How has the wildlife fared?
• The welfare of wildlife is intertwined with the welfare of habitat, and it remains to be seen how the habitat will recover from this substantial loss. Obviously at this stage the area burned will provide few resources in support of the native wildlife. • So far, we have recorded one fatality — a male bison that was badly burned in the fire. We are also treating one of our federally endangered Catalina Island foxes for injuries and are not yet sure if or when she will be able to be released back into the wild. Because the fire occurred during pupping season, we may have lost one or more litters of fox to the fire. We are hoping this was not the case. • Most birds are able to fly away during a fire. Deer and other large animals also tend to run away. Squirrels, reptiles and many insects use burrows to hide from the fire. We are still evaluating the potential long-term effects of this fire on the wildlife.
