This Year’s Rain Keeps Wildlife at Bay

Parts of the Metro-area are suffering one less hardship this year, wild animals are staying away

by Stewart Roed
04-30-09

"This is about the first year in a while that the raccoons have stayed out of my trash," says Jeff Duluka, resident of Gwinnett County. "Last year I'd come out in the morning and see things pushed over, trash bags torn to shreds and even smell some horrible urine in the air. It got to the point that I couldn't leave anything outside unless it was sealed and locked up tight."

Duluka, like many other metro Atlanta residents lives hand in hand with the wild animals all around. But sometimes, nature needs a bit more than usual and goes door to door in search of food.

Last year's drought seems to have affected the animals as much as the people in Atlanta. Urban Wildlife Control, an Atlanta based pest removal agency, show a marked increase in the number of people calling in last year to remove animals in their neighborhoods like raccoons, possums and even a few armadillos.

"This year, it's pretty much back to normal so far," Pam Marriot, one of the receptionists for Urban, says.

"Some areas we get called to more often then others, but that's just the way things are. Most of the areas around the lakes and rivers have had lower reports this year than last. The critters must be staying to the greenery this year."

Unfortunately not all areas are the same.

Cobb County Animal Control reports that the animal call ins are the same as ever. This year was no different than previous.

"We're getting reports of the usual animal activity from Cobb residents. A few scattered reports of coyotes and even a black bear or two that'll make its way into neighborhoods during the spring mating season," says Kay Brooks, dispatcher for Cobb Animal Control.

'The most common thing we're called out for are possums and raccoons. They get into people's stuff, break open boxes and just cause trouble for the residents."

Some Cobb residents don't seem to mind it so much and even welcome the wildlife into their yards.

"My neighbor actually puts out food for the pests. Old cat food, table scraps or spoiled food. She said that she's fed a whole family of possums and raccoons before and even named them. I personally don't like it, but as long as it draws the possums away from my house and to her's, I can't complain," Nancy Vaahn, Cobb resident, says.

But this is highly dangerous according to Animal Control.

"People shouldn't try to think of them as pets or give them food because they are wild animals. They can carry rabies or any number of other diseases," Brooks warns.

So what happens to the animals that are captured?

"We don't use poison or leg-traps or anything like that. We try not to kill the animals and use things like cages mostly (Video of Coyote in trap). When we do trap the animals, what we usually do is put down the most common carriers of rabies; such as raccoons and coyotes. The others are relocated to areas far away from human populations.”

With over 5 and a half million residents in the metro Atlanta area, and being one of the cities with the most green-space in the US, animal and human populations are growing ever closer.

One last bit of advice from Animal Control.

"Nature can be your friend as long as you play it safe. Don't panic, watch over your kids and your pets, and call Animal Control if you see any dangerous animals."

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Have you had a wild animal come through your property? Tell us about it down in the comments section!

The 73^rd annual Dogwood Festival is held in Pedimont Park after a forced vacation last year

By Stewart Roed

04-18-09

“It’s great to have it back in the park this year,” says Maria Mata, a Dekalb resident.

“When it was in Lenox, it just wasn’t nearly as much fun. Plus there just weren’t any dogwoods there, so it was kind of sad.”

Last year’s Dogwood Festival was held at Lenox Mall. In the parking lot. This was due to the terrible drought affecting the metro-Atlanta area this time last year. City officials were worried about holding such a large event in the park under such dry conditions.

“We get more than 150,000 people coming into the park over the course of the three days the festival,” Andi Frey, the festival’s press secretary, says.

“The city thought that so many pairs of feet would smash and kill all of the grass in it’s dried up state. So they relocated the festival to Lenox to try and keep the damage to the environment down to a minimum.”

The first day of the festival that year saw the first rain in months for Atlanta, washing out the crowds for that day. With a total of only around 50,000 people attending that year, the festival took a large financial hit as well.

But this year has proven to break the slump with over 50,000 expected to attend each day.

“It’s been a huge relief to have the festival back in the park this year,” Frey says. “This time we have plenty of space for all the vendors and visitors to use.”

“I was there for last year’s [festival] too,” Beverly Anne, an artist that paints pictures on peacock feathers says. “First day it was raining all day, which kept me from making a single sale. Then the next day, the sun turned all that water on the ground into steam. You ever been standing out in a parking lot for a few hours when the ground is literally steaming up around you? Not fun.”

With over 250 artists, 15 concerts, a children’s area and even a comedy routine, the Dogwood Festival has something for everyone. Even the weather is expected to be cooperative with planners this year, with temperatures in the 70’s and clear blue skies. This year promises to shatter previous years’ records.

Interview with Executive Director, Brian Hill about The Dogwood festival

Did you attend? Leave a comment and tell us about it!