Open Space and Natural Resources Division We are Stewards of Natural Resources Essential to Aurora’s Quality of Life

Natural Resource Bulletin Tips for Avoiding Conflict with Wildlife in the City 2012.12.1

Respect Remember to respect the WILD in wildlife. Many potentially harmful interactions with wildlife occur because people fail to respect and leave wild animals alone.

• Do not attempt to harass, harm, corner, capture, or tame wild animals. • Do not intentionally feed wild animals. • Do not handle wildlife that appears to be sick or injured. • Do not allow pets to play with or harass wildlife. • Take steps to secure potential, but unintentional, food sources such as

rubbish, compost, pet food and water, feral (free-ranging domestic) cat food and water, birdbaths or bird feeders.

Secure Simple and inexpensive preventive measures can save time and money. Inspect your yard and home for potential wildlife trouble spots and correct them before they become an issue.

• Cover window wells with commercially available grates or bubbles or DIY using hardware cloth or chicken wire.

• Monitor and close holes (buried wire mesh may be necessary in some cases to prevent further digging) around and under foundations, decks and patios, so animals are not tempted to move in.

• Secure rubbish in a metal or plastic container. Secure lids with a bungee cord or heavy rock. If possible, store trash in a shed or garage. Wait until the morning of trash pick-up day to curb your trash. Always close dumpster lids. If your dumpster does not have a lid, call your waste management company or property management company and ask that it be replaced with a dumpster with a lid.

• Keep pet food and water indoors. Store pet food in secure containers. Do not store pet food near a pet door with outdoor (wild animal) access.

• To avoid pet conflict, supervise pets in yards where coyotes, foxes, raccoons and skunks have been observed.

• Screen fireplace chimneys and vents (be sure to consider all fire and safety hazards for this step). Immediately repair attic holes.

• Seal foundation, fascia and soffit cracks larger than one-quarter inch. Respond Don’t wait for wildlife to get comfortable in your yard or in your home. If you are experiencing elevated conflict, the best response is an immediate one.

• Temporarily remove attractants such as water, bird feeders or fallen fruit. • Temporarily remove access to easy shelter or hiding places such as

brush piles. Trim dense landscaping up and away from the ground. • Temporarily lock or secure pet doors at night. • Install motion-activated lighting, temporary lighting or noisemakers such

as a radio set to play on a talk station. • Temporarily place scent deterrents such as ammonia soaked rags,

mothballs enclosed in a stocking, citronella or cayenne pepper in the area.

• Haze (shout or clap your hands with the intent to scare off) coyotes and foxes out of your yard. Do not tolerate or encourage wildlife loitering on your property.

• If a wild animal is stuck in a window well or dumpster, carefully place a long, wide and rough plank at an angle extending from the base of the well or dumpster to the lip, then leave the area. This may allow the animal to safely climb out on its own. Remove the plank once the animal has left the area.

City of Aurora Parks, Recreation & Open Space (PROS)

The Quality of Life Department

Frequently Asked Questions: Will City of Aurora staff come and remove a wild animal from my community, yard or home? City of Aurora staff does not trap and remove wildlife. If you wish to have an animal trapped and removed, use the internet or the phone book to find and contact a local, professional wildlife damage control or pest control specialist. Because relocating wildlife can spread disease, move a problem rather than solve it, and often ends badly for the animal being moved, relocating wildlife is either not legal or is regulated. Check with state wildlife officials for regulations related to trapping and relocating wildlife. The Aurora Animal Care division will respond to wildlife-related service requests only if the animal has shown aggression toward a human, is severely injured, is showing signs of disease or is in distress (trapped in a fence, dumpster or window well). What can I do if my neighbor is feeding wildlife? If you are not comfortable talking with your neighbor about the negative consequences associated with intentionally feeding wildlife, please report wildlife feeding to Open Space and Natural Resources Staff at nature@auroragov.org. Staff can provide educational materials and may work with state officials to ticket residents for illegal wildlife feeding.

Species Specific Information Fox Squirrels Prevention: Do not feed squirrels. Secure bird feeders in cages or on tall, squirrel resistant poles. Immediately seal roof, fascia, soffit or attic gaps or holes. Trim over-hanging branches that provide easy roof access. Install an 18-inch cylinder of sheet metal at least three feet above the ground on roof access trees. Potential Conflict and Response Chewing/gnawing damage: Spray object being damaged with a commercial or homemade scent repellent (not on fruit or vegetables for human consumption). Squirrel stuck in your stove fan: Protect your hands and arms with heavy gloves and a long sleeve shirt. Disassemble the fan. As you remove it, hold a handheld fishing net under the hole. Once the squirrel falls into the net, cover the net opening with a board and take the animal outside for release. Squirrel in the fireplace: Protect your hands and arms with heavy gloves and a long sleeve shirt. Close the damper, open the fireplace door slightly and use a handheld fishing net to capture the squirrel. Cover the net opening with a board and take the animal outside for release. Squirrel loose in the house: Close doors or attempt to block access to any part of the house the squirrel is not in. Provide one way out (open a window or door) and watch until you see the squirrel leave. Raccoons Prevention: Do not feed feral (domestic, free-ranging) cats. Do not feed raccoons. Remove over-hanging tree branches providing easy roof access. Install an 18-inch cylinder of sheet metal at least three feet above the ground on roof access trees. Potential Conflict and Response Raccoon in the chimney: Place scent deterrents (only ones that are safe for indoor use) or place a radio set to play loud and continuous talk in the fireplace. Raccoon eating pond fish: Create hiding places for fish using broken garden pots turned upside down or rocks. Skunks Prevention: Use sheet metal or bury wire mesh 18 inches underground to permanently seal access to foundations, basements or outbuildings. Potential Conflict and Response Skunks living under a porch, foundation or outbuilding: Cover the ground at the entrance with soft soil or flour. When you note tracks leaving the entrance, close the entrance with hardware cloth. Sources: Too Close for Comfort (Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 2011) Urban Wildlife Rescue Tip Sheets (skunk, squirrel, and raccoon; urbanwildliferescue.org, 2012) Photo credits: second squirrel and second raccoon photo from the top of this page provided by Kenny Spradling. All others are stock photos.

Natural Resource Bulletin Tips for Avoiding Conflict with Wildlife in the City 2012.12.1

City of Aurora Parks, Recreation & Open Space (PROS)

The Quality of Life Department