There's life in those mud puddles, er, I mean vernal pools...

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We'll ride it till they pave it. -Clyde

Several of us came across this guy today. He was pretty pissed off and WOULD NOT be persuaded to move where he didn't want to go. Carl and Dan were much braver and got closer. My shot was only this close thanks to Zoom. Everyone else eventually rode past, but I took a detour and went out of my way to get past.

Here is one of the photos taken by "Singlespeed Carl". That snake was stubborn, pissed off, and did not want to let us pass. Good thing 325racer saw him, right next to the trail, where he really blended in well. I don't think his shin guards would've deterred this guy. He owned that trail.

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Thus, if we are to understand the world, we should live somewhere between judgement and amazement — Alfredo Lopez Austin

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I never would have thought that Harley would end up being my inspiration. (well..maybe a little).

avidtest


"it makes mountain biking fun again"

Ozzer

^^^ What's that strange object in the lower left corner of your pic, Clyde?

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Scum on a Bike

I don't remember shitting myself..................

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I never would have thought that Harley would end up being my inspiration. (well..maybe a little).

avidtest


"it makes mountain biking fun again"

Ozzer

It's hell getting old...

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You never know what tomorrow will bring so go ride your EBike today or walk your pooch
Fear the Yeti
"Go ride your bike today, don't let the old man in.."

Mike

Vail Lake yesterday.
This stopped me, rocks
stopped Bobby..............

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I never would have thought that Harley would end up being my inspiration. (well..maybe a little).

avidtest


"it makes mountain biking fun again"

Ozzer

I donate to this group periodically because I'm just a dumb old softy. This email came to me today. It seems like our friends at CDFW fail at more than just trail access issues. Who could guess...


C&P Warning:



At the end of March, an emaciated and dehydrated baby California bobcat was dropped off at a Rancho Bernardo pet hospital. The people that dropped him off said they found the bobcat near a community pool, however, there was no way to tell whether the bobcat was truly a wild animal or an illegally-bred, captive exotic cat, as the people that dropped him off refused to give their name or contact information.

As sick as the bobcat (Diego) was, he did not exhibit any behavior typical of a wild bobcat and appeared to be accustomed to human contact. When he arrived at the pet hospital, the cub already knew how to feed out of a bottle, would purr when held, and constantly sought human contact. After administering medical treatment for two days to stabilize the bobcat, the pet hospital contacted Bobbi Brink at LTB.

It is LTB's mission to make sure that every animal that comes to live at the sanctuary stays for life. LTB will not accept animals that can be rehabilitated and released into the wild, but we will help with assuring that wild animals are safely transported to rehabilitation centers.

As much as Bobbi and the LTB staff love caring for our animals, we would much rather see animals like this baby bobcat stay in the wild, if that is where he truly came from. To make sure she was making the right decision for this baby, Bobbi took the extra steps of calling two local wildlife rehabilitation organizations. Both organizations informed her that, in most of these cases, the kittens are quietly euthanized if there is no other bobcat to pair them with for rehabilitation. Baby bobcats need to be placed with 1-2 other cubs in order to successfully rehabilitate them for release. With no other cub to pair him with, this bobcat would most likely be euthanized. Our own vet confirmed that the week-old bobcat would need human intervention to an extent that it would bond with humans, greatly reducing its ability to survive in the wild.

After this collaboration with colleagues, Bobbi and the LTB team decided, in keeping with their motto "every life counts", this bobcat would have an opportunity to live, if not free, at least with other bobcats in a safe and protected environment.

As she does in every situation involving any California native species, Bobbi called her contact at California Fish and Wildlife who must give their permission to take a native species. It is LTB's mission to make sure that every animal that comes to live at the sanctuary stays for life. After California Fish and Wildlife gave her permission to pick-up the bobcat, Bobbi promised to give Diego a lifetime home - the same promise we make to every animal we rescue.

Upon arrival at LTB, Bobbi and the LTB staff found that Diego was very trusting of humans. He did not exhibit any behavior typical of a wild bobcat and did not hiss once at any of the staff at the animal hospital or LTB, which lead the LTB staff to believe that he was captive-bred or in human hands for quite some time.

