Topic
Territoriality
Why an animal defends a place, and what it thinks it is defending against.
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- ExplainerCanada Geese: Helping Families Without Moving the ProblemCanada geese are highly visible parents. A nest in a parking-lot island or a family trying to cross a busy road can trigger urgent concern. The safest intervention is usually to protect the family’s path rather than relocating a nest or separating adults from young.
- ExplainerHumane Wildlife Conflict Resolution: Exclusion Before TrappingWhen wildlife enters an attic, eats garden plants or appears repeatedly near a home, people often jump straight to trapping. But trapping addresses an individual animal, not necessarily the food, shelter or access point that created the conflict. A humane plan starts with causes.
- ExplainerTurtles on the Road: Help Them Cross, Not RelocateA turtle crossing a road is usually not lost. It is traveling with a destination in mind—perhaps toward feeding habitat, a mate or a nesting site. The most helpful action is often a very small one: move it out of immediate traffic in the direction it was already heading.
- ExplainerWatersnakes and Cottonmouths: Similar Setting, Different SnakesA dark snake swimming in a pond is often labeled a “water moccasin,” but location near water is not an identification. The Southeast has several nonvenomous watersnakes, and their ranges overlap only partly with cottonmouths. Across much of that area, a watersnake is far more likely.
- ExplainerWhat to Do If a Fox Family Dens Under a Shed or DeckFinding fox kits under a shed can trigger an immediate urge to “remove the problem.” In many cases, the best solution is temporary patience. A den with kits is a nursery, not a permanent fox headquarters, and the family will usually become more mobile as the young grow.
- ExplainerWhat to Do If You Find an Injured Owl, Hawk, or Other RaptorAn injured raptor needs expert care. Owls, hawks and other birds of prey can have fractures, eye injuries, internal trauma or toxin exposure that are not obvious from a distance—and their talons can seriously injure an untrained rescuer.