Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Our View: So far, so good at local VA clinics ... 5 wildfires to watch ... Perseid meteor shower this week will coincide with new moon ... Our View: So far, so good at local VA clinics ... 5 wildfires to watch ... Perseid meteor shower this week will coincide with new moon ... WILDLIFE Public works staff get close encounter of the ring-tailed kind Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 3, 2015 at 4:24 PM Updated Apr 3, 2015 at 6:00 PM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 3, 2015 at 4:24 PM Updated Apr 3, 2015 at 6:00 PM » Social News Ashland public works employees got an unusual surprise last Tuesday when they discovered a pair of ringtails fighting inside the city's water treatment plan. Public Works Superintendent Mike Morrison said the usually elusive animals,  which resemble a mix between a cat and a raccoon, have gotten into crawlspaces in the plant in the past. "We had one die in our attic," he said. But the creatures had never made it inside the plant until last week, when two ringtails that had been fighting in the attic jumped down into the plant's laboratory through a gap in its ceiling tiles, continuing to fight until staff members trapped them in plastic buckets.  Although not endangered, ringtails are sparsely distributed in the region and biologists say Southern Oregon likely represents the northern fringe of their natural geographic range. Members of the raccoon family, the creatures are omnivores and mostly nocturnal.  The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife classifies the creatures as "sensitive," prohibiting their hunting or trapping and requiring a permit for their live transport. Morrison said staff at the plant, just south of Interstate 5 near the Bear Creek Greenway, don't encounter anywhere near as much wildlife there as up at Reeder Reservoir, which provides Ashland's water supply and where staff members discovered a stricken bald eagle in December. "(Ringtail) cats are really the only ones (encountered at the plant) aside from a squirrel or something," he said. When public works staff contacted ODFW for help, Morrison said, the agency was happy to provide a permit for staff to relocate the ringtails to the Reeder Reservoir, which they hoped would be far enough away to prevent the creatures from returning to the plant. After the animals were returned to the wild, building staff found that covers on a vent pipe were missing, giving the animals access to the plant's interior. "We assume they were probably the ones that pulled it off," Morrison said. Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471, or by email at [email protected] . Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty . By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 3, 2015 at 4:24 PM Updated Apr 3, 2015 at 6:00 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501