An introduction to the wildlife that inhabits Catalina Island and the conservation efforts I have had the privilege to assist on.
According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, the lifespan of an American Bison is 10-20 years, with some living up to 25 years in captivity. So why do some representatives from the Catalina Island Conservancy claim that bison on the Island live into their 30s and even 40s? Does the island of romance hold…
Encountering bison in an unexpected place, such as Catalina Island, may draw visitors’ attention and boost the sale of related novelties, but this mismatched pairing hasn’t worked out so well for the bison. Studies dating back to the 1970s have repeatedly documented limited forage, poor habitat conditions, and poor nutrition, health, and condition of the…
While bison attacks on Catalina Island are relatively rare, they do happen, and in most instances, they are preventable. While working as a wildlife biologist on the island and assisting in the managment of the bison herd, I documented several bison attacks that resulted in significant injuries and lawsuits. Unlike Yellowstone National Park, where bison…
In response to the Catalina Island Conservancy’s plan to eradicate the introduced mule deer from the island, many people, most unaware of what efforts have been attempted previously, are demanding that hunting be used to manage the deer population instead. A recent study, ten years in the making, confirms that hunting has not been a…
In 2014 we fitted five Catalina Island bison with global positioning system (GPS) collars to locate the herds systematically and track their movements on the landscape. This article includes information on the GPS collar specifications and a preliminary assessment of the location data we collected. This post complements an earlier article titled Thiafentanil and Medetomidine…
In 2014 we outfitted five Catalina Island bison cows with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars to support my thesis research through Cal State Fullerton. I coordinated a team of wildlife veterinarians to lead the capture and immobilization process with assistance from several of my Catalina Island Conservancy colleagues. I had originally planned to publish this…
In 2003, researchers scoured historical records to identify the origin of the bison on Catalina and construct a timeline of bison additions to the Island. Despite their best efforts, much of the timeline before 1969 remained incomplete. Due to conflicting information about where the bison came from, how many were initially introduced to the Island,…