Undoubtedly, there is one story on most people’s minds right now but life rolls on as best as possible. Government work continues. The mission of the Department of Economic Development and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) continues. To that end, and natural resources specifically, the Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) of the Georgia DNR released their annual report on Tuesday.
Georgia is one of the most biologically diverse states in the country. Not many states can boast of having something like the Okefenokee and Blue Ridge. If you really hustled on a certain day of the year, you could wake up to snow and eat dinner with the alligators. This diversity is one of the highlights in the annual report from the WRD. It features a year’s worth of stories and images covering most of the wildlife across the state.
It’s a meaty report, running nearly 70 pages, and the cover features the most efficient mosquito killer in the state of Georgia, the bat. Perhaps unfortunate timing given that the coronavirus may have started from a bat, but from bat meat. Deuteronomy 14:18 is very clear on this point, do not eat bat. They are supposed to eat the things that eat us.
Presumably, the conservationists likely to peruse the report can appreciate the bat for what it is meant to be.
Most wildlife besides game that you can think of that live in Georgia are likely touched on in the report.
One section that may interest metro Atlanta readers discusses the peregrine falcons, who are often seen on the balconies of the tallest buildings in Atlanta. Tallulah Gorge State Park did not see a nest this year, the only known nest in a natural setting. And although no nests were confirmed in Atlanta, the amount of activity indicates a likelihood of a nest somewhere. The last active nest observed at the SunTrust Plaza was in 2015 but the birds still often perch on the balconies of the same floor that have hosted nests in the past. Other buildings around town have also played a similar role. “Two adult falcons were observed perching on 20th floor ledges at the Four Seasons Hotel, a building where falcons have often been seen and nesting has been documented dating to 2003. Yet no evidence of nesting was recorded at Four Seasons in 2019.”
The report also covers invasive species that may threaten existing Georgia wildlife. Among several concerning invasive species in Georgia is the Argentine Black and White Tegu, a large lizard native to the savannas and semi-deserts of eastern and central South America. They also happen to make decent pets, if you are into the whole lizard thing, and their invasiveness may have started from this fact. There were a few reported sightings before 2018 but more than 20 sightings have been reported or confirmed since then. Six tegus were collected in April and May of last year, including a female with eggs – which could be up to 30 in one clutch. The tegu threatens gopher tortoises, Georgia’s state reptile and a candidate for the Endangered Species Act. They also eat alligator eggs. Bobwhites and turkey eggs are also on the menu for the tegu, two important hunting birds in Georgia.
To read more and learn about specific conservation issues in your area: https://georgiawildlife.com/conservation/annualreport
