Mary Cummins Wildlife Rehabilitation Animal Advocates News Los Angeles California: rehabilitation

Showing posts with label rehabilitation. Show all posts

Monday, June 19, 2017

Fox puppies offered for sale on Craigslist are now in a sanctuary thanks to Fish & Wildlife! - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

illegal animal sales on craigslist, fox, foxes, mary cummins, animal advocates, los angeles, california, pups, for sale, illegal, breed, dealer, seller, wildlife, rescue, animaladvocates.us, warden, fish & wildlife, fish and game, california

We generally skim the animals for sale on Craigslist checking for illegal exotic and wildlife sales. If you want to own an exotic animal or wildlife, you need special permits from Fish & Wildlife. They can only be used for educational purposes. You need at least two years of experience handling the animals under someone else's permits first. You then have to go through a long and expensive process to get your exhibiting permits. Because this is all a huge hassle and the desire to own a unique animal is high, people buy them on the black Craigslist market without permits.

Back in May 2017 I saw fox pups offered for sale on craigslist. Above is the ad. I reported it to the appropriate warden then I flagged the ad and it was removed. Two days later and the seller reposted the ad. Two women forward the ad to me. I forwarded that to the warden. These two animal loving people wanted to stop the sale and get the fox puppies to a sanctuary. Among all of us, I won't say how, we managed to drag the selling process out long enough for the warden to take the puppy/puppies from the illegal vendor. The vendor is a young guy living here in Los Angeles. We were able to track him down through identifying markers he left in communications.

The warden went on vacation so I hadn't heard what happened to the fox pups. Earlier today a volunteer with The Nature of Wildworks posted pics of herself holding the puppy on Facebook. One fox pup now named Michael J Fox aka Mikey is now at Molly Hogan's The Nature of Wildworks. I'm so happy the fox pup ended up in good hands. As for the vendor I don't know what actions Fish & Wildlife took against him. There are still penalties for selling wildlife or exotics without proper permits. Below are some pics of the fox pups the vendor sent to us.

Article continues below.

Below is a pic of the fox today. He's a little bigger.

This pet fox craze was started by a March 2011 National Geographic magazine article titled. "Designing the Perfect Pet." It was about research done by Russian scientists to find out how we domesticated wolves. They experimented on foxes. They would test the foxes for tameness. They would only breed the tamest of the foxes. The wild foxes were sold to fox fur farms. This continued for a few generations. Ultimately the foxes were as tame as dogs. They could be a house pet. They also noticed changes in the fox. Their ears drooped a little. They had different coloring.

More great follow up news! This is from The Nature of Wildworks email.

“Meet Mikey ( short for Michael J ! ), our new 9-week-old red fox pup.

The Nature of Wildworks, fox

Excuse me. Did you say Red Fox? He doesn't look red, does he? And he's not going to turn red later. Red foxes come in different colors like red, brown, black, and silver but they all have one thing in common-- a white tip on the end of their tail. Well, maybe more than one thing. As puppies, or "kits" as they are also called, they are about as cute as it gets and as adults they're absolutely beautiful.

The Nature of Wildworks, fox

And apparently a fox is a fox is a fox. When red foxes first meet, even though they weren't raised together and have never seen each other before, they literally almost die of excitement overload, fluffy white-tipped tails wagging in a blur and making their fox happiness noise, which I can't even pretend to describe. This is exactly what happened when Mikey fox met Fire fox.

The Nature of Wildworks, fox

Fire is our sweet adult female red fox and she loves everyone. Every person, every animal. I always say she has no appropriate relationships because when walked on a leash she rolls over on her back wagging her tail and whining in front of the mountain lion cage. "Come play with me, Pirate." Not a good idea, Fire. Fire loves Australian Shepherds and was raised by our Aussie dog Hopi. When Hopi passed away Fire moved on to love again with Aussie dog, Star, as her new playmate.

