'The buffet is open': What to do when Arizona wildlife encroaches on your home

By Lauren Gilger
Published: Tuesday, August 23, 2022 - 12:19pm
Updated: Wednesday, August 24, 2022 - 8:14am

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bobcat
National Park Service
A bobcat at Tonto National Monument.

Earlier this month, the Arizona Game and Fish Department got reports of a family of five bobcats living in a storm drain in a neighborhood park in north Phoenix — and decided to let them stay.

Bears have been spotted near homes multiple times in Oro Valley of late, and Axios is reporting that a company called Critter Control is seeing a spike in bobcats living in people’s attics. And we’ve all seen those videos of mountain lions drinking from people’s pools.

These incidents all highlight the neverending battle between wildlife and humans for territory, which seem to be becoming more common of late. But Amy Burnett says that’s not necessarily the case.

Burnett is the person who gets the call at Arizona Game and Fish when people spot wild animals in their neighborhoods.

The Show spoke with her, and she said we need to change our perspective on these encounters — and maybe be a little less friendly to wildlife who come to town.

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