Seeing a deer grazing just a few feet away or indulging in the flower buffet we provide each year and foolishly believe will somehow escape their desires is commonplace for Central Oregonians. 

We curse the deer, who are deceptively cute, and try to find ways to dissuade them from feasting on our gardens.

On a recent occasion, a bear wandered through my neighborhood outside of Sunriver, frightening and upsetting residents. It was safely extracted by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials a few hours later, but not before people complained to the homeowners association manager. 

His response about the bear and other wildlife puts Central Oregonians’ encounters in perspective: “We live in the wilderness. We moved into their habitat. That’s going to happen.”     

Michael Kohn’s story on Sunday is the fourth installment in The Bulletin’s yearlong series about growth in Central Oregon. Wildlife has been deeply affected by the region’s growth. 

Kohn explains, “The loss of wildlife due to urbanization is a situation that has repeated itself time and again across Bend. Insatiable demand for more housing has pushed neighborhoods sprawling into natural habitats of myriad wildlife endemic to this area. Birds are likewise impacted when trees are bulldozed to build homes and RV parks . When development comes, some wildlife have migrated elsewhere. Occasionally, some species habituated to an area and stayed, sheltering in the nooks between the homes and streets. And every so often, one of them is picked up by a human and transformed into a pet. Others became roadkill.” 

Wildlife advocates have taken numerous steps to prevent the loss of life — human and wild — such as fencing and passageways to keep animals clear of U.S. Highway 97. We can make a difference, too, as you’ll read in his list of tips on how we can help protect wildlife. 

Stories like these take time, talent and research, and journalists enjoy sharing these comprehensive looks at issues in our communities and about our surroundings to better inform our readers. If you don’t already, please take the time to consider a subscription to The Bulletin, so we can continue bringing you the news that matters to Central Oregonians. 

– Jody Lawrence-Turner, projects editor