Lions and Tigers and Bobcats - Oh My!

As many of you may be aware of,  there have been multiple attacks on pets on base over the course of the last few weeks. This has been an on going problem for some time - I am willing to bet its safe to say as long as there have been houses and pets on Edwards AFB, there have been attacks on those pets. (Chuck Yeager may have even lost a pet to an attack while stationed here.)  The perpetrators in these attacks have been the local wildlife - namely coyotes and bobcats that are frequently seen wandering around the housing areas.

Lets begin with a brief history lesson. Edwards AFB was built in 1933 when the military decided the land here beside the dry lake beds would be ideal for bombing practice because it was out of range from any populated areas and eliminated the possibilities of  civilian casualties in the event of a malfunction. While the Antelope Valley was populated at that time (Rosamond and Lancaster were both established during the Gold Rush years earlier), homesteads were few and far between and so the land originally known as Muroc Field (present day Edwards AFB) was completely isolated - with one exception - the wildlife.  The Antelope Valley was originally named for the huge herds of pronghorn antelope who roamed freely among the valley, feeding off the grasses, but as man encroached upon the valley, the herds were diminished. Luckily, other wildlife continued to flourish even with the development of the base. Edwards AFB covers roughly 430 square miles of land, much of it completely untouched allowing wildlife like gila monsters, desert tortoise, roadrunners, kit foxes and other various creatures to remain in their habitat. Among these desert creatures were also the coyote and the bobcat.

With the establishment of housing on the base, Edwards saw a new population of animals - the domesticated dog and cat. Scientifically speaking, all domesticated dogs are derived from grey wolves. Man learned he could breed certain traits in and out of these dogs to serve a purpose - for working, hunting, for companionship, and in some cultures for food. Over time, man began to breed not so much for purpose but for an overall appearance, which is how we established the various breeds of dog over time. Dogs were bred for various lifestyles - large dogs for working the fields and smaller dogs for people who didn't have room for a larger dog but wanted a canine companion. And they kept getting smaller - from standard - to miniature - to toy - to tea cup varieties.  And with over 400 houses on base, many of these smaller breeds made their way among the population of Edwards to share the desert with the local wildlife.

Unfortunately, the local wildlife didn't get the memo that they were to co-exist with the smaller companion animals who started making their way into their habitat. While we view Yorkies, Chihuahuas and the Dachshunds as our furry friends, the bobcats and coyotes look and see an appetizing dinner just waiting for the taking. Little Fluffy the toy poodle is nothing more than steak tar tar to a hungry bobcat who has a den of kittens depending on her. To her, your pet is nothing more than a piece of the food chain and her instinct tells her dinner is served.

We cannot fault the coyotes and bobcats for doing what they do - its instinct.  Both creatures have whats known as a high prey drive. Lets define prey drive - is the instinctive inclination of a carnivore to pursue and capture prey. We sometimes fail to remember that the very animals that we have brought into our home to be our close companions have resulted from years of breeding from either the wolf or from various breeds of wild cats.  Many times our pets show residual traits from the original species - a cat catching a mouse or a bird, a dog who likes to chase (and usually kill) rabbits or other smaller mammals. Many breeds of dogs we keep as pets have high prey drive. The English Foxhound was bred with this drive intact for the sole purpose of hunting foxes, Greyhounds chase after rabbits while people place bets on who will be the fastest.  Many times it is suggested that certain breeds of dogs not be kept in a household with cats or smaller animals because of their high prey drive. Occasionally we see stories in the news of larger dogs attacking smaller dogs - if you have lived in Edwards for longer than 2 years, you might remember this very thing happening at Petsmart in Lancaster.  When we look at a wild creature such as the bobcat or the coyote we are seeing our pets in reverse - untouched and not manipulated through man's understanding of DNA. You are seeing a creature as nature intended with all its instincts intact. They have both adapted to live in this harsh environment where food sources tend to be scarce. Maybe three, four or more days have passed since they have eaten last and that meal was nothing more than a squirrel that barely put a dent in an empty stomach. Suddenly, lil Fluffy is outside in the yard and they think they've hit the jackpot.

High prey drive is why certain breeds make great police dogs.

Over the course of the last few days, there's been alot of talk about the coyotes and bobcats. People are upset and that is understandable. Beloved pets have been attacked, a few of them even killed. We love our pets and when we lose one, it breaks our hearts. The collective cry is that we need to do something about the animals to protect our pets and our children. Since reading these arguments, I did a bit of research and here's what I found. Almost every state in our country has a population of bobcats yet over the course of history, very few attacks on humans (adults and children) have occurred. The few on record were results of two factors - people feeding the wildlife and then thinking they could approach and touch the animal and animals with rabies. However, in the U.S. there are approximately 3-5 million people attacked by domestic dogs every year, averaging 20 deaths per year.  A child is much more likely to be hurt by a domestic dog then a bobcat. In fact, statistics prove that your family dog or your neighbor’s dog is a hundred times more likely to kill someone then a bobcat.  There is a greater risk when it comes to attacks on humans from coyotes - a few coyotes have become increasingly aggressive toward humans. They will stalk and even attack children or adults, or attack pets being walked on a leash by their owners. More than 160 such attacks have occurred in California since the 1970s, and they are becoming more frequent, particularly in suburban areas of Southern California. However, the coyotes on base have not displayed this type of aggressive behavior and tend to shy away and flee in the presence of humans - So, eliminating a majority of the risk of attack on humans, we're left with little Fido.  All the dogs that have been attacked on base are small dogs, on average weighing below 15 lbs (and many weighing closer to the 3 to 7lb range). Coyotes and bobcats are both opportunist predators - they're going to go after something small that they can snatch and run with until they are in a safe place to enjoy the spoils. The bottom line is - the smaller your pet the more of a target it is.

