Some Huntsville residents were caught off guard last month when a bear was
spotted on video
roaming through a neighborhood in the Rocket City.
Less than a week later, police in Athens warned residents not to feed or
take selfies with a bear
spotted within their city limits. And unlike Huntsville, Athens isn’t known for wooded or mountainous areas.
While bear sightings are rare, local and state animal control and wildlife officials aren’t surprised they are showing up in fast-growing neighborhoods. And that also applies to other forms of wildlife.
“The Madison-Huntsville area is developing at an exponential rate,” said Nick Wirwa, a biologist at
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge
. “Many of these areas are adjacent to Wheeler. Because of this the refuge expects there to be impacts and is currently anticipating, planning and working with officials to account for the growth.”
Wirwa said that in recent years black bears have steadily migrated from northwest Georgia into northeast Alabama, establishing a small, but viable population in primarily in DeKalb, Cherokee and Etowah counties.
Although a bear was caught on video roaming through a yard in a Marina Park neighborhood of Huntsville, the city’s animal services department has not received any calls about sightings within the city limits.
“A number of years ago, there was one seen in Morgan County in Lacey’s Spring (near where Huntsville recently annexed 1,000 acres),” said Melissa Horne, veterinarian for
Huntsville Animal Services
. “We do have bears. We just don’t commonly see them. There’s not many.”
Like Athens police, she suggests
leaving them alone
.
“Simply seeing these animals is no cause for alarm, it simply means you live in Alabama – which provides suitable habitat for multiple species,” adds Marianne Gauldin of the Alabama Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries Division.
More alligator sightings
The sight of an
alligator
along the banks of the Tennessee River used to surprise residents who thought the climate too cold for a species known for thriving in the swamps of Louisiana, Florida and southern parts of Alabama and Mississippi.
But south Huntsville residents have been
spotting alligators
floating around in ponds and other locations near the Hays Farm development, Redstone Arsenal and Zierdt Road.
People fishing and swimming have also seen them on Swan Creek and in creeks in the Mooresville area in Limestone County. Golfers and campers occasionally see alligators along the river near the campground and golf course at Point Mallard Park in Decatur. They’ve also been spotted in Flint Creek between Decatur and Hartselle.
Back in 2008, Decatur police had to remove one from heavily traveled Danville Road in the southwest part of the city. A 6-foot alligator was killed just weeks before by someone driving on Alabama 20.
They have been spotted further west, too, at the TVA trails in Muscle Shoals.
Huntsville Animal Services occasionally get calls about alligators but they leave the task of relocating them to state wildlife officials.
“Unfortunately, there was a Grissom student on a kayak trying to aggravate a gator, catch it or do something like that,” said Horne, the vet at the city shelter. “It’s best just to leave them alone. You’re putting yourself in danger. When you start feeding wildlife, they are going to start losing their natural fear of people. They’re going to be coming into closer proximity to people.”
In May, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources had to
euthanize a 10-foot alligator
in south Huntsville because it was “acting abnormally.” That led wildlife officials to believe residents had been feeding it.
The largest concentration of alligators is believed to be on the 35,000-acre Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge between Huntsville and Decatur.
“The alligator population is estimated to be stable,” said Wirwa, the biologist at Wheeler. “A study in 2017, estimated the population on Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge to be around 55-60.”
Bobcats find refuge
It might surprise people that there have been no sightings of bears or alligators on the Land Trust of North Alabama’s 10 nature preserves
that span 10,000 acres.
“We regularly have bobcats and coyotes,” said Executive Director Marie Bostick. “Flying squirrels are fun, too.”
Bobcats are “stealthy and secretive,” said Gauldin, from the state wildlife division, but you might see one hunting around the edge of a field of neighborhood.
“They are often confused with mountain lions, which have not been documented in our state for about 80 years,” Gauldin said.
As for
coyotes
?
“I’ve been here four years, and I’ve seen one coyote that’s come in here injured,” Horne said. “It was hit by a car, so we euthanized them. We don’t get many coyote calls, but we know they are out there, and you do read about them on Nextdoor.”
They were a problem in Decatur a few years ago with coyotes preying on small pets.
Other ‘urban’ wildlife
Horne said Huntsville does get calls for possums and raccoons.
“We see a lot of distemper virus in raccoons,” she said. “Occasionally, we get bats. Of course, all the bats have to be tested for rabies. The wildlife laws in Alabama basically say you are to leave them alone. Legally, you can’t treat them. When we get injured by wildlife, we do have to euthanize them. The best thing to do is to not feed them. You leave food out, especially the raccoons are going to come out.”
Horne said that usually occurs when people put food out for cats.
In addition to raccoons, bats and possums, Horne said Huntsville residents may also see an occasional red fox roaming around neighborhoods. She said that is more common in the county, especially in the Meridianville area.
“There’s quite a bit there,” she said.
Horne said animals considered wildlife can be found in every part of Alabama’s largest city. But deer are usually found mainly around Green Mountain.
Horne also said the Huntsville area is home to a number of raptors, including owls and hawks. She said Animal Services will work with the rehabilitation center at Auburn University when it receives a call about an injured raptor.
Residents may spot the nation’s most well-known raptor – the bald eagle – at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and other spots along the Tennessee River, including Lake Guntersville and Waterloo in the Shoals.
“Because the refuge is located along the Tennessee River and its tributaries, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge provides great habitat for bald eagles,” Wirwa said. “Currently there are several known bald eagle nests on the refuge. Because bald eagles migrate and spend the winter around Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge utilizing its food resources, winter is the best season to view bald eagles on the refuge.”
Area’s growth impacts wild places
Wirwa said the area’s population growth is having an impact on the wildlife near the refuge. The massive Greenbrier Preserve currently under construction in west Huntsville borders the refuge, with developers listing the refuge among the development’s amenities. A proposed Village of Providence-type development at the Interstate 65-565 interchange also borders the refuge.
And the growth of Town Madison and Hays Farm developments in south Huntsville could mean more encounters with wildlife such as alligators.
Wirwa said the refuge tries to work with developers building subdivisions that border the refuge. And Bostick said in a previous interview with AL.com the Land Trust of North Alabama also tries to work with developers to preserve areas around Huntsville.
And while wildlife officials encourage residents to avoid wildlife that shows up in their neighborhoods, Wirwa said the refuge does provide a place where residents can observe wildlife.
Oddly enough, despite sightings in some neighborhoods, Wirwa said there haven’t been any known sightings of bears at the refuge recently.
“Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to view a variety of wildlife, including waterfowl, cranes, deer, amphibians and birds,” he said. “During the winter, the refuge is home to thousands of sandhill cranes and a small number of whooping cranes. Tens of thousands of ducks and geese also winter here and can be seen throughout the refuge. The fall and spring migrations bring numerous songbirds and wading birds to the refuge.”
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