Wildfires and wildlife

On this week's episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, invited Evan Antin, DVM, on the show to discuss the current state of the wildfires that are destroying thousands of acres in Southern California, including the homes of people and wildlife living on the land. Throughout the episode, Antin explains to Christman what it was like having to flee the areas impacted by the fires, what people should not do when it comes to wildlife, and more about his experiences with animal conservation.

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Below is a partial transcript

Evan Antin, DVM: Listen, a lot of wildlife, unfortunately, they're going to lose their homes and unfortunately, a lot of them their lives...with these wildfires. But a lot more than you would think actually can survive through them because of just the way that they're equipped to deal with, you know, the nature out here and being a native animal of this part of the world of Southern California, Southwest US, where wildfires are a reality. They're equipped with, you know, being in a sense prepared for them, if that makes sense, more from an instinctual standpoint of what they need to do when those come about. And then you're going to see and hear different things too, about recommendations of, you know, putting out food or water for them or not.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, they say, Don't put out food. Don't put out water. It's actually counterproductive. You're setting these animals up for more human and wildlife conflict, because they're now depending on, you know, they're going to see people as resources for their needs that they need to have met, whereas they really just need to depend on the wild habitats that they really, you know, live in. So, I mean, the food one, I think, is pretty straightforward. It's really not ideal to leave out food for these guys. We want them searching for food. We want them finding new homes where they can get food and, you know, get to areas where it's going to provide what their needs are, then, are not, you know, charred up and on fire and everything.

And then the water thing, you know, like I said, the Department of Wildlife, they said, don't even give water. That's [tough] to do. It's like part of me wants to just, if I was backed up to nature like that, I'd want to just put out a little bowl so just they get a little sip on the way. But, the wildlife biologists and experts are saying these guys, you really need to be given the opportunity to find it on their own, and that's what's going to be best for them long term.