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Magic, Day and Night
October marks the beginning of exciting night life! Creatures of Myth and Legend, our annual celebration of the "scariest" wild things will be safely occurring on a hopefully sunny Sunday afternoon. This is a favorite event for families and kids love it. For the more sophisticated evening revelers among us, we're offering an elegant evening at the Marin Symphony and a chance to see and hear the legendary Red Violin!
More Creatures of Myth and Legend
Every year WildCare celebrates Halloween with a closer look at the animals that have traditionally aroused our fears and captured our collective imaginations-- like bats and spiders and snakes-- all the best symbols of Halloween!
This year, we hope you'll join us on October 25 to meet some of them in person. Owl, raven, vulture and snake will be there to strike fear, or more likely awe and amazement in your heart! As a special treat this year, we invite you to meet our new Northern Pacific Rattlesnake -- and learn his name. Don't worry, this little snake is well secured in his enclosure!
Help us choose our rattlesnake's name! Enter our Name Our Rattlesnake contest with your suggestion and win a WildCare gift bag!)
Event Information
Creatures of Myth and Legend
Sunday, October 25, 2009, 2 - 4pm at WildCare (click for directions)
This fun event features our Wildlife Ambassadors and their handlers, storytelling by acclaimed storyteller Ane Carla Rovetta, prizes for kids in costume, spooky snacks and more. This event is free to WildCare members. Non-member families are welcome with a donation of $10 at the door.
The Magic in the Music
On Sunday, November 1, violin virtuoso Elizabeth Pitcairn will perform on the legendary 1720 Stradivarius known as "The Red Violin" at the Marin Symphony. You're invited to join WildCare for an unmatched musical experience of rare splendor and elegance.
This is a performance not to be missed-- an international musical talent playing on the legendary 1720 Stradivarius known as "The Red Violin." This gloriously colored instrument was purchased by Felix Mendelssohn's descendants in the early twentieth century, then by a New York industrialist in mid-century who sold it at auction at Christie's in 1990. Imaginative speculation about the 200 years of its existence unknown to history (before the Mendelssohns owned it), inspired Francois Girard's Academy Award-winning film "The Red Violin."
The 1990 purchaser at auction remained anonymous at the time, but the instrument went to then-16-year-old solo violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn, who had begun to play violin at the age of three. As her talent soared, she became the first known solo artist ever to take the violin to the great concert halls of the world. On November 1, 2009, she will play Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, and Mozart's Symphony No.40 in G Minor, K.550.
This spectacular evening includes a catered Green Room reception with hors d'oeuvres and Beringer wines. Barbara Quick, author of Vivaldi's Virgins, will join conductor Alasdair Neale before the concert begins to discuss the piece Elizabeth Pitcairn will play.
Tickets are $75 each; a portion of the ticket price will be donated to WildCare. Save the date (November 1) and order your tickets to come see, hear, enjoy and support WildCare at the Symphony!
Purchase tickets online at www.wildcarebayarea.org/symphony or 415.453.1000, ext.13. |
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| Were Mexican Free-tailed Bats the inspiration for the Star Trek characters called Farengis? Probably not, but the resemblance is striking. |
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The bat's wing is essentially a modified hand, with the little "hook" at the top called a thumb. Why this one one family of mammals evolved the capacity for true flight is still not well understood by scientists. |
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This fossil bat, approximately 50 million years old, shows relatively few differences from modern bat anatomy. |
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| For colonial species, crowding is a mixed blessing. It conserves warmth when sometimes what is really needed is cooling. |
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Bats are beneficial insectivores. Maggie Sergio, Director of WildCare Solutions holds WildCare's multi-species bat box. You can buy one ready-made, or ask for plans and make one yourself. Email maggie@wildcarebayarea.org for more information. |
Masks and Skeletons and Mexican Free-tailed Bats
In a world that is becoming ever more hostile to bats in general, Mexican Free-tailed Bats are one of the few species that manages to survive, although it is getting more difficult every day. For a species that has lived on earth since the time of the dinosaurs relatively unchanged, this is an accomplishment worth celebrating-- and supporting! This ancient species engages our imaginations.
Mexican Free-tailed Bats (Tadarida brailiensis), also called Brazilian Free-tailed Bats, are small bats. They are called "free-tailed" because the lower half of their tail is free of the wing membrane. These bats' ears almost meet at the midline of the face, but are not joined. If you are a Star Trek fan, you might think they were the inspiration for the characters called Farengi... sometimes art does imitate life.
Mexican Free-tailed Bats are one of the most social of all bat species, and are always found in colonies. In the Bay Area, where caves are not abundant, they have adapted to life in buildings, and colonies are generally smaller, although California's Central Valley is home to some incredibly large colonies. In areas where large caves are available, like Texas, Arizona and Mexico, bats in single colonies may number in the millions.
