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 Pages Tagged With: "animals"

Unseen Intruders: Delaware’s Battle Against Invasive Species Threatening Native Wildlife

Invasive species threaten to outcompete native species, could carry disease and generally risk disrupting the fragile ecosystem. In this piece from Outdoor Delaware, experts offer an overview of what qualifies as an invasive species, how these plants and animals can harm the environment and what Delawareans should know about them.


Battling a Summer Menace: Inside Delaware’s Relentless Mosquito Control Efforts

You don’t need to know much about mosquitoes to appreciate efforts to prevent the insects from spreading and sucking blood. But how exactly does the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control go about controlling the mosquito population? Learn all about mosquito control in this article from Outdoor Delaware.


How Delaware is Preparing for the Return of Black Bears

Prior to 2016, black bears had not been spotted in Delaware in more than a century. Over the past eight years, however, four different juvenile male bears have ventured into Delaware, capturing the public imagination. Is this a trend residents can expect to continue?


The Perils of Wild Pets: DNREC Warns Against Keeping Non-Domesticated Animals

Around two-thirds of American households have pets, mostly dogs or cats, and many consider them just as much a part of the family as human members. But for a few people, even some of the more unique animals sometimes owned as pets like snakes, parakeets and hamsters aren’t enough — they want to keep wildlife. Find out why animal experts say it’s generally bad to take in wild animals in this offering from Outdoor Delaware.


Dolphins, Horseshoe Crabs and Piping Plovers, Oh My! Discover Delaware’s Diverse Coastal Wildlife This Summer

Delaware’s beaches are home to a dizzying array of wildlife that might surprise even many Delawareans, from fish to birds to crabs to mammals and more. This summer, visitors to the state’s beaches will have a chance to observe many critters in their natural habitats.


Bald Eagles Soar in Delaware as Survey Reveals Population Growth

The bald eagle population plummeted greatly in the middle of the 20th century but has since rebounded. In 2023, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control conducted a count of eagles’ nests in the First State.


Meet the Animal Moms of the First State

This Mother’s Day, Outdoor Delaware is highlighting some of the state’s most fascinating animal parents, from the pouch-packing Virginia opossum to the solo-singing spring peeper.


Winter Survival Strategies: A Closer Look at Hibernation in Delaware’s Animal Kingdom

Delaware doesn’t have many “true” hibernators, but it does have its share of critters that use long naps as a winter survival strategy.


Fawn-tastic! Playing Peek-A-Boo in the Brandywine Creek Watershed

An intimate moment with a white-tailed deer is captured by Delaware photographer Kimberly Barksdale.


Eco-Friendly Triumph: Faithful Friends Secures DNREC Grant for Energy-Efficient Animal Center

With help from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Faithful Friends Animal Society has opened a new shelter in New Castle.


Lewes Woman’s Crabtivating Photo Wins DNREC’s Ocean Photo Contest

Angela Flynn, winner of our Ocean Photo Contest, shares with Outdoor Delaware about her beach adventures and love of photography.


DNREC Building Delights, Informs Tens of Thousands of Visitors at Delaware State Fair

The annual Delaware State Fair is underway and here’s what you can look forward to at the DNREC Building this year.


Drawn to Herons: An Illustrated Story

Join DNREC designer Christy Shaffer as she takes us on an illustrated journey to discover the beauty of herons found in Delaware.


Turkeys Trot Into the Lead

A photo of three turkeys trotting down a misty country road took first prize in the 2022 Delaware Watersheds Photos Contest.


Sharks in Delaware Waters

If you’re swimming in Delaware waters, particularly in the ocean, you’re probably swimming near sharks. But they actually have more to fear from us than the other way around.


Operation Terrapin Rescue – Keeping Turtles Safe

The diamondback terrapins at Port Mahon in Kent County could use a hand during their upcoming nesting season. Learn more about how you can help.


Tick-Tock – The Ticks are Waiting…

By Dr. Ashley Kennedy Last April, returning home after a day of work outdoors, I loosened my hair out of my ponytail and felt a familiar but unwelcome bump on my scalp. Based on the size and location, I immediately guessed what it could be – an adult American dog tick which often bites


Delaware’s Endangered Species: DNREC Keeps Today’s Wildlife from Becoming Tomorrow’s Memory

Delaware’s Endangered Species – there here are 86 animals on Delaware’s endangered species list, including the American kestrel, the northern long-eared bat and the barking tree frog.


