The Death Zone
As published in A Peek at the Peak, September 2000 issue, updated June 2015
by Susan Kantro
The Death Zone: Part One. A Cry for Help – Published June 13, 2015
Part Two. Senseless Deaths
A Peek at the Peak, September 2000, Cover
The lives of these wonderful birds ended senselessly. The two owls failed to negotiate our human technological habitat, and their fates were not isolated incidents. Raptors are drawn to utility poles because they offer a high place to perch, roost, nest and hunt. However, the large wing span of raptors makes them vulnerable to being hurt by the electricity carried on the power lines.
Public power lines looming over the wildlife habitat in our neighborhoods present a life threatening hazard to raptors traversing the matrix of washes in the area.
The lives of these wonderful birds ended senselessly with 7200 volts of electricity passing through the owls’ feet.
During one week in March, two Harris hawks had suffered the same fate as Felix and kin. Horrified, I called the Arizona Game and Fish Department to come and investigate. They later confirmed that death was by electrocution. I remembered reading an article on the prevention of raptor electrocutions by the simple installation of perches on utility poles under the auspices of Arizona Public Service’s (APS) Raptor Protection Program.
At my request, APS installed raptor perches on all utility poles on our properties. The perches were of a bi-level design and made of PVC. I didn’t learn until it was too late that the design of these perches are faulty and can actually cause injury or death. APS was informed by the Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center of Arizona Game and Fish Department that tests on the bi-level perches have demonstrated that raptors will not use them, especially owls. However, since the fall of 1999, APS continues deploying bi-level perches from their inventory, despite advice from others outside of APS to install longer and wider Tperches made of wood. Raptors instinctively seek out perches that provide maximum height and length, criteria absent in the bi-level perches. The bi-level perches are not long enough for the wing span (at least three feet) of these birds and the diameter is too narrow for their feet.
Subsequently, raptors are making deadly contact with power transformers and wires, as was the case when Felix and his sibling were killed on July 1.
On July 3, the APS crew came out to investigate why accidental deaths were still occurring on my utility pole. They determined that the owls landed on the transformer below the bi-level perches (the next highest surface they could negotiate), making deadly contact with exposed wires. The top of the transformer where the owls had landed showed the scorch marks caused by 7200 volts of electricity coursing through their feet.
On the APS web site, it states, “To protect wildlife, rubber hose-like ‘bird guards’ are placed over wires entering into transformers.” The plastic hood insulator on the transformer (the switch cover or “bird guard”) intended to shield live wires on my utility pole had become dislodged by the wind (according to the APS crew) and slipped upward. APS had failed to secure the “bird guard” when they raptor-proofed my utility pole in March. Too late, during this July visit, they taped and secured the “bird guard.”
The two dead owls were examined by Sam Fox, the Co Director and Co-Founder of Wild At Heart along with her husband Bob Fox, (for more information about Wild At Heart, visit their website Visit Website ). After the examination, she confirmed that they were approximately five months old, the larger owl was a female, and both had died by electrocution.
“Checking the Nest” by Ann Beisser, 2008 Summer Fun Contest Winner
Sam pointed out that these incidents occurred in what Wild At Heart refers to as “The Death Zone.” The Death Zone is roughly defined as south of Carefree Highway on Cave Creek Road to Jomax Road, east to Scottsdale Road, and north to Carefree Highway.” The Death Zone is such a hard area for birds of prey,” Sam explained. ”A high percentage of dead or injured birds of prey come in from that area, especially by electrocution. It just seems to be a bad luck area.”
On July 19, I spoke to Edward Fox (no relation to Bob and Sam), Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety Concerns for Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, APS’ parent company. He is responsible for overseeing the Raptor Protection Program at APS. During our conversation, he promised, “We will deal with the issues and fix the problems.”
APS is legally responsible for protecting birds of prey and can be subjected to heavy fines and violation notices for failure to do so. In other states, there have been formal charges filed against the power companies for electrocuting raptors and they have been forced to pay penalties. Recently a power company in Colorado pleaded guilty to six federal wildlife violations involving the electrocution of protected eagles and hawks on the company’s power lines and poles. The power company was convicted.
Related Articles
The Death Zone: Part One. A Cry for Help – Published June 13, 2015
About the Author
Susan Kantro, an artist and bird lover, has lived in Cave Creek for almost twenty years. Born in Washington, D.C., she moved here from New Orleans and was thrilled and amazed to see Great Horned Owls and other birds of prey from her backyard. She has distributed original brochures to local vet offices and feed stores for the last two decades informing the public how they can help these magnificent creatures survive. Susan can be contacted at susan_k@q.com.
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