Winter-2022

158 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 2 Who You Gonna Call? Urban Trapping Keeps Wild Animals and Communities Safe Through Mindful Animal Control B Y M I CHA E L CHAT F I E LD Photo: Kelli Uldall H uman populations continue to grow and spread into areas that are the habitats of wild animals such as deer, raccoons, feral pigs and skunks. As a result, those uprooted Bambis, Rockys, Porkys and Pepe LePews have now become “nuisance animals,” as if they are the invaders, not us. These creatures can do serious damage to property, and the havoc they wreak is not confined to homes and land- scaping. Monterey County’s economic engine is fueled by the agriculture industry, and a few pigs can put thousands of dollars’ worth of profit at risk. It’s not just a nuisance, but a serious problem that calls for serious professional help. So, who you gonna call? That would be Dan Burton and his company, Urban Trapping Wildlife Control. He’s garrulous, good-natured and pas- sionate about his calling, and his phone rings when homeowners find bats in the belfry, gophers in the garden, skunks in the crawlspace or when wild pigs dig up the lawn. And it rings at all hours. “I recently got a call at 2AM from a guy who had a bat flying around his bedroom,” Burton says, “and another at 11PM from a Salinas homeowner who noticed a big bird in his back yard that he said had fallen out of its nest.”While these two incidents might seem innocuous, they hold potential danger. “He sent me a photo of the bird and it was a Canada Goose.” Wildlife Specialist Dustin Burton, Owner/Operator Dan Burton and Wildlife Technician Steven Nguyen are the expert Urban Trapping Wildlife Control team, with Frankie, an injured opossum being rehabilitated through Native Animal Rescue.