Lincoln Journal Star
State officials are reminding Nebraskans that active bat populations in summertime increase the chance for exposure to rabies.
Eight bats have tested positive for rabies in Nebraska so far this year, including seven in Lincoln, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. The statewide number is on par with recent years.
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No human cases of rabies have been reported among Nebraskans since the 1920s. Other wildlife — including skunks, foxes, coyotes and raccoons — can also be carriers for rabies.
People are encouraged to vaccinate their pets, use caution around wild animals and seek immediate medical attention if bitten.
Backyard critters in Lincoln
Photos, videos: Critters in the streets and yards of Lincoln
WATCH: Coyote in driveway on South 57th in Lincoln
Deer
Deer at Holmes Lake Park
Courtesy
Wildlife near 76th and Van Dorn
Plains leopard frog
Plains leopard frog
Courtesy photo
Baby owl and wood ducks
Baby owl and wood ducks
Courtesy photo
Turtle on South 86th Street
Turtle on South 86th Street
Courtesy photo
Coyote off Sawgrass Drive
Coyote off Sawgrass Drive
Courtesy photo
Wilson's phalarope (female)
Wilson's phalarope (female) at Oak Lake on April 27.
GERARD HARBISON, courtesy photo
Ducks on Rancho Road
Ducks on Rancho Road
Courtesy photo
Coyote
Coyote at Phares Park Monday, April 27.
Courtesy photo
Woodchuck
South First and J streets on March 30.
GERARD HARBISON, courtesy photo
Political ducks?
"On a walk yesterday evening, my wife and I spotted these two ducks at 16th and J, just east of the State Capitol. We weren’t certain if they were lost or merely wanted to visit the Capitol building," Bill Davenport said.
BILL DAVENPORT, courtesy photo
Pioneers Park ducks
Duckling at Pioneers Park.
Courtesy photo
Golf wildlife
On the No. 1 fairway at The Highlands on Sunday, April 26.
Courtesy photo
Upton Grey Lane and Thompson Creek
Upton Grey Lane and Thompson Creek
Courtesy photo
Ducks in yard
Ducks in yard at 35th and C. "We got a duck egg laid in our yard," Beth Haase said.
BETH HAASE, courtesy photo
WATCH: Baby fox on Yankee Hill Road near 27th
Turkey time
Turkeys at the corner of Old Cheney and Frontier Road on Saturday, April 25, 2020.
Chuck Hackenmiller, courtesy photo
Heron on Bowling Lake
Heron on Bowling Lake
Courtesy photo
White moth on Runza drive-thru on West O in May 2019
White moth on Runza drive-thru on West O in May 2019
Courtesy photo
Fox
A reader said this fox at 3910 is a Husker fan.
Victoria Ayotte
Coyote
This coyote was spotted near 77th and Van Dorn streets in November by Peggy Stark.
Victoria Ayotte
Bobcat
This bobcat was found in the Lincoln VA building.
Victoria Ayotte
Deer next to O Street
A yearling deer at First and O.Â
Victoria Ayotte
Pair of Cooper's Hawks
Cooper's Hawks birds recently took to spending time in a central Lincoln backyard.
Courtesy photo
Fox
Mother and kit fox are living in a backyard near 27th and Sheridan. Â
Courtesy photo
Watch: Fox plays in the snow
Fox
A fox living on an acreage near Lincoln.
Victoria Ayotte
Opossum
Opossum
Courtesy photo
Raccoons sharing a meal
Raccoons sharing a meal
Courtesy photo
Fox catches squirrel at capitol
Video: Red fox in Lincoln
Armadillo in Lincoln
Lincoln police spotted an armadillo running downtown near 13th and O streets early Tuesday.
Courtesy photo
Snake on deck
15th and South area.
Courtesy photo
Robin's eggs
Robin's eggs in the 15th and South area.
Courtesy photo
Monarch caterpillar on milkweed
Monarch caterpillar on milkweed.
Courtesy photo
Young opossum hiding in a clay tile
Young opossum hiding in a clay tile.
Courtesy photo
Goslings
LINCOLN, NE - 05/10/2018 - A dozen Canada geese goslings go for cruise around a pond with their parents on warm spring day on Thursday, May 10, 2018, at Pioneers Park. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
FRANCIS GARDLER JOURNAL STAR
Geese
A pair of goslings flap their developing wings as they munch on grass with their siblings and parents on 80-plus-degree day on Thursday on the banks of a pond at Pioneers Park.
