Running for Their Lives: The Wildlife Victims of Wildfire
As I watched the news coverage of the recent fire near San Clemente, one image stayed with me. A reporter described seeing cottontail rabbits frantically running for their lives as flames moved across the landscape.
I couldn't help but think about what those little animals were experiencing. Imagine being a small rabbit, suddenly surrounded by smoke, heat, and flames, desperately trying to find a way to escape. You don't understand what is happening. You only know that your world is on fire and you need to run.
The Ocean is Changing. And the Common Murre is showing us what that can mean.
Research has shown that murres can respond to difficult foraging conditions by increasing their diving effort and spending more time underwater. In one study, murres nearly doubled their daily time spent diving when prey were deeper and energy demands were higher.
Eventually, there can be a dangerous imbalance:
More energy spent finding food.
Less energy gained from the food they find.
And when that balance tips too far, starvation can follow.