How did we get Mikey? Where did he come from? The foxes were in Sacramento but we met halfway in Bakersfield and there I got the whole crazy backstory. The following is from the Animal Advocates Blog, (Mary Cummings, who initially reported the ad. mmmaryinla@aol.com)

"We generally skim the animals for sale on Craigslist checking for illegal exotic and wildlife sales. If you want to own an exotic animal or wildlife, you need special permits from Fish & Wildlife. They can only be used for educational purposes. You need at least two years of experience handling the animals under someone else's permits first. You then have to go through a long and expensive process to get your exhibiting permits. Because this is all a huge hassle and the desire to own a unique animal is high, people buy them on the black Craigslist market without permits.

Back in May 2017 I saw fox pups offered for sale on craigslist. Above is the ad. I reported it to the appropriate warden then I flagged the ad and it was removed. Two days later and the seller re-posted the ad. Two women forward the ad to me. I forwarded that to the warden. These two animal loving people wanted to stop the sale and get the fox puppies to a sanctuary. Among all of us, I won't say how, we managed to drag the selling process out long enough for the warden to take the puppy/puppies from the illegal vendor. The vendor is a young guy living here in Los Angeles. We were able to track him down through identifying markers he left in communications.

The warden went on vacation so I hadn't heard what happened to the fox pups. Earlier today a volunteer with The Nature of Wildworks posted pics of herself holding the puppy on Facebook. One fox pup now named Michael J Fox aka Mikey is now at Molly Hogan's The Nature of Wildworks. I'm so happy the fox pup ended up in good hands. As for the vendor I don't know what actions Fish & Wildlife took against him. There are still penalties for selling wildlife or exotics without proper permits."

Well, it was a normal day at the wildlife center for me. Just minding my own business answering one rescue call after another, usually regarding an orphaned or injured squirrel or opossum, when a call from Fish and Wildlife came in. "We have a litter of foxes. Can you take one?" Yes! One of them was particularly friendly and I said, "Then he's the one for us. He'll be a perfect education animal for our outreach programs."

Mikey slept in his carrier the entire way home and who could blame him. But nothing like a red fox mom substitute to make you sit up in bed. Upon first sighting the tail wagging and whining began and hasn't stopped since. The first day it was pretty cute because Fire has a swing which is her favorite spot in the enclosure. In her old age she now spends much of the day napping and relaxing on her personal hammock and Mikey , uncoordinated puppy that he is, couldn't quite figure out how to get up there with her. It was making him crazy. But on the second day he had devised a plan and could walk from the shelf along the midline metal bar of the enclosure and then "jump". Fire growls a little at this invasion of her private island but she's an understanding mom and Mikey has now won his place at the top.

I was right, by the way, when I guessed he would be good at outreach. His first program was last Saturday at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles where he wowed everyone posing (and napping on stage) as a modern day dire wolf. We're happy in every way to have him with us. Right now...and for a lifetime.

If you'd like to meet Mikey up close and personal you can enjoy a private tour of the wildlife center, sign up for our on-site class "Clicker training with a fox" or schedule your own personal outreach educational program.

To sponsor Mikey please visit: Sponsor Mikey!

To learn more visit www.natureofwildworks.org

(Photo credits to Terry Matkins and Lorie Zerweck)”

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

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Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate Services has been in real estate since 1983, over 35 years. She is licensed by the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers. Mary Cummins was an agent and broker licensed with the California Department of Real Estate selling residential income, commercial buildings, raw land and homes for Merrill Lynch Realty in Beverly Hills and Westside Properties in Los Angeles before concentrating on appraisals. Mary Cummins currently provides real estate appraisals, expert witness testimony, historical research, legal real estate research for mortgage brokers, banks, lawyers, factors, insurance companies, financial consultants and private individuals. Mary Cummins was born and raised in Southern California. Cummins attended Beverly Hills Good Shepherd Catholic School and Beverly Hills High School. Besides being on the Dean's list, Mary Cummins was a top ten national swimmer and competed on the men's water polo team. Mary Cummins began college at the age of 15 attending the University of Southern California on scholarship, majoring in Psychology/Sociology. http://www.animaladvocates.us http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

European Ape Could be Human Ancestor - or not. Pre-humans could have more than one origin - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

An article came out today suggesting that maybe the first pre-human originated in Europe.

