On Wednesday, May 25th, the Denver Lake Norman Rotary welcomed Hannah Beaver as its speaker. Hannah has been with Lincoln County as the Director of Animal Services for six years. Previously she worked in a similar position in Chatham County and before that she worked with animal services in Tennessee. Currently she is working to complete her master’s degree at NC State.
Hannah started her talk by asking if anyone had been involved with wildlife encounters with in the area. Several people responded, sharing different experiences they had with turkeys, groundhogs, deer, cranes, skunks and bats. She then covered some precautions to take with some of the more common species encountered in Lincoln County.
Racoons - Racoons are very cute animals but they should be left alone. Racoons move around mostly at night although they may be seen occasionally during the day). They are smart and can get into one's trash while looking for food. If there are feral cats around that are being fed, then racoons will also be around, sharing the same food bowl as the cats. Racoons may carry rabies so animals showing obvious signs of sickness should be reported to the Animal Control Department.
Skunks – everyone knows what happens when a skunk gets upset and decides to defend itself. Skunks are not very confrontational and may poster up when approached. A good rule is to just leave them alone and they will be on their way. Be aware that they love chicken eggs
Bats – The Animal Control Department will not come to a residence for a bat problem unless the bat has been in the living area indoors. They will take the bat and test it for rabies and if it tests positive, shots are required for everyone living there. Bats in one's attic require a call to a pest control company for removal.
Snakes – Not all snakes are bad or dangerous. There are a variety of snakes that are non-poisonous such as the black snake, which good for the area. Copperheads on the other hand, can have an extremely dangerous bite.
If you have any questions concerning the types of North Carolina wildlife, go to www.ncwildlife.org/learning/species to search for mammals, reptiles or birds.
The Lincoln County Animal Shelter has been recognized as a “No Kill Shelter” since June 2017. Check out the website at www.lincolncounty.org/702/Animal-Services. They are located at 650 John Howell Memorial Dr. Lincolnton, NC 28092
