Will Noah’s Ark land in your neighborhood?

While the opening of the Morganza Spillway removed the immediate threat of flooding in our area, the state’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) cautions all Louisianans about the increased possibility of wildlife encounters.

Forced to flee their habitats by the rising rivers and the swollen spillways, rabbits, raccoons, feral hogs and other critters may inadvertently wander into residential and commercial areas.

To reduce likelihood of disturbance and danger, Louisianans can minimize contact with displaced wildlife by:

• Avoiding roadways near flooded areas and regions in which displaced wildlife is known to take refuge.

• Feeding pets indoors to prevent attracting wildlife on to property. The interaction engenders potentially dangerous human-animal contact. Furthermore, the animals may become dependent and remain in the vicinity of a new food source rather than return home.

• Refraining from feeding wild animals. “We discourage people from feeding [wildlife] and artificially holding them because they can become a nuisance,” Ribbeck says. “Nuisance animals don’t have a good life ahead of them. Usually, we’re called to take care of the situation, which can end badly for the animal.”

• Allowing wildlife to travel unimpeded through farm and suburban areas.

In Baton Rouge, the chance of meeting furry or fanged flood refugees is relatively low. “We have limited batture lands that are being flooded on the Baton Rouge side,” reports Kenny Ribbeck, chief of the LDWF’s Wildlife Division. “[However,] People in the south part of the parish, toward Ascension, may see a little more activity.”

Right now, the majority of the activity centers around the Atchafalaya Basin, which is experiencing the emigration of a large number of deer, small animals and bears.

“The animals are accustomed to temporary flooding,” Ribbeck says. “[But] In this type of flood, there’s not as much high ground in the center of the basin.” So, they’ve been moving outward, ahead of rising water.

Besides simply sharing a habitat with human flood victims, the displaced animals exhibit the same strong desire to stay nearby and return home once the danger passes.

However, since the high water may remain for several weeks, these are among the species Louisianans are likely to see as swamp meets the suburbs:

Black Bears

The large population of black bears in the upper Atchafalaya region is of particular concern to the state’s biologists.

To evade flooding, black bears typically venture out of their habitat and occasionally amble into populated areas. There, the greatest threat to survival comes from their new neighbors.

“We recognize that a bear puts a lot of fear in people,” says Ribbeck. “But [these bears] under stress because they’ve been displaced. They’re just looking for refuge, and then they will go back to their original habitat.”

In most cases, Ribbeck advocates simply leaving the bear alone to mosey back into the woods. However, residents can call a 24-hour hotline to talk with a state biologist, who can come to the site and assess the situation.

Because they remain on the federal Threatened and Endangered Species List, killing a Louisiana black bear violates both state law and results in penalties of up to $50,000, a six-month jail sentence and a civil restitution fine of $10,000 per bear.

For assistance with black bears, call 1-800-442-2511.

Alligators & Snakes

Floodwaters frequently carry significant numbers of reptiles into unfamiliar territory. Wherever they are deposited, their survival instincts allow them to thrive in makeshift shelters and easily find new food sources.

Even after the water recedes, these stealthy swamp critters may lurk beneath debris or in other camouflaged hiding places. So, as owners return to camps, river homes and other waterfront property, families need to be extremely cautious salvaging possessions from high grass, brush, dark or flooded areas.

Besides the threat of errant alligators, Louisiana has a plethora of poisonous snake species including the canebrake rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, harlequin coral snake, pygmy rattlesnake and the Texas coral snake.

For more information on snake species found in Louisiana, visit wlf.louisiana.gov/resource/snakes-louisiana.

Deer & Feral Hogs

As they flee their natural habitat for higher ground, large numbers of these hooved animals may clatter through neighborhoods and other suburban settings. While they certainly lack the fear factor of Louisiana predators, their size, strength and unpredictability render them dangerous.

For assistance with wildlife that endanger human health or safety, call these LDWF field offices:

Baton Rouge 225-765-2800

Hammond 985-543-4777

Monroe 318-343-4044

New Iberia 337-373-0032

Opelousas 337-948-0255

Pineville 318-487-5885

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