Wildlife Coexistence in Urbanized Communities

As global urbanization rapidly increases, a greater number of species are at risk of habitat degradation and fragmentation. Particularly in the Santa Monica Mountains, modern infrastructure has spread into regions otherwise inaccessible, causing native species to adapt to the changing landscape or fall victim to it. Wildlife rehabilitation is a method that many developing countries utilize to promote and maintain coexistence between wildlife and residents. The California Wildlife Center located in Calabasas is a certified rehabilitation location that services all of Los Angeles county. Injured or abandoned wildlife are admitted courtesy of residents, if deemed safe, as well as through emergency calls in which employees of the clinic pick up the patient at the indicated location. Once admitted, the patient undergoes veterinary evaluation. Hopeful candidates then enter the process of rehabilitation which includes a daily medication regime, timed feeding intervals, enrichment activities, and husbandry. Success is contingent on the patient’s ability to complete the program and therefore be released back into their respective environment. Resource availability is an indirect factor that also impacts success. Centers like the one in Calabasas rely primarily on private grants that are competitive and few. This research aimed to analyze how resource availability is affecting rehabilitation success for locations that service a large region. Using current as well as past records, preliminary statistical analysis revealed a correlation between success and origin location. There was also a correlation between success and species type, particularly for California ground squirrels, Otospermophilus beecheyi, in the Santa Monica Mountains.