From the Lakes & Wildlife Committee
LLV human inhabitants share the Village with a wide array of wildlife. None of the animal species are naturally hostile to humans, but carelessness and lack of knowledge can result in unintended conflict. Except for songbirds, no animals should be fed. Even bird feeders can attract bears and must be carefully managed. Be a good neighbor and learn about our other Village inhabitants, below or go to the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Wildlife in Pennsylvania site.
Black Bear
The only bear in Pennsylvania, the black bear, is not as aggressive as the brown (grizzly) bear of the west, but at up to 700 pounds, should be respected. Black bears are omnivorous and will patrol a large area to find enough nuts and plant matter, insects, small mammals and carrion. Never leave anything edible, including trash, outside, on decks or in cars.
Read more…
· Pennsylvania Game Commission. Living with Pennsylvania Black Bears. https://www.pgc.pa.gov/
· Short videos and longer webinars, reference and research are available on the PGC Black Bear page. https://www.pgc.pa.gov/
· On The Trail of Pennsylvania Black Bears (1991) (1:41:48) Feature length film with plenty of moms with cubs. A little dated. https://youtu.be/wY8LhHRsMr0
· Kilham, Benjamin. Out on a Limb: What Black Bears Have Taught Me About Intelligence and Intuition. Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, VT. 2013.
White-tailed Deer
The graceful four-legged animals hanging out at LLV eating your flowers are white-tailed deer. In our area their numbers are kept in check only by hunting and food availability. Only a few are taken by coyotes. The LLV Deer Management Program (DMAP) keeps their population down to a level that our vegetation can support. Before DMAP, the deer scoured the forest floor so thoroughly that all seedling trees would be eaten, preventing the natural replacement of fallen trees.
Read more…
· White-tailed Deer – Hunting, diseases, management and videos: https://www.pgc.pa.gov/
Wild Turkey
Wild turkeys are the same species as the bird we eat on Thanksgiving.
Read more…
· Pennsylvania Game Commission. Wild Turkey Wildlife Note. https://www.pgc.pa.gov/