Delaware’s Endangered Species: What DNREC’s Doing to Help

The red knot, monarch butterfly and Delmarva fox squirrel are among the nearly 100 animals on Delaware’s endangered species list. Learn more about what DNREC is doing to ensure thriving wildlife diversity in Delaware.


It’s a Big Year at DNERR

Calling all birders – experienced or not – to help the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve have a Big Year!


Good Eats from Nature’s Bounty

Looking for something different on your plate? We asked DNREC folks to share their most wildly delicious recipes for harvested game.


Delaware Hunters Against Hunger – A Season for Giving

The Delaware Sportsmen Against Hunger program is once again providing venison to people in need, an annual tradition during the holidays.


Great Blue Heron Steals the Show

A photo of the iconic great blue heron took first prize in the Watersheds Photos Contest, sponsored by the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship.


Nature’s Beauty – the Tony Florio Woodland Beach Wildlife Area

Photo Contest Winners! See nature’s beauty at DNREC’s Aquatic Resources Education Center near Smyrna.


Our Not So Secretive Marsh Birds

DNREC scientists are unlocking some of the mysteries of Delaware’s secretive marsh birds. Clapper rails, saltmarsh sparrows and other species are facing many challenges. How are they faring?


Snakes to Watch Out For

There are 19 species of snakes slithering around Delaware. Which ones should you watch out for and what are the best ways to avoid them?


How to Prevent Backyard Mosquitos

zzzzz … slap. Sound familiar? The whine of buzzing mosquitoes followed by swats is a tell-tale sign of summer in Delaware. There’s plenty you can do in your backyard to reduce populations of these pests. Our Mosquito Control Section has tips to share, along with the mosquitos to watch out for.


On the Move – Delmarva Fox Squirrels in Delaware

Delmarva fox squirrels are rare in Delaware. Just because you haven’t seen one of these large, silver-gray, fluffy-tailed squirrels doesn’t mean you won’t – especially if you live in Sussex County. Our Division of Fish and Wildlife just moved 15 more into the area, as part of an ongoing translocation program.


Meet the Lemurs (and More!) at The Brandywine Zoo

They have long striped tails, intense eyes and they’re full of antics. Meet the lemurs – and the other animals – at the Brandywine Zoo’s new Madagascar Exhibit.


Spring – It’s Bird TV

Now is a great time to grab your binoculars to witness the spectacle of the return of our migrant bird species throughout the state. Outdoor Delaware sat down with our staff birders to talk about spring birding and what makes it so special.


K-9s – DNREC’s Natural Resources Police Superpower

They find lost children and suspects, sniff out illegal drugs and perform many other law enforcement tasks. But instead of two legs, they have four. They’re enforcement officers like any other with our Natural Resources Police.


Hanging with the Bats

Many of us are scared of bats. But they’re far more beneficial than harmful – and they’re not out to get us.


Go Herpin’ — Join the Effort to Catalogue Delaware’s Reptiles and Amphibians

You can help us create the first-ever Delaware Amphibian and Reptile Atlas by submitting photos and locations of Delaware’s reptiles and amphibians, or as we call them, “herps.”


Our Own Toliara

Toliara is a radiated tortoise who lives at the Brandywine Zoo. Radiated tortoises are reptiles and considered among the most beautiful in the world. His ancestors emerged on land shortly after dinosaurs became extinct some 65 million years ago.


What About Kestrels? The Brandywine Zoo is Finding Out

The American kestrel is a pint-sized yet ferocious aerial predator notorious for taking out tree swallows or bluebirds in mid-air. About the size of a mourning dove, this raptor is the smallest and most colorful falcon in North America.


Jellyfish to Watch Out For

Are you planning to go for a swim? If so, you may encounter jellyfish because they love warm water. And there are several species of jellies you should keep a watchful eye on as you venture out for a dip.


Topic: Wildlife and Fish

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife manages nearly 50,000 acres of land that provides habitat for a multitude of wild plants, animals, fish, insects and rare species of all kinds. And it spearheads several important wildlife and habitat conservation and education initiatives, including the Wildlife Species Conservation and Research Program and the Delaware Shorebird Project.





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