~wildlife education~ Photo credit: istock.com/TOLGA DOGAN Birds migrate to avoid the hardships of cold weather, and to seek food in warmer regions. They prepare for their long trek by accumulating fat to provide fuel for the lengthy flight. During an overwater migration, they can lose a quarter to one-half of their body weight. Most long-distance migrants, especially smaller birds, fly at night. They may travel continuously or land daily around sunrise to rest and forage.

~wildlife education~ Photo credit: istock.com/ CarrieCaptured They may have lovely soft fur and be cute and cuddly when they feel like it, but cats have been largely responsible for the extinction of 33 bird species over many centuries. Scientists estimate that free-roaming cats kill hundreds of millions of birds, small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians each year, including endangered species. Cats are particularly deadly for birds. Even well fed, pampered cats will hunt an

~Wildlife education~ Vancouver Island black bears eat both meat and plants, and their sense of smell and hearing is far superior to that of humans. If a hungry bear smells food waste in a barbecue or trash container or a vehicle, it will go after it. Photo credit: istock.com/eyfoto Bears are natural scavengers and have good memories, so they will return to locations where they have found food before. Bears must eat large amounts of food, so they don’t starve during the win