Damian Fagan

Poaching of wildlife is a serious crime in Oregon and around the country. This summer, a 28-year-old poacher from Pendleton pleaded guilty to 22 charges including killing several deer and elk, leaving animals to waste and trespassing. He was sentenced to pay $75,000 in fines, forfeit weapons and meat, and spend the next three, two-week-long […]

Inspired by all things batty leading up to Halloween, chiropterologists (“studier of creature with winged hands”) utilize the popularity of “spooky bats,” vampires, Batman, and Batwoman with trick-or-treaters to inspire and educate people about real-life bats, proclaiming October to be Bat Appreciation Month. The last week of October is also Bat Week, an international celebration […]

Wildlife migration is an excellent opportunity to witness the movement of birds, animals, and even insects through Central Oregon. “For birds, migration is triggered primarily by a change in hormones, which results in both physiological and behavioral changes,” said Chuck Gates, Prineville Bird Club president. “In many cases, these hormone changes, brought about primarily by […]

Wildlife rescue takes many forms for Think Wild, Bend’s wildlife hospital and conservation center. Sometimes it’s medical care for injured or abandoned creatures; sometimes it’s a Wildlife Hotline conversation answering wildlife-related questions with the caller. Some situations call for unique solutions, as in the recent rescue and release of two orphaned badger cubs. This tale […]

Recent construction on the roads around Bend led to an incident that required some help from the local wildlife rescue, Think Wild. Ospreys are fish-eating birds of prey that build a sizeable stick-nest atop a large tree or snag, on a bridge span or on an artificial platform. In Central Oregon, several of these nests […]

Butterflies and moths share characteristics that make them Lepidoptera (meaning scale-winged insects) but they are miles apart in public perception. Consider this: When a butterfly lands on someone, everyone wants a photo or video. If a moth were to land on someone, the general result is a frantic, spasmodic dance to rid oneself of this […]

Summer is the season when butterflies flit and flutter through wildflower meadows or neighborhood gardens. To the ancient Greeks and Romans, butterflies were the symbolic representation of the human soul. British broadcaster and longtime naturalist Sir David Attenborough claimed that watching butterflies is good for our mental health. No matter the appeal, butterflies serve important […]