Interactions With Wild Animals Increase as Rural Areas Become Populated

June 25, 2007 — -- On Friday morning, the Boyle family of Connecticut awoke to see a black bear snacking on the contents of the birdfeeder in their backyard.

"I kept my distance," Judy Boyle said. "I had the video camera going, and he was right down here near the tree."

A day later, in Duarte, Calif., a bear cub wandered into the Cornell family's backyard, and their German shepherds attacked. The owners sprayed the dogs with water, allowing the cub to climb up a nearby tree. Then the bear's mother came, licked the cub's wounds and took off.

"Luckily everything ended well," said Liz Cornell. "It could have been much worse. With mama bear, you've got to be careful."

Scenes like these may become more common as humans continue building homes in rural areas and encroaching upon animal habitats.

"We are encroaching on their habitat, and we are pushing them out of what they're used to and into more urban areas," said Nicole Paquette, CEO of the Animal Protection Institute.

Wildlife experts said bears may be visiting humans because drought conditions have dried up much of their normal food.

Wild animals of all stripes have been wandering into people territory with real frequency in recent weeks, including an alligator in the road in Tyler, Texas, a deer on the roof of a university building in Nebraska, and another deer, caught on surveillance video, running into an art gallery in Frederick, Md.

At the art gallery, the owner cornered the animal, which eventually hoofed it right back out the same door.

Coyotes are also a growing problem, and not only out west. The coyote population is growing and migrating. Coyotes have made appearances on the streets of Detroit, in a Quiznos sandwich shop in Chicago and in a mattress store in Kansas City.

Not all the sightings have ended harmlessly. Five-year-old Brayden Gazette needed 46 stitches after an unprovoked attack.

"The coyote came up from behind those trees and just jumped on him," said Brayden's mother, Joann Gazette.

An easy way to keep animals outside of your yard is not to leave out anything edible outside overnight. That includes bird feeders, garbage and household pets.