Everyone who moves into housing on base is given information regarding the wildlife on base.. In it, it tells you what wildlife is on base and what one should do in order to avoid problems with them. Housing made sure you knew that the bobcats and coyotes were here, they weren't afraid to enter your yard and they would indeed make a snack of your pet if given the opportunity. We're told not to leave pet food and water outside and to keep our trash can lids shut to avoid attracting predators. But most important was do not leave your small pets unattended outdoors. However, many of us are too busy to take heed to this important piece of information. Fido has to pee and so we open the sliding door to the back yard - after all, there's a 6 foot brick fence back there - and figure in 10 minutes we will open it back and let Fido back in.. Or maybe we have a doggy door installed so that we do not have to be inconvenienced when Fluffy needs to go out. It only takes one moment of opportunity for your pet to be gone or attacked and in dire medical need. Then, how do we respond?? By throwing up a cry of alarm - the wildlife is out of control and there needs to be a solution to protect our pets.  Some suggestions were just plain ridiculous - I saw one person say they were going to grab a kitchen knife and go find a bobcat or coyote and stab it to death.. But more logical, the talk turned to shooting them with paint ball guns as a mean to "train" them to stay away from our property. It is said that what bit of physical pain they would experience would be worth it for the safety of our pets. However, there's one piece of information that seems to be missing - the contents of paintballs is lethal to animals when ingested. This little tidbit doesn't matter so much with coyotes but when it comes to bobcats who meticulously groom themselves by licking, its a whole different scenario. Shoot a momma cat who then returns to her den of older kittens and the paint transfers on to them and they then groom themselves and next thing you know, all are dead. The contents of paintballs are an osmotic diuretic and will cause acidic pH in the bloodstream.  This means that the chemicals within paintballs will pull water from all parts of the body into the gastrointestinal tract resulting in an increase in sodium in the bloodstream.  Osmotic movement of water out of the brain and increased sodium will results in neurological signs. Basically, we're talking about a very slow, agonizing, painful death - vomiting and diarrhea, weakness, blindness, elevated heart rate, seizures, coma and eventually death unless medical intervention is given.

Humans act as if we are superior to all of the other creatures we share this planet with. We kill off entire ecosystems, hunt animals for the pure sport of it which often has resulted in entire species being killed off, and we build homes in areas where established wildlife habitats exist. But animals do not understand that fences are meant to keep them out and until people realize that the changes that need to be made are with them and not the animals, nothing will eliminate the attacks. So long as people allow their smaller pets outside unattended, pets will be attacked.  The fence does nothing to prevent attacks, if nothing else it just makes it much more convenient for the predator because your pet has no means of escape.

Cute as can be - but leave me alone and you can just call me "Snack"

So what is the solution?? Plain and simple - supervise your pets when they are outside. It only takes a matter of seconds for Fluffy to become part of the food chain - and contrary to belief, yes, poodles, yorkies and chihuahuas are part of the food chain. Don't let your dog out alone. Take a handful of pennies, put them in a coke can and seal it shut with duct tape and carry that with you when out with your pet. If you see a coyote or bobcat, start shaking the can, wave your hands and make noise.  Get your pet and bring it inside. Or, better yet, take your pet outside the front door, on a leash and stand there while it does its business. It might be an inconvenience but it is the responsibility you took on when you bought/adopted a small dog. Don't be lazy and install a pet door and give your dog free roam to your back yard whenever it wants unattended - your just asking for kitty to make a meal out of your pooch and you won't even know what happened.  Small dogs are ill equipped and defenseless against the sharp claws and teeth of a predator outweighing it by 30 lbs, it's our job to protect them.  Wildlife should not be punished because we are inconvenienced by this responsibility - but if we do what we are suppose to do we will significantly reduce the number of attacks on our smaller pets and the wildlife will learn that there's no easy buffet to be found in your back yard..

Until next time ......

EDIT:  On a personal note,  It was brought to my attention, there is a fundraiser being held in order to help raise funds to cover the veterinarian care costs for the dog who survived the attack earlier this week.. So I'd like to go ahead and include a link to that page now - I'm sure the family would be greatly appreciative to any help.. I know they have been hit by a streak of bad luck lately and a small miracle from generous hearts would make a huge difference.

Funds For Onyx