I was talking to our Community Service Officer, Kris Wilson, last week and he reminded me that we have seen an increase in wildlife calls within the past couple weeks pertaining mostly to possums and raccoons, getting into open garages, outbuildings and under modular homes.
We are actually restricted in what we can do with wildlife. If it appears sick or ill, we can remove the animal, but if they are simply visiting your yard or passing through, the animals are usually protected. Often, if they are causing damage, we can get permission from DNR, (Department of Natural Resources) to loan you a live trap, or you can hire a licensed tracker to assist you. I would suggest that you go to the Minnesota DNR website to learn more.
You can help wildlife out by adhering to a couple of suggestions:
- Don’t feed them (on purpose or inadvertently by leaving your pet’s food out or through bird feeders – feeding deer and geese also feeds everything else)
- Try to keep doors closed and enclosures tight around outbuildings and modular homes.
We will continue to assist and answer questions with respect to wildlife. Kris Wilson does an outstanding job in this area and is knowledgeable with respect to wildlife and how to best coexist with them.
The benefits of living in a more rural setting also includes sharing space with the “critters” once in a while. Mild winters have allowed populations to increase substantially. Helping to not encourage unwanted visitors like raccoons and possums by feeding them or providing easy shelter access will be better for them as well.
Thanks for your help!