Mysteries, Myths, Legends and Rabies
Archaeopterix fossils have been dated to 150 million years ago, and are thought to be the transitional animal between dinosaurs and modern birds. Bats, on the other hand, first appeared about 55 million years ago, and have changed very little since that time. The body design worked then, and for the Mexican Free-tailed Bat, it still works now.
Mexican Free-tails feed at night, on the wing, primarily capturing moths. With amazing aerial maneuvers, they scoop up the insects with their huge mouths; inward facing teeth sharp as tiny cactus spines prevent the moth from escaping. How do they do this in the dark? It is something of a mystery as to how flight and echolocation (also called biosonar) evolved.
Scientists are still searching, but some speculate that the earliest bats were day-fliers that used their eyes to navigate. Perhaps bats were forced to become nocturnal by the appearance of avian predators shortly after the dinosaurs became extinct around 65 million years ago. Some then evolved echolocation (the use of sound waves to determine the location of prey), whereas others became nocturnal vision specialists.
Whatever the answer, the bats' special talents have inspired more than their fair share of myths. Unfortunately the disease rabies isn't a myth. Rabies is a fact of life for bats, the one mammal species considered a rabies vector (carrier) all over the U.S., because they are the only mammals that can fly. Rabies is an old virus, so bat species have evolved strategies to survive it.
A certain percentage of the bats in any huge colony are rabid. The largest colonies are nursery colonies where the bats congregate to bear and raise their pups. Some males remain in nursery colonies, but most of the males tend to gather in caves near the nursery colonies.
Mother bats that have developed immunity to the rabies virus pass this immunity on to their pups in utero as well as through their milk. A pup with some immunity, if bitten by a rabid bat, can develop permanent antibodies to the virus, just as if the bite had been a vaccination booster. However, a pup whose mother had no antibodies, if bitten, succumbs to the disease like any other mammal would.
The Housing Crisis
In Northern California, Mexican Free-tailed Bats will roost in attics, under bridges, or in abandoned or unrepaired buildings near water. The water attracts the insects they eat and affords them an opportunity to drink. What happens to bats when the insects all die off in the winter? The bats have two choices: hibernate or migrate. In places with mild climates like Northern California, some bats stay active throughout the year.
Mexican Free-tailed Bats can both hibernate or migrate. Those that migrate may spend their winters in caves in Mexico or Central America, and return north to raise their young. These bats are superb flyers that can reach speeds up to 60 miles per hour with a tail wind. Those that choose to stay in cold climates go into hibernation. Because of their small size and need for heat, their hibernation choices are limited.
As the human population grows, sites for roosting and hibernating become even more scarce, which brings Mexican Free-tailed Bats into closer contact with people. Because of the ever-present danger of rabies, it is never advisable for a person to handle a bat or to deal with a bat problem without professional help. In fact, if a person touches a bat with bare hands, the Marin County Health Department requires that the bat be euthanized and tested for rabies, even if no one was bitten! We really hate to see that happen, so if you have a problem with bats, call WildCare Solutions at 415-453-1000 x23! We can help!
WildCare is often called to assist with bat problems. Our wildlife hospital has taken in baby bats suffering from heat stroke caused by overcrowding in maternity roosts. We have helped re-settle hibernating bats that were accidentally disturbed. We have helped homeowners reclaim their attics humanely. We have even become proactive, and are offering bat boxes to people who want to help support these beneficial little predators. |
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The Tiburon Labor Day parade started off quietly enough, but ended in a real-time demonstration of what a wildlife rescue is all about. |
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The rescue took the coordinated efforts of several people, including a skillful kayaker. |
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As the kayaker maneuvered the bird toward the rescuers, WildCare associates Emily Baumbach and Winnie Kelly had nets prepared to make the capture. |
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WildCare personnel Raya Smith and Winnie Kelly put the captured pelican in a quiet transport cage. |
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| X-ray of the pelican's broken wing. | The Taking of Pelican #1313
by Jan Armstrong, photos courtesy of Winnie Kelly
WildCare's participation in the Tiburon Labor Day Parade was cut short Sunday, September 6, when a Belvedere resident stopped us to report that there was a Brown Pelican in trouble at the beach near the San Francisco Yacht Club parking lot. We pulled out of the parade to learn more about the situation.
A juvenile California Brown Pelican with an apparently broken wing was first sitting on the beach, then swimming in the water just beyond the San Francisco Yacht Club parking lot. Robin, a very helpful Belvedere resident, called the Marin Humane Society just prior to seeing WildCare's vehicle driving in the Labor Day Parade. She hailed WildCare staff and volunteers, telling them that the pelican was in trouble, and had been, she thought, for a couple of days.