"In 1944, German soldiers constructing a bunker in Greece uncovered a fossilized jawbone. The specimen was in poor shape, just a curve of mandible with its teeth mostly chipped away. “It was considered to be a specimen that nobody really knew what to do with,” said paleobiologist David R. Begun, a professor at the University of Toronto. But a new analysis of this broken jaw revealed that the bone is about 7 million years old. The jaw also has some humanlike characteristics, he says.

Begun and his colleagues say the fossil could represent the oldest known human ancestor. They further suggest that the fossil means our ancestors diverged from apes in Southern Europe — not Africa."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/05/22/ape-that-lived-in-europe-7-million-years-ago-could-be-human-ancestor-controversial-study-suggests

I have a feeling the true origins of humans will be complex. For instance marsupials originated in what is now North America. They moved between North and South America until they separated. Then they crossed the land bridge to Australia, New Zealand and continued to evolve into more varied species of marsupials. Marsupials went extinct in North America. Then when the Isthmus of Panama emerged 20 million years ago some marsupials made it back to North America. That marsupial is our only native marsupial the Virginia opossum. It hasn't changed much in 65 million years. Article is "Ancient origins of modern opossum revealed," December 2009, University of Florida.

Pre-humans may have also gone back and forth just like opossums via land bridges.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Happy Earth Day from Animal Advocates in Los Angeles, California - Mary Cummins

Happy Earth Day from Animal Advocates in Los Angeles, California, Mary Cummins

Today April 22 is Earth Day. 20 million people celebrated the first Earth Day in 1970 to increase public awareness abut the damage humans were doing to the environment. The purpose of Earth Day is to educate people about the relationship we have with our natural resources. California was one of the first states to enact statutes to protect our flora and fauna. Today Earth Day is celebrated by more than a billion people in 192 nations.

You don’t have to be a professional wildlife conservationist to protect our wildlife, ecosystems and earth. Here are a few things you can do to help save our environment.

Pick up litter. Wildlife sometimes mistake it for food, eat it and end up dying. Birds can also become entangled in fishing line and die.
Don’t use rat poison. Let rodent’s natural predators, i.e. coyotes, foxes, bobcats, raptors and snakes, control their populations.
Replace your lawn with native drought tolerant plans to conserve water and native pollinators.
Conserve water. This is especially important here in California. Use as little water as possible to prevent shortages and assure sufficient amounts of water for crops and the ecosystem.
Reduce, reuse, recycle. Most cities by now have recycling programs.
Use your car less often. Walk, bike, carpool, use public transportation or use a hybrid vehicle.
Never dump anything into a storm drain or gutter as they lead to the ocean.
Educate your children about local plants and animals so they will grow up with a positive conservation attitude.
Volunteer at nature centers, wildlife preserves or wildlife rehabilitation facilities.
Keep your dog on a leash in wild places. Don’t let your dog chase birds. Birds need undisturbed time to nest, forage, rest and clean themselves.
Keep cats indoors. Cats kill millions of birds and small animals every year. Many of the animals we receive were cat or dog caught.
Go solar. Most utilities now offer rebates.
Conserve electricity and gas. The less you use, the less pollution. Plate trees to offer shade. Line dry clothing.

There are many Earth Day events planned throughout California. Here are a few from the California Department of Fish & Game.

Earth Day Festival at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, April 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3842 Warner Ave., Huntington Beach (92647). The free event will include educational activity booths and guided tours of the reserve. Exhibitors include CDFW, Bolsa Chica State Beach, Wetland and Wildlife Care Center, Native People of SoCal, Orange County Coastkeeper, Shipley Nature Center, Air Quality Management District, Wyland Foundation, Shed Your Skin, and co-host Amigos de Bolsa Chica. Enjoy the Windows to Our Wetlands bus, interactive booths, native plant stations, a craft booth, food for sale, and more. The event is handicap accessible, held in the north parking lot. For more information, call (714) 846-1114.

CDFW will be at the U.S. Forest Service’s Kern River Valley Bioregions Festival at Circle Park in Kernville April 22, to explain the Kern River Hatchery renovation project and the new Kern River Rainbow program with the Friends of the Kern River Hatchery. The CDFW Natural Resource Volunteer Program will provide a booth with information on volunteer opportunities.
CDFW will host booths at three Sacramento area events: the Roseville Celebrate the Earth Festival and Sacramento Zoo Earth Day on April 22, and the ECOS Sacramento Earth Day on April 23. Ask staff about California wildlife, Watchable Wildlife locations in the greater Sacramento area and Nimbus Fish Hatchery, which is open to visitors year-round. Enjoy a variety of hands-on activities, including the Salmon Survival Wheel, where players learn about the obstacles that salmon must overcome in order to spawn.

