www.montereycountynow.com MARCH 13-19, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 In the latter half of 2024, Carmel resident Nicolas Salzano noticed something unusual appearing in the neighborhoods and parks around him: bobcats with patches of fur missing, their wrinkly skin inflamed and exposed. “Observing these animals in such poor shape, and in a constant state of scratching through open wounds—it’s just tough to watch,” Salzano says. He began taking photos and noting other observations. He saw that the bobcats were lethargic with a sickly appearance, their skin irritated and cracking, sometimes bleeding. Mange is the skin disease he was seeing, caused by parasitic mites. But what happens to infected animals, and how to determine whether it is unusual, remains a question mark. “Mange, unfortunately, is one of those things that is really difficult to catch and fix. It has to be pretty severe before we can actually step in to do anything about it,” says Ciera Duits-Cavanaugh, the Wildlife Center Manager with SPCA Monterey County. She adds that bobcats are relatively uncommon calls the center receives; they’ve rescued around 53 bobcats since 2013 and euthanized two in 2024. While mange is not uncommon, and is found on all kinds of animals, once an animal becomes infected, its pace slows down. That often means looking for food that’s easy to catch and wandering into human areas in order to do so. Zach Mills, a regional biologist for Monterey and San Benito counties with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, notes that while SPCA’s numbers are low, CDFW has noticed a hotspot of bobcat reports at the mouth of Carmel Valley. While the reason is not confirmed, historically, in various regions of California where mange has turned lethal, wildlife biologists have overwhelmingly found rodenticides in animals’ systems. Within urban and wild interfaces, there are homes and commercial properties that use rodenticides—bait traps which can leave poisoned rodents that are easier for a bobcat to catch. There are a number of ways to estimate disease prevalence, according to Mills. Camera traps can shed light on how dense a population is or provide insight into where groups of animals are moving. They also look to the SPCA for roadkill assessments or the number of bobcats captured. “I think that a big proponent of animals getting so severely affected by mange is very likely from rodenticide,” Cavanaugh says. “Education around using natural deterrents, like installing an owl box for rodent control, as well as how rodenticides make it to bobcats and coyotes up the food chain, is important.” Citizen scientists play a role in helping biologists understand threats to wildlife. For anyone who sees an animal that looks sick, Mills encourages the public to report it to the CDFW’s wildlife incident reporting platform. “Nick’s kind of exactly what you’re hoping for with the public: [people] that pay attention,” Mills says of Salzano. “The public really helps. They’re really the eyes and ears of wildlife management.” Bobbing for Info The occurrence of sickly bobcats in Carmel prompts local biologists to take a closer look. By Katie Rodriguez Nicolas Salzano photographed this bobcat with mange on five separate occasions in his Carmel backyard in November 2024. He documented patterns to identify different individuals. NEWS “They’re really the eyes and ears of wildlife management.” COURTESY OF NICOLAS SALZANO HEATABLE EATABLES! ELROY’S PRESENTS @ELROYSFINEFOODS WWW.ELROYSFINEFOODS.COM 15 SOLEDAD DRIVE (831) 373-3737 MONTEREY, CA 93940 JEWISH DELI CLASSICS TICKET=$140 EACH (1 TICKET SERVES TWO PEOPLE) To place your order visit www.elroysfinefoods.com or scan this QR CODE! Quantities are limited, so order soon! From Elroy’s Fine Foods Executive Chef & Culinary Director David Hardie A pre-ordered, fully prepared meal to heat & eat at home. Offered on the last Thursday of every month. GLOBALLY INSPIRED & LOCALLY SOURCED CHOPPED CHICKEN LIVER Smokey & Savory Served with Rye Crackers and Assorted Pickles (GF, DF, CRACKERS CONTAIN GLUTEN) MATZO BALL SOUP Soft Dumplings in a Comforting Chicken Broth (CONTAINS GLUTEN & EGGS, DF) TZIMMES Carrots, Roots & Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Dried Fruit (GF, VEGAN) SWEET & SOUR STUFFED CABBAGES Braised Cabbage Stuffed with Beef & Rice, Topped with Tangy Tomato Sauce (GF, DF, CONTAINS EGGS) POTATO LATKES Crispy Fried Potato Pancakes Served with Applesauce & Sour Cream (VEGETARIAN, CONTAINS GLUTEN) PASTRAMI ON RYE House Smoked Wagyu Pastrami, with House Made Mustard on Marbled Rye Bread (GF, DF, BREAD CONTAINS GLUTEN) NOODLE KUGEL Sweet Egg Noodle Casserole Baked with Dried Fruit & Warm Spices (VEGETARIAN, CONTAINS GLUTEN, DAIRY, EGGS) All items will also be available à la carte for purchase at the Prepared Foods counter on Thursday, 3/27 until sold out! *ORDER BY: THURSDAY, MARCH 20TH PICK UP: THURSDAY, MARCH 27TH NEXT MONTH: ALOHA APRIL! A HAWAIIAN FEAST. *
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