The Marin Humane Society had answered a call about the pelican the day before (Saturday), but when their field officer had gone to check on it, the bird had escaped out into the bay. On Sunday, WildCare's WildCare Solutions Specialist Winnie Kelly pulled out of the parade and followed directions to the downed bird. Using beach access provided by a gracious homeowner, she investigated the situation and saw the bird, sitting, apparently not comfortably, on a small stretch of beach.
All for One!
Thinking quickly, Winnie contacted the San Francisco Yacht Club parking lot attendant, Chris and his supervisor, Kevin. They were extraordinarily helpful, providing a large net, a kayak and Chris's considerable kayaking expertise. At the same time, Winnie called the Marin Humane Society (MHS) to get a report from them, and to ask them to send an officer to what appeared to be a possible rescue. Animal Services Officer Robert Wooster arrived in an MHS vehicle, prepared to transport the injured bird back to WildCare for examination and stabilization.
Chris, who turned out to be an excellent kayaker, positioned himself in the kayak just beyond the water's edge. Winnie and Robert, both with nets, and two other WildCare volunteers-- Raya Smith and Emily Baumbach-- positioned themselves at strategic points along the small beach area, ready to come in with nets and a blanket to catch the injured pelican. As soon as he saw people with nets, the pelican walked into the water and started to swim, first in one direction along the water's edge, and then in the other.
With remarkable kayaking skills that surprised and delighted everyone involved, Chris maneuvered expertly back and forth in the water just behind the pelican, carefully and insistently keeping the pelican from moving into open water. When the bird was finally forced to walk onto the beach, Winnie and Emily moved in with large nets to keep him from leaving again. Winnie was the first to catch the bird. They covered the very tired pelican with towels and put him carefully into the MHS service vehicle, with which Officer Wooster met all concerned back at WildCare.
Unhappy Ending
Once at WildCare, California Brown Pelican Patient #1313 was examined, x-rayed and stabilized. Tests showed two breaks in one of his wings. By 5:30 that Sunday afternoon, he was resting at WildCare, and on Monday morning, he was transferred to International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC), where they routinely treat large pelagic birds, for continuing care. Further radiography at IBRRC showed that the pelican had probably been hit by a car, and the broken bones were more severe than could be effectively healed. Further examination showed additional medical problems and injuries. Unfortunately Patient #1313 had to be euthanized on Monday, September 7.
This young pelican’s rescue, which lacked nothing but a happy ending, was the result of the combined efforts of a concerned neighbor, a cooperative homeowner, representatives of a yacht club and two nonprofit animal welfare agencies. |
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The Terwilliger Environmental Award
2009 Terwilliger Environmental Award winner Jack Laws is an educator who has made a significant impact on Bay Area environmental education. On Friday, September 18 in the WildCare Terwilliger Center Courtyard, Jack was presented with the award and a $2,000 prize to use to continue his work.
Below are some photos of the event.
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| The festivities began with refreshments catered by Insalatas that included a Thai noodle salad and fresh gazpacho. Although a selection of wines were served, the warm afternoon made sparkling water the drink of choice for most guests! |
Before the presentation, Jack greeted friends and colleagues, and everyone had a chance to mingle. |
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| Speakers included WildCare's Executive Director Karen Wilson, followed by Education Director Juan-Carlos Solis. Cynda Vyas remembered Mrs. Elizabeth Terwilliger to the group, and WildCare Education Specialist Mary Pounder introduced our Wildlife Ambassador program. |
The award, a $2,000 check , and a stunning print of Vladimir, WildCare's educational Turkey Vulture by artist Mary Blake, were presented to Jack by WildCare Board President Susan Rusche and WildCare Education Director Juan-Carlos Solis. |
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| Jack had an announcement of his own to make-- he had proposed to Cybele Renault the day before-- and she had accepted! |
From left: Education Director Juan-Carlos Solis, Executive Director Karen Wilson, Cybele Renault, Jack Laws. |
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| Jack Laws and and former Terwilliger Nature Guide Candace Hale took the opportunity to educate attendees about the mating dance of the jumping spider-- and what a wonderful dance it was! | |
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Great Gift Ideas for October
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WildCare logo-wear makes a great gift! Choose from a cool selection of caps, tees and sweatshirts on our Shop page, or visit WildCare and choose from an even larger selection! |
When you give a WildCare gift membership, your gift recipient will receive all the benefits of WildCare membership as well as the knowledge that, as WildCare members, they help create a healthy and sustainable habitat for humans and animals alike.
What a perfect gift! |
Or choose another extraordinary wild animal to adopt for that someone special! Your gift recipient will receive an art-quality photo of your chosen animal, a personalized certificate of adoption and a page of informative natural history. | | |
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