wildlife

And now an update from the The Washington Humane Society:

“Earlier today, the Washington Humane Society (WHS) reported that WHS Animal Care and Control Officers, in partnership with the District of Columbia Department of Health (DC DOH) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), successfully tranquilized and trapped a black bear spotted near the intersection of 49th Street and Glenbrook Road, NW.

WHS received a call early this morning reporting the black bear sighting. WHS Officers immediately responded to the scene where MPD Officers had surrounded the area they believed the bear to be hiding.

The bear appeared frightened and proceeded to run through the backyards of many residential homes in the area. WHS Animal Care and Control Officers followed close behind, and after an approximately two hour chase, WHS Officer Peter Martel was able to get a clear view of the bear and darted him with a tranquilizer. Once hit, the bear ran a short distance and was recovered safe and sound in the backyard of a nearby residence.

The bear was evaluated and determined to be healthy. With the assistance of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and DC DOH, the black bear was transported to the wilderness in the western part of Montgomery County, MD and released.

In general, black bears pose no threat to the public. If you spot a black bear in the District, do not approach, call DC Animal Care and Control (202-576-6664).”

Photo Courtesy of the Washington Humane Society

MPD sends these photos and an update on this morning’s bear sighting:

“This morning MPD received a call from a resident in the 4900 block of Rockwood Parkway. The resident reported that a black bear was in her backyard. Second District officers arrived to the location and in fact observed a black bear (male cub) in the yard. DC Animal Control responded and after an exhausting game of “cat and mouse” they were able to tranquilize the bear. The bear was captured in the rear of a residence in the 4900 block of Indian Lane. DC Animal Control and DC Department of Health are in discussions with the National Zoo to determine a location outside of the District to release the black bear back into the wilderness. There were no injuries to the black bear or citizens regarding this incident. MPD wishes to thank our partner agencies, DC Department of Health and Animal Control, as well as the citizens, who provided assistance with sightings of the bear as it fled from yard to yard.”

Bat visiting Woodley Park last year

Urban Wilds is written by Lela S. Lela lives in Petworth. She previously wrote about Tulip Trees.

I adore bats and have been thinking about how to coax more of them into our neighborhood. Growing up in the country, bats were a staple of summer evenings, but these days I rarely see them, particularly within city limits. As many as ten species of bats can actually be found in the DC area throughout the year, although several are migratory types, not permanent residents. Several of our species (including tricolored, little brown, and big brown bats) are being decimated nationally by white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that is estimated to have killed over 6 million bats in North America.

As bat populations decline, we’re left instead with more insects that munch on us and on our crops (including that tomato plant on your porch). Most famous for their taste for mosquitoes – a single bat can eat hundreds of them in a night – they also eat prodigious amounts of other pest insects, including June bugs, Japanese beetles, stink bugs, and cucumber beetles, as well as moths and other pollinating insects. And all that aside, they’re just so freaking cute.

How to bring more bats into your life

In the mid-Atlantic, bats aren’t pollinators themselves, although they do play that role in other parts of the countries. But you can attract them by planting flowers that nocturnal insects enjoy. Try night- or evening-blooming flowering plants, like evening primrose, marsh phlox, moonflowers, four o’clocks, plaintain lily (a kind of hosta), and night gladiolus. Herb gardens with stand-bys like basil and mint are also good.

If you have a pond or stream near your house, bats can use it as a drinking source and will also hunt for insects around to the water.

Finally, if you have the space for it you can install a bat house. I always loved this idea, but we are chronic renters and have yet to find a landlord amenable to adding a bat hotel to the back yard. Bat Conservation International’s guidelines on bat houses suggest the structures be at least two feet tall – much bigger than the ones I’ve seen for sale. Have any readers installed a bat house and had anyone take up residence?

Finally – a quick word on rabies. Your chances of being bitten by a rabid bat are extremely slim, though it does happen. The DC Department of Health has guidelines on dealing with a possible rabies exposure here. Minimize your chances of exposure by never handling a bat directly, even if it appears healthy.