Drought impacting local wildlife

AUSTIN (KXAN) - At her home in Spicewood, Karen Bruett fills buckets of water to quench thirsty neighbors from the nearby Hill Country brush.

"We've seen possums, skunks, racoons, deer," said Bruett.

Sources of water and food for those animals, like the Pedernales River and Lake Travis, are drying up.

KXAN News viewer pictures show the affects of the heat and dryness. A mouse licking condensation off a Pepsi bottle, a toad soaking in a shallow pot of water, a squirrel sprawled out on cool concrete and usually nocturnal racoons out in the middle of the day.

"While it's hot outside, typically animals don't like to be too active, but if they are real desperate for food or water they will absolutely be active during those times," said Town Lake Animal Center spokesperson Amber Rowland.

Texas Parks and Wildlife officials said the drought is hardest on wildlife in extreme rural areas that don't have access to water around homes.
 
"Amphibians are suffering right now because many of them need pools of water after summer rains, and we're just not getting that. They need that to breed, and likewise birds need insects in the summertime. And with less rain, there are fewer insects," said Texas Parks and Wildlife spokesman John Davis.

Volunteers with Austin Area Wildlife Rehab said many young animals in their care right now can't be released into the wild yet because they would not survive in these drought conditions.

"There are just no suitable release sites at this point. The habitat won't support them, so we're having to keep them and not release them until we get a little bit of rain," said Austin Area Wildlife Rehab volunteer Shelli Miller.

Animal experts remind people to respect wildlife and keep their distance.

"We do really need to remember that they do carry potentially dangerous diseases for both people and for animals," said Rowland.

They said leaving water outside may not be a good idea.

"We always need to be cautious and think in the bigger scheme of things: 'What do we want to expose our families and pets too?'" said Rowland.

But Bruett said with no kids around and only indoor pets, she'll continue to help animals outside.

"They don't have anyone else to take care of them," said Bruett.