Volunteer Work Day at Friant Interactive Nature Site, April 21 and 22, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 17443 N. Friant Rd, Friant (93626). Spend a fun day outdoors, doing trail maintenance (pulling weeds, raking, pruning) in a lovely setting for outdoors education. For more information, please call (559) 696-8092.

Gray Lodge Clean-up and Field Day and Public Meeting, April 22, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley (95948). The event is in partnership with California Waterfowl Association (CWA), and will include habitat and maintenance projects, followed by a lunch sponsored by CWA. The day will be informative and will help improve the quality of wildlife habitat. At 1:30 p.m., CDFW will hold an annual public outreach meeting regarding the Gray Lodge and Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Areas at the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area’s main office building. For more information, please call (530) 846-7500 or email GLWLA@wildlife.ca.gov.
Los Banos Wildlife Area will have a hands-on activity booth at the Modesto Earth Day Festival in Graceda Park.

Animal Advocates
http://www.AnimalAdvocates.us/
http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Deadly Fungus Invades Texas and is Found on a New Bat Species - BCI - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

BCI, Bat Conservation International, WNS, White Nose Syndrome, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, Animal Advocates, Mary Cummins, Los Angeles, California

Deadly Fungus Invades Texas and is Found on a New Bat Species

The fungus known to cause White-nose Syndrome (WNS), a disease that has decimated hibernating bat populations in the United States and Canada, has been discovered for the first time in Texas.

The fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) was detected on three species of hibernating bats in northern Texas: the cave myotis (pictured), Townsend’s big-eared bat, and the tri-colored bat. This is the first discovery of Pd on the cave myotis and the first detection of the fungus on western populations of Townsend's big-eared bats - two bat species with distributions extending further into the west.

"This is devastating news for Texas, and a serious blow for our western bat species," says Mike Daulton, Executive Director for Bat Conservation International (BCI).

Katie Gillies, Director of Imperiled Species for BCI added, "We have been surveying hibernating bats and monitoring for the arrival of Pd for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) since 2011. At this early stage of detection, we have not observed any visible signs of the disease on any bats in the state, such as white fungal growth on the nose and wings. Detecting the fungus when it first arrives gives us a chance to take action and try to minimize the impacts from White-nose Syndrome on our Texas bats."

The fungus was detected in six Texas counties from samples collected in January and February by BCI and Texas A&M University (TAMU) biologists as part of a larger national surveillance study led by University of California, Santa Cruz. The cave and bat samples were collected in Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle, Hardeman, King, and Scurry counties.

"The arrival of the fungus in Texas is not surprising. I’ve been looking for it for years, hoping I would never find it. And now that it’s here, I’m devastated because I know what WNS does to bats. After years of surveys, I feel a special responsibility to these bats. I know them – I see them every winter. And now, I fear that I might not see them for much longer. We must act now," explains Gillies.

"We need to expand our targeted surveillance to get a better understanding of the distribution of the fungus. We will also be reaching out to landowners and the community to help protect bat roosts and emphasize decontamination to reduce the likelihood of an accidental spread of the fungus to a new location."

White-nose Syndrome has been rapidly expanding westward since its discovery in New York in 2007. Millions of bats have been killed by the disease, with population declines greater than 90% in some states.

Texas, with 32 bat species, has the greatest diversity of bat fauna in the country. The state is also home to the famous roosts of Mexican free-tailed bats at the Ann. W. Richards Congress Ave Bridge in Austin and Bracken Cave, one of the largest bat colonies in the world, near San Antonio. However, Mexican free-tailed bats do not hibernate all winter and may not be highly susceptible to the disease.

"While we are cautiously optimistic that Mexican free-tailed bats will not be heavily impacted by the disease, we do have serious concerns for hibernating species, such as the cave myotis, that often share their roosts," says Winifred Frick, BCI Senior Director of Conservation Science.

