From skunks to snakes, more wildlife is emerging in San Diego’s hot summer months.
SAN DIEGO — Wildlife has become a more common sight across San Diego County this summer, not just near canyons and trails, but in neighborhoods and even Downtown San Diego.
ReneeClaire, who lives in Clairemont, said she and her dog, Willow, have noticed the difference.
“It’s been amazing, there’s been more birds in the sky and locally,” she said. “I’ve also noticed many more reptiles.”
Briana Eisan, a wildlife veterinarian assistant with Project Wildlife, said the spring and summer always brings an uptick in activity because animals are reproducing, and the heat also drives animals out of hiding in search of water and shelter.
“Our Virginia opossums are one of the most common ones, we also do have a healthy skunk, raccoon and coyote population down here,” she said.
Briana added that San Diego is seeing more bird activity because it’s peak migration season. On top of that, it’s also rattlesnake season.
When it comes to living alongside wildlife, Briana said the best approach is to admire them from a distance.
“We ask that we never attempt to touch, feed cuddle or keep wildlife on our own,” Briana said.
To help, residents are urged not to leave out trash, food or water. Turning off lights at night can also make a big difference for migrating birds.
“A lot of the light pollution that we have can be kind of disorienting for our birds, and cause a lot of window strikes,” Briana explained.
Protecting wildlife also means keeping people and pets safe.
“If you do come across a rattlesnake in your kind of private property, we do have our Humane Law Enforcement that’s available in San Diego County to come help safely remove them,” she said.
Project Wildlife also recommends keeping cats indoors, walking dogs on leashes and taking extra precautions.
“I’m taking her for rattlesnake aversion training this weekend, because I do a lot of backpacking and hiking,” ReneeClaire said of her dog, Willow.
While it’s illegal to relocate wildlife in San Diego County, Briana said injured animals can be brought to Project Wildlife for care.
“If you see any obvious injuries, anything looks broken or has blood, the animal likely needs to come in,” she said.
For some residents, the increase in sightings has been a welcome change.
“I love the increase in wildlife. Yeah, absolutely,” ReneeClaire said.
You can find more tips from the Humane Society here, along with a contact for their Humane Law Enforcement here.