Getting wild
Nature icon — and Martinez resident — John Muir once said of the wilderness, “In every walk with Nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” How much do you know about Bay Area wildlife?
You’ve seen the wild turkeys that strut around Bay Area suburbs — and we all know about Gerald, the bullying tom that had Oakland residents on the run. Turns out the first wild turkeys were deliberately introduced by California Fish & Wildlife in 1959. Why?
• To provide free grass and weed-trimming and thus improve the aesthetics of the suburbs
• To encourage recreational hunting that would generate revenue through licenses and fees
• It may have been a deliberate introduction, but it was an unauthorized one by a rogue Fish & Wildlife employee.
The sea lions that lounge around Pier 39 in San Francisco have become something of a tourist attraction — sea-lebrities, if you will. They first appeared on the marine docks in 1990, but why come at all?
• Managers of Pier 39 lured them onto the docks as a photo op for a tourism brochure, then couldn’t get rid of them.
• Sea lions started showing up there shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Researchers believe the tremor changed their migratory patterns.
• It’s a nice, safe place to hang out, as Great White sharks and orcas that feed on sea lions rarely venture into the bay, and there are lots of herring for the sea lions to feast upon.
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom originated in Redwood Shores. What was it called when it moved to Vallejo?
• Disneyland North
• Underwater Magic
• Marine World Africa USA
In 1985, Bay Area residents became fixated on a wayward humpback whale, dubbed Humphrey, who swam into the bay and traveled up the Delta, where experts and volunteers finally convinced him to head back to sea. In 2007, another pair of humpbacks — a mother and daughter — made a similar journey. What were their names?
• Rosy and Lily
• Delta and Dawn
• Ma and Baby Girl
In the 1970s, the spread of a disease similar to canine distemper, paired with the aggressive poisoning of ground squirrels, wiped out most of an apex predator population living on Mount Diablo. The animal has made a comeback In recent years. What is it?
• American badger
• Pacific Coast Yeti
• Mountain lion