rescue education and efforts still fall by the wayside.

The recent fires in California found people still ill prepared for disasters and rescue agencies had little thought for the animals.

There is an answer--but it is up to the pet owners to prepare.

My booklet, Disaster Preparedness for Pet Owners & Pet Professionals was recently updated and a special podcast will be released this week.

Don't wait for another disaster to hit--take action now!