Wild animals displaced

The fire also displaced scores of animals who make the park home. Coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, squirrels, possums, skunks and deer all live in Griffith Park.

"We saw them fleeing," said William Ramirez, park ranger for 19 years. "They fled down the hill. Now we are seeing some on the streets of the park."

Rangers also found some dead rabbits and snakes this morning in the burned areas. The snakes just had babies recently, so rangers expect to find more young snakes who didn’t make it.

-Anna Gorman

Comments

[Nicole]

While I feel relief that families and their homes are safe, I can't help but wonder about the displaced wildlife and what's next for them? We are their guardians and now they have no home and nowhere to go. It worries me that in the near future residents will be bombarding LA City Animal Control to round up the native wildlife. We must be cognizant of their environment too.

[Rima]

I totally agree with Nicole. Please let everyone you know in that area that they should watch out for the animals who've lost their home, give them water to drink but no food, and leave them alone unless injured. Domestic pets should be kept indoors or watched carefully while outdoors for the next few weeks to avoid confrontations with wildlife, either dogs chasing deer/rabbits or coyotes chasing dogs/cats, etc. The animals have lost their homes, their sustenance areas, their 'park'.