Wildlife display wows local audience
By Miguel Morales miguel@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers FASCINATING FELINE- A serval, a spotted African wildcat about the size of a bobcat, was the most exotic of several animals put on display during a special demonstration about co-existing with wildlife held Saturday at the Rancho Santa Susana Community Center in front of a large crowd.

Simi Valley residents found out Saturday that their neighbors may be wilder than they think.

The Rancho Santa Susana Community Center, in conjunction with the Rancho Simi Recreation and Parks District, hosted Safe Passage: Coexisting with Your Neighbors, a free live animal presentation by the Mountain Lion Foundation and Nature of Wildworks.

At the event, parents and children had the opportunity to view all types of wildlife- including rats, owls, opossum, foxes, skunks and snakes- that reside in Simi's surrounding mountains and even under their own homes.

"I think it's great because people actually get to see the animals up close and are able to relate to them better," said Vykki Huizing, a Simi resident with a degree in Exotic Animal Training and Management from Moorpark College.

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers SMELLY FELLOW- Michael Jackson the skunk trundled along munching on treats in front of a curious and apprehensive crowd during "On the Wild Side," a presentation by the Mountain Lion Foundation in association with Nature of Wildworks, a nonprofit nonreleasable wildlife care facility.

As a special treat for the program's estimated 300 viewers, Molly Hogan, president and founder of Nature of Wildworks, brought along a serval- - a medium-sized, spotted cat native to central Africa. Part of the goal of the day, she said, was to try to ease the fear of nondomesticated animals harbored by many people.

"People are afraid of wild animals," Hogan said. "They don't know how to deal with them."

Hogan said she also hoped to teach people about respecting wildlife and to give them techniques on how to live in close proximity to wild animals. There are more coyotes in the United States now than there have ever been, she said, and humans have actually contributed to that growth.

"People think that animals travel into the city from the country and then go back," Hogan said. "They're . . . born under your house, then they live there; they come into your backyard and use the swimming pool."

Christa Kermode, field representative for the Mountain Lion Foundation, gave the audience survival techniques in the event of an encounter with a large wild predator as well as methods for keeping unwanted rodents out of yards.

Kermode stressed the fact that many animals have adapted well to living near developed areas and in urban environments.

"The best way to help wildlife and to protect wildlife is through protecting their natural habitat so they have a place to stay and survive," she said.

Bird feeders, fruit trees and gardens attract wild animals, Kermode said.

Animals don't recognize property lines, so maintaining a clean yard and keeping animal feed secured will prevent unwanted scavengers.