Willow Glen Resident

News

Where the wild things are

By Susan Carothers

They scrounge, scamper, gnaw and peck.

They race through attics, prowl the streets or hide in ivy. Occasionally, they befriend cats or confront a human.

They're the wild, mostly nocturnal creatures of Willow Glen--raccoons, opossums, rats and squirrels.

The situation has left Willow Glen residents grappling with ways to coexist with an increasing numbers of wild things spotted near and around their properties. Some have found effective solutions.

Kappy Monahan, a 50-year resident of Willow Glen, has observed opossums, rats and raccoons in her yard over the years and knows leaving food outside or a messy yard is like a welcome mat.

"Now, I bring the bird feeder in at night. A week or so ago I was sitting outside and noticed something different," Monahan says, "and I've learned not to leave food out or even in the garage."

Rats, however, are a different story.

Monahan says, "Rats thrive in ivy. You learn not to run out of D-Con. It really works for rats."

Bob DuBois, a retired teacher and Willow Glen resident, agrees with Monahan, and his advice is simple.

"Make sure to keep food out of sight because that's what attracts them," he says.

DuBois says squirrels descended upon his avocado tree last year, and he has had experiences with opossums, too.

"We've not had opossums regularly," he says, "but we had one lodged in the overlay above our deck and then last year had one in the garage." The dead giveaway was the long-hairless tail hanging down.

"They don't scare easily," says DuBois says, who spotted one of the critters in his garage and tried to rouse it from an apparent sleep. Six days later, he discovered the animal was dead.

He called Santa Clara County Vector Control for pickup, thinking it may have been disease-ridden, but never learned what killed it.

Opossums are marsupials. Like kangaroos, they have a pouch on the abdomen of the female for carrying their young. They have a pointed snout and prehensile tale. As omnivores, they eat nuts and fruits and meat, like raccoons. They are largely nocturnal, with grayish fur and white on their cheeks. It's highly uncommon to see one during the day. If one is spotted, it may be a signal it is sick and getting ready to die, according to Paul Robinson, a wildlife specialist with vector control.

Raccoons are also nocturnal omnivores. They live predominantly in trees. Their diet varies and can include small animals, fruits and nuts.

Yet numerous residents, including Carl Anderson, Kerry Enzensparger, Bob Pflederer and Sherman Pun, say they have spotted the creatures playing with a cat, romping in the Guadalupe River and parading in packs on the streets of Willow Glen foraging for food. They have also been seen coming in and out of storm drains.

They are unafraid of humans, according to Justin Lenihan, a department manager at Orchard Supply Hardware in San Jose, where non-lethal critter deterrents are sold.

But raccoons draw mixed reviews from Willow Glen residents. One resident, Robert Skinner, says they can be downright troublesome.

Skinner, a retired engineer in North Willow Glen, says raccoons have invaded his backyard and even feasted on his game over the past decade.

"Over the years, we lost two, maybe three chickens to Willow Glen raccoons. My son and I witnessed two raccoons fight and win against our strongest hen," he says. "The raccoons delighted in their feast. Other raccoons have visited, but they would come just to look. It was as if they knew the grand stories of the chicken feast and escape."

This increased contact with wildlife is a result of housing developments expanding further into wildlife habitats throughout Santa Clara County.

The predominantly agricultural region has been replaced by housing tracts and business and commercial complexes. This environmental change has brought the population in Santa Clara County close to 2 million, according the 2005 census.

In 1900, Willow Glen was a sparsely populated community with just 21,500 people according to U.S. Census Bureau. Over the years, wildlife has been uprooted and there is greater competition for food and shelter. Nevertheless, a number of creatures appear to have adjusted.

"The raccoons have really adapted to urbanized settings," says Carmel de Bertaut, the animal care coordinator for Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned native wildlife. "They are intelligent. They are omnivorous, so they eat fruits and vegetables as well as meat. and they are driven by instinct. The female, like us, will do anything to protect its young.

"Don't ever interrupt a raccoon if it happens to drink from your cat's bowl. It could lash out at you," she says. "Leave it alone while feeding, and don't ever leave the bowl out again."

For residents eager to rid themselves of unwanted critters, Alex Martinez, owner of Creature Catchers in San Jose, may be the one to call. Martinez says business has steadily increased over the past decade. He receives about 300 calls per year from residents who are plagued with rattlesnakes, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, rats, wild pigs and moles.

A concrete contractor who trapped wild pigs before establishing his own business in 1987, Martinez says during November through January, people are indoors and don't notice the critters unless they hear them in their attics, walls or cellars. As the weather turns nice, they begin seeing the creatures outdoors. "The raccoons get bold and they know every pet food dish in the neighborhood, and the people who will feed them. They, like us, are creatures of habit," Martinez says.

Martinez charges up to $500 to capture a rattlesnake under a house. To crawl into an attic to set a trap for a rat or a squirrel he charges a $150 setup fee and a $100 capture fee.

"The price really depends on the animal," Martinez says. He gets a variety of calls to capture critters ranging from rats in the attic to opossums under a deck.

Each day is a different experience, Martinez says. It makes for interesting work.

In the years ahead, residents are likely to see more wildlife finding their way into neighborhoods, de Bertaut says.

"Rats, raccoons and opossums are everywhere. These animals are losing territory everyday and becoming displaced. We have invaded their land and now we need to learn to respect and live with them," de Bertaut says.

Resources for Critter Problems:

* "Critter Ridder," repels cats, dogs, raccoons and opossums, but won't kill the animal. Use D-Con for rats.

* Contact Santa Clara County Vector Control to pick up sick or wounded animals at 408.918.3459.

* Contact Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley with wildlife questions at 408.929.9453. Residents must bring the animals to the center. The center does not accept reptiles, only native wildlife. The center operates daily for rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife.

How to keep critters out of the yard

* Don't leave food or water outside.

* If a wild animal approaches food left outside, do not interrupt it while it's feeding because it can become defensive.

* Cut or dispose of ivy. Rats and opossums are attracted to it and nest and hide in it.

* Wood piles attract wild animals; cover or store wood in a protected location.

Sources are the Santa Clara County Vector Control and Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley.