Backyard swimming pools are synonymous with summer fun. But they can be deadly for wildlife.
Pool drownings are tragic, because they are preventable. Animals—from skunks, chipmunks and mice to lizards, frogs and snakes, or ducks, fledgling birds and even pets—can find themselves in a pool with no way to escape.
Wild animal babies are particularly at risk; their curiosity about these neighborhood bodies of water can take them perilously close to the edge.
A few simple pool precautions can help dramatically lower the danger to animals:
- When building a pool, design lounge ledges along the sides just below the water's surface, providing shallow areas from which animals can easily escape.
- Build a fence around the pool.
- Install one or more water-exit devices such as the Skamper-Ramp or Froglog. Place these buoyant devices in the water along the pool's edge to allow animals to get out on their own.
- Place knotted nylon ropes along the sides, securing them to the pool edge. Make sure the knot is at the water's surface, so the animal can more easily climb out. (This technique only works for climbing animals such as raccoons, mice and squirrels.)
In case of an emergency
If a critter decides to take a dip in your pool before you have had the chance to install a ramp, log or rope, try one of these rescue techniques.
- Birds, frogs and other small animals: Scoop them out with a net or pool skimmer. If you don’t have a skimmer handy, try the bristled end of a broom to lift them up and out of the pool.
- Larger animals: Use a partially deflated float as a makeshift ramp. Anchor the ramp on the pool steps with a weight such as a cinderblock or tie it to the ladder rail.
- For any animal: Always use caution to avoid being bitten.
Provide an alternative
If you find that wild guests frequent your pool, you may want to consider building them a spa of their own. A wildlife pond will provide food, water or shelter for a wide variety of wild neighbors and it will bring you hours of viewing pleasure. This can be especially helpful to wildlife in areas with limited water—it will keep them from trying to drink water from your pool, which is full of chemicals that aren’t healthy.
Bwawa la kuogelea la nyuma la nyumba ni sawa na furaha ya kiangazi. Lakini zinaweza kuwa hatari kwa wanyama-pori. Mauaji ya watu wanaojiua kwa kuogelea katika vidimbwi ni mabaya sana kwa sababu yanaweza kuepukwa. Wanyama - kuanzia skunks, chipmunks na panya hadi mbawakawa, vyura na nyoka, au bata, ndege wachanga na hata wanyama wa kufugwa - wanaweza kujikuta katika dimbwi bila njia ya kutoroka. Watoto wa wanyama wa mwituni wako hatarini hasa; udadisi wao kuhusu maji haya ya jirani unaweza kuwafanya wafikie ukingoni kwa hatari. Hatua chache rahisi za kujihadhari zinaweza kusaidia kupunguza hatari kwa wanyama: - Wakati wa kujenga dimbwi, kubuni lounge ledges kando ya pande chini ya uso wa maji, kutoa maeneo ya chini ambayo wanyama wanaweza kwa urahisi kutoroka. - Jenga ua kuzunguka dimbwi. - Weka moja au zaidi ya vifaa vya maji-kutoka kama vile Skamper-Ramp au Froglog. Weka vifaa hivyo kwenye maji kando ya dimbwi ili wanyama waweze kutoroka peke yao. - Weka kamba za nailoni zilizounganishwa kando-kando, ukiwafunga kwenye ukingo wa dimbwi. Hakikisha kwamba kifungo hicho kiko juu ya maji, ili mnyama huyo aweze kupanda kwa urahisi. (Utaratibu huu hufanya kazi tu kwa wanyama wanaopanda kama vile raccoons, panya na squirrels.) Ikiwa mnyama anaamua kuogelea kwenye dimbwi lako kabla ya kuwa na nafasi ya kuweka ramp, mti au kamba, jaribu moja ya mbinu hizi za uokoaji. - Ndege, vyura na wanyama wengine wadogo: Watoa nje kwa wavu au skimmer ya dimbwi. Ikiwa huna skimmer karibu, jaribu mwisho wa kijiti ili kuviinua na kuviondoa kwenye dimbwi. - Wanyama wakubwa: Tumia mtumbwi uliochukuliwa hewa kwa sehemu kama mlango wa muda. Weka nanga kwenye ngazi za dimbwi kwa uzito kama vile cinderblock au kuifunga kwenye reli ya ngazi. - Kwa mnyama yeyote: Sikuzote uwe mwangalifu ili kuepuka kuumwa. Ikiwa unaona wageni wa mwituni wakizuru dimbwi lako, huenda ukataka kuwajengea spa yao wenyewe. Bwawa la wanyama wa porini litatoa chakula, maji au makazi kwa majirani mbalimbali wa porini na litakuletea masaa ya kufurahia kutazama. Hii inaweza kuwa muhimu hasa kwa wanyama wa porini katika maeneo yenye maji machache - itawazuia kujaribu kunywa maji kutoka kwenye dimbwi lako, ambalo limejaa kemikali ambazo si nzuri kwa afya.