The LTB staff began preparing Diego to live with other bobcats in the sanctuary. It was essential for LTB keepers to build trust with Diego so that he would be willing to let them administer medical treatment and care for him as he got older. Diego became reliant on the LTB staff for food, as he had been bottle-fed by a human every 3 hours.

The LTB staff handles animals that will live in the sanctuary in a way that is completely opposite of the way animals are handled that are to be rehabilitated for release in the wild. Bobcats that are being rehabilitated to be released in the wild must be paired with another bobcat to ensure their survival. The bobcats are also isolated from human contact to ensure they do not learn to associate humans with food or care.

Animals like Diego that are fed by humans, especially in their early developmental years, are more likely to approach humans if they are released into the wild. Wild bobcats that have had no human contact typically avoid humans and will not attack one unless cornered. Bobcats that have had too much human contact may approach humans and will bite anyone, even a child, to get to a food source.

On Thursday, April 6th, California Fish and Wildlife reversed its decision and informed Bobbi a game warden would be there in 30 minutes to pick up Diego to take him to a rehab facility in northern California. The rehab facility, Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center (WERC), now has a bobcat available to pair with Diego. Diego will be isolated from human contact and eventually released into the wild if his rehabilitation is successful. Bobbi requested a conference call with the parties involved in making this decision at Fish and Wildlife on Thursday and again on Friday. Fish and Wildlife has not responded to any of her requests.

Although Lions Tigers & Bears cooperated with Fish and Wildlife in turning Diego over, we do not believe that this is in the best interest of Diego or public safety. Diego has no fear of humans and will approach humans for food. Diego had been bottle-fed by the LTB staff every 3 hours and was being prepared to live with other bobcats in a safe haven. After giving us permission to provide a lifetime home in captivity for Diego, it seems inhumane for California Fish & Wildlife to change their mind and then throw him into some sort of isolation deprogramming from human contact so that he can be released.

Lions Tigers & Bears agrees that, if he truly was a wild-born bobcat, Diego should have been allowed to live its natural life as nature intended. If there was an opportunity for Diego to be rehabilitated and released into the wild, LTB would have never agreed to place him in a captive situation to be handled by humans during his recovery.

Please - if you find a bobcat or other wild animal, leave it where it is and do not touch it, even if it is injured. Contact Lions Tigers & Bears or a native species rehabilitation organization who will be able to safely handle the animal and maximize the chances of it being returned to the wild. Also, please do not purchase exotic cats from breeders. Not only is it illegal in California, but cats like Diego require special care and often end up in sanctuaries because their owners cannot care for them. Please contact a local shelter to adopt a cat in need of a home.

Click here to read statements from the professionals involved in Diego's rescue.




















About Lions Tigers & Bears

Lions Tigers & Bears (LTB) is a federally and state licensed non-profit 501(c)(3) rescue facility dedicated to providing a safe haven to abused and abandoned exotic animals while inspiring an educational forum to end the exotic animal trade. LTB is a NO KILL, NO BREED and NO SELL facility that allows the animals in its care the opportunity to live out their lives with dignity in a caring and safe environment. LTB is one of the few sanctuaries in the United States with the highest level of accreditation from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and the American Sanctuary Association.

For more information or to make a donation to help care for the animals at LTB, please visit http://www.LionsTigersAndBears.org or call (619) 659-8078.

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Scum on a Bike

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the rider formally known as craptasticycler
http://app.strava.com/athletes/craptasticycler

Rosy!

Fucking snails

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"We'll ride it until they pave it."

-Big Clyde

Meep Meep



I was about 10 feet from his guy. Usually they get the heck outta there when you get anywhere near them.

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You never know what tomorrow will bring so go ride your EBike today or walk your pooch
Fear the Yeti
"Go ride your bike today, don't let the old man in.."

Mike

Man that's a great pic. I wouldn't want to meet one of these as I heard they have a nasty bit.