Texas is the most eastern edge of the distribution for the cave myotis, with the species being found throughout southwestern USA and into Mexico. The discovery of the fungus in Texas is significant on a national scale as biologists are concerned that the spread of Pd into western states will be exacerbated as this and other western species are exposed.

"The detection of Pd in Texas comes on the heels of last week’s announcement of White-nose Syndrome being confirmed in Nebraska. This emphasizes the need for us to not only increase our surveillance but also our research efforts to identify and develop tools to improve survival for bats exposed to the fungus. Although there is no known treatment for White-nose Syndrome, we are actively working on research that may prove effective," Frick explained.

Mary Cummins

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Cute raccoons enjoying enrichment at Animal Advocates - Mary Cummins

Raccoons enjoying enrichment at Animal Advocates.

Raccoon enrichment. Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Mary Cummins

Monday, July 20, 2015

Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates rescues coyotes in Los Angeles, California

Animal Advocates, Mary Cummins is licensed, permitted to rescue coyotes in Los Angeles, California

Mary Cummins 17 Jan 2010 23:49 GMT

Animal Advocates has been rescuing ill, injured and orphaned coyotes in the Los Angeles area of California. We also provide humane coyote control and speak to groups about dealing with coyote issues. We recently received our permit to permanently rehabilitate coyotes at our own facility.
Coyotes in Los Angeles, California weighs 20-35 pounds and stand 23 to 26 inches at the shoulder. The coyote looks similar to a smaller tan colored shepherd-type dog with long pointed muzzle, large ears, long legs and a bushy tail.

  Coyotes, whose natural habitat is the Los Angeles basin, have adjusted to their shrinking habitat by living closer to humans, sometimes in residential areas, parks and on the landscaped areas of the freeway system.

Because coyotes are now habituating closer to humans, they suffer the effects of our existence. They are hit by cars or are poisoned from eating poisoned ground squirrels and rats. They also succumb to sarcoptic mange from mites.

If you find ill, injured or orphaned wildlife, contact us or visit our website so we can help you or refer you to someone who can.

Animal Advocates is a non-profit corporation recognized by the IRS. We operate on donations from the public. We are licensed by the California Department of Fish & Game to rescue ill, injured and orphaned wildlife for release back to the wild. We rescue coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, foxes, opossums, skunks, squirrels, moles, voles, gophers, bats and more.

Mary Cummins
Animal Advocates
www.AnimalAdvocates.us
Mary@AnimalAdvocates.us
www.FaceBook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

Mary Cummins Animal Advocates can legally rehabilitate rescue coyotes permit license

Mary Cummins

Friday, July 3, 2015

Baby ground squirrel being rehabber in Los Angeles, California by Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates

This very tiny baby who just barely has his teeth tried to make a break for it. He is now in the Fort Knox of enclosures which is all metal. He's an extremely small runt of the litter who can't even sit up. I separated him because his siblings were too rough with him. I've since put him back in with his siblings and am watching them carefully.

Animal Advocates, Mary Cummins, baby ground squirrel, Los Angeles, California


	Animal Advocates, Mary Cummins, baby ground squirrel, Los Angeles, California

Mary Cummins

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Feeding baby wood rat - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

Mary Cummins feeding a baby wood rat at Animal Advocates in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, real estate, appraiser, appraisal, instructor, teacher, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brentwood, Bel Air, California, licensed, permitted, single family, condo, pud, hud, fannie mae, freddie mac, uspap, certified, residential, certified resident, apartment building, multi-family, commercial, industrial, expert witness, civil, criminal, orea, dre, insurance, bonded, experienced, bilingual, spanish, english, form, 1004, 2055, land, raw, acreage, vacant, insurance, cost, income approach, market analysis, comparative, theory, appraisal theory, cost approach, sales, matched pairs, plot, plat, map, diagram, photo, photographs, photography, rear, front, street, subject, comparable, sold, listed, active, pending, expired, cancelled, listing, mls, multiple listing service, claw, themls,

Mary Cummins

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Today is squirrel appreciation day. Animal Advocates Mary Cummins in Los Angeles, California

Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day! Share these cute squirrel photos and ask your groups to "like" Animal Advocates so we can rescue more squirrels. Thanks!