Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
March 2017

The Owl in the Toilet

When wildlife biologist Joe Foust looked down into a campground toilet and saw a little boreal owl peering back up at him, something started that has likely saved the lives of thousands of birds.

The campground commode, a style found on public lands across the country, is known as a vault toilet. Typically a cinder-block-and-cement-pad kind of outhouse, without plumbing, the waste is stored in a tank (or vault) underground. A vent pipe through the roof allows air to flow. And it allows ...   Saving Birds Article Continued

How Biologists Estimate Populations of Animals

One of the great perks of living in Alaska is sharing our space with a variety of wildlife. Whether we are curious about our next hunting opportunities, or eager to watch wildlife, we often wonder about the animals living in our own backyards. Have you ever considered how many bears are hibernating near you on cold winter evenings? When you see a moose outside your window do you imagine there might be more you do not see? Wildlife managers and researchers work diligently to find out how many ...   How Many Animals? Article Continued