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GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Wildlife managers are worried about the health of owls, elk and other wild animals because food is buried under deep snow in the Rocky Mountains.
Ranchers are feeding elk to help them survive, and deer are foraging for scraps that are left behind. There has also been an unusual increase in the number of dead owls.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Regional Manager Ron Velarde said it's part of the cycle of life, with harsh winters recurring over the years.
"I've just returned from a tour of the area, and based on what I saw, we will likely see some significant impacts to wildlife," Velarde said. "But people need to understand that, despite how damaging conditions are right now, wildlife has been experiencing and surviving severe weather for eons without human intervention, so it's important to have the proper perspective."
Nanci Limbach, executive director of Pauline S. Schneegas Wildlife Foundation based in central Colorado, said this winter has been especially hard on wildlife.
She said the foundation has seen an unusual increase in the number of dead owls, which eat rodents and insects now buried in snow. She said wildlife usually gets food in winter because the snow usually thaws between storms, but that hasn't happened very often this year.
Tom VonDette, vice president of the Holy Cross Cattlemen's Association, who lives in Rifle, said ranchers are feeding elk along with their cattle, and deer can't find enough scraps to feed on.
Predators are also vying for the food that is available, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent reported (http://tinyurl.com/h8p3vdk).
State wildlife officials say if a substantial amount of livestock feed is eaten, CPW will reimburse ranchers up to $5,000 for the damages.
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Information from: Post Independent, http://www.postindependent.com/
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