Laurie Fortin

1. Laurie Fortin Department of Environmental Protection Wildlife Division 860-424-3963 Laurie.fortin@po.state.ct.us

2. Wildlife Encounters • Potentially Dangerous Animals • Animal Diseases • Nuisance Animals • Sick, injured & orphaned animals

3. Lions, & Tigers and Bears – Oh MY!

4. Fox Dangerous Animals Bobcat Eastern Coyote Black Bear Timber Rattlesnake Black Widow

5. Large Predators Timber Wolf Mountain Lion

6. Fox Large Predators Bobcat • NOT TYPICALLY AGGRESSIVE OR FRIENDLY • WILL RARELY APPROACH YOU DIRECTLY • IF APPROACHED, MAINTAIN GROUND AND BE AGGRESSIVE • IF IT CONTINUES TO APPROACH OR ATTEMPTS TO BITE YOU – Probably RABID Eastern Coyote

7. Large Predators • Don’t Run away • Back away slowly while watching • Don’t Climb a tree • Don’t separate a mother and her cubs Black Bear

8. Large Predators

9. Snakes • Only two poisonous snakes in Connecticut • Timber Rattlesnake • Northern Copperhead

10. Snakes • Poisonous snakes can be identified by: • Head shape • Pupil size/shape • Patterned body • Tail

11. Snakes • Poisonous snakes can be identified by: Head shape Timber Rattlesnake

12. Large pits between eye and mouth Snakes • Poisonous snakes can be identified by: Pupil shape POISONOUS!! Copperhead

13. Snakes • Poisonous snakes can be identified by: Patterns Northern Copperhead Timber Rattlesnake

14. Northern Copperhead Snakes • Poisonous snakes can be identified by: Patterns Horizontal Bands Color: brownish or grayish Timber Rattlesnake

15. Snakes • Poisonous snakes can be identified by: Tail Northern Copperhead Timber Rattlesnake

16. Snakes Eastern Hognose Snake

17. Snakes Y Eastern Milk Snake

18. Snakes Northern Water Snake

19. Range Map for Timber Rattlesnakes Sharon Kent (Housatonic SF) Glastonbury Portland (Meshomasic SF)

20. Range Map for Northern Copperheads • They Like: • Rocky Hillsides • Open Woods • Edges of Swamps and • Meadows Southbury (Kettletown SP)

21. Snakes • Poisonous snakes will only bite if they are provoked (i.e. handled, stepped on, harassed) • 7,000 people bitten per year, of those only about 15 are fatal. • Death typically results due to allergic reaction, poor health to begin with or too much time passes before treatment.

22. Snake Bites DO NOT • CUT WOUND • APPLY TOURNIQUET • SUCK OUT VENOM • DO: • WASH WOUND • KEEP BITTEN AREA LOWER THAN HEART • WALK SLOWLY AND CALL 911

23. Snake Bites SNAKE BITE EXTRACTOR KIT

24. Poisonous Spiders Violin pattern Red hourglass shape on abdomen Brown Recluse Spider Black Widow Spider

25. What do I do if bitten? Rarely bite unless touched Apply ice Collect spider Seek treatment Where are they found? Wood piles Outhouses Meter boxes Dark undisturbed areas Black Widow Spiders • What are signs that I was bitten? • Minor or sever pain at bite • Symptoms that may last 1-2 days could include: • Severe cramping or rigidity in the abdominal muscles • Nausea, Fever • Profuse perspiration • Labored breathing

26. Brown Recluse Spider Bites • Symptoms occur within 2-8 hours – usually involve severe pain & itching at bite wound and/or nausea, vomiting & fever • Blistering typical • Necrosis (tissue death) also possible

27. Brown Recluse Spider Bites • What do I do if bitten? • Apply ice • Elevate area • Wash Wound • Use Advil or Aleve • Collect spider • Seek treatment • DO NOT: • Suck out venom • Apply heat • Use steroid creams

28. Woodchuck or Groundhog Fisher (cat)

29. Disease Concerns Rabies is most commonly carried by raccoons,skunks,foxes and bats Can be carried by any mammal Any animal exhibiting unusual behavior such as stumbling or staggering, walking in circles loss of use of a hind limb or dragging of the hind end aggressively attacking objects approaching or attacking other animals or people adult bat found on the ground may be sick Contact the local ACO, P.D. or Conservation Officer immediately

30. 4169 1059 57 53 3 3 1 1 94 15 7 7 4 3 1 1 5479 total Positive Rabies Cases 1991-2004 Domestic Cats Woodchuck Raccoons Fox Skunks

31. How is Rabies Transmitted? • Bite or scratch from an infected animal • Contact with potentially infectious material - saliva, CNS tissue (Open wound or mucous membrane)

33. IF YOU ARE EXPOSED • Don’t panic • Wash wound with soap & water • Contact physician • Report incident to health officials • Post Exposure Treatment • HRIG (Human Rabies Immune Globulin) • Half in wound. • Half IM in gluteal area. • HDV (Human Diploid Cell Vaccine) • 5 doses IM in Deltoid • Days 0,3,7,14,28

34. Other Disease Concerns • Raccoon Roundworm • Histoplasmosis • Hantavirus • Salmonella

35. Disease Concerns • Bat Guano • Great Fertilizer • Also good environment for Histoplasmosis to thrive • Histoplasmosis is a fungus that can become aerosolized in tight quarters • Spray guano with 10% bleach solution and bag up to remove Raccoon Feces – infected with Roundworm eggs clean surface with bleach solution, dispose of object or blowtorch!

36. Disease Concerns Hantavirus & Salmonella

37. Nuisance Animals

38. Nuisance Animals • Illegal to Relocate Raccoons, Skunks & Foxes • Attempt to exclude animals • Can kill certain species but • must adhere to humane handling and euthanasia techniques • Contact DEP Wildlife Division for advice, names of Nuisance Wildlife Control Officers or information about permits

39. Am I an Orphan?

40. Symbols represent the type of animals they are authorized to take ~230 rehabilitators Distributed to vets, nature centers, P.D., ACO, Infoline http://dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/wildlife/problem/rehab/rehab.htm

41. Questions? Wildlife Division 860-424-3011 DEP Dispatch 860-424-3333 Dept. of Public Health 860-509-8000