FRANCIS GARDLER, JOURNAL STAR
Snake
The snake at Oak Lake Park dog run can be seen in this photo.
Courtesy photo
Ducks
Ducks nesting in a Lincoln backyard.
Courtesy photo
Coyote
Lincoln Animal Control received several photos of coyotes near Holmes Park, including this one spotted about a month ago near 6100 Normal Blvd.Â
Courtesy photo
Backyard critter
An opossum on the deck.
Courtesy photo
Pelicans
Pelicans can be seen at Capitol Beach Lake.
Kevin Abourezk
Turkey
A wild turkey at 30th and Sherman
Courtesy photo
Video: Coyote playing with dog
A post shared by Tim Suhr (@cannonsunl) on Mar 7, 2017 at 4:55am PST
Leftovers
Big Red Worms is offering a chance for Lincolnites to compost their decaying pumpkins.
Journal Star file photo
Lincoln-area wildlife
SAM NEWTON, Journal Star
Deer
A whitetail deer found himself on the course along the west fence at the Country Club of Lincoln on May 12, 2016. The male is starting to lose his gray/brown winter coat.
TED KIRK/Journal Star
Foxes
Five fox kits follow the lead of an adult fox and stay alert for danger in east Lincoln.
GWYNETH ROBERTS/Journal Star
Turkeys
Turkeys out taking a walk near Sheridan Boulevard.
SAM NEWTON/Courtesy photo
Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers on a fence.
Courtesy photo
Critter
Backyard spider in web.
Courtesy photo
Squirrel
A squirrel at Pioneers Park.
Courtesy photo
Raccoon
A raccoon on an acreage near Wahoo.
ERIC GREGORY/Journal Star file photo
Critters
A paper monarch at the Sunken Gardens
Courtesy photo
Critters
A dragonfly at the Sunken Gardens.
Courtesy photo
Critters
A garden spider weaves a wondrous web in the backyard.
Judy Foreman/Courtesy photo
Butterfly
A painted lady butterfly alights on a white zinnia Tuesday.
TED KIRK/Lincoln Journal Star
Dragonfly
A dragonfly at the Sunken Gardens.
SAM NEWTON/Courtesy photo
Deer in Yard
A doe found a comfy place to rest in June 2015 in the backyard of a house on the 1800 block of D Street.
MATT RYERSON/Lincoln Journal Star file photo
Bald Eagle at Branched Oak Lake
Freelance photographer Gary Schenaman says he walked about a half-mile through snow and brush to set up a ground blind at Branched Oak Lake in mid-February, then waited about four hours for a collection of bald eagles to arrive. Lincoln Children’s Zoo President & CEO John Chapo said the bald eagle in the photo is an adult, noting that its head is white in plumage. “Immature birds do not have the complete white head,†Chapo noted.
Schenaman reports having observed between 40 and 50 eagles at the lake.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GARY SCHENEMAN
Baby Owls in Tree
A group of four young Eastern screech owls huddle in a tree under the watchful eye of a nearby parent on July 1, 2014, at Dean and Emily Kline's house in northeast Lincoln. Ellie Kline, 4, the Kline's granddaughter, spotted the owls and promptly woke up her grandpa to tell him the news.
MATT RYERSON/Lincoln Journal Star
County Fair Chicken
LINCOLN, NEB - 08/27/2014 - One of 9-year-old Evan Merrell's Black Orpington chickens in it's backyard pen on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014. DAN LITTLE/Lincoln Journal Star
DAN LITTLE/Lincoln Journal Star
Sunken Gardens
Salvia Mystic Spires is a deer-resistant perennial, but attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies and pollinators like this bumblebee, which paid a visit Wednesday at the Sunken Gardens.
FRANCIS GARDLER/Lincoln Journal Star
Red-tailed hawk
Lincoln Memorial Park red-tailed hawk.
Courtesy photo
Birds of winter
A Cardinal and two gold finches wait for a warmer spring day in Pioneers Park on Monday.
Journal Star file
Turkey
A wild turkey steps through a child's sandbox as it grazes through a yard near 53rd and "J" Streets, on Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014, in an area where it has been spotted frequently in the mornings and evenings in recent weeks. Turkeys were wiped out in the state of Nebraska by about 1915, according to the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, but were successfully reintroduced to the state beginning in 1959. Some of the birds seem to have found that citys offer a favorable ratio of food to predators. ERIC GREGORY/Lincoln Journal Star
ERIC GREGORY/Lincoln Journal Star
"And they're off"
Leaving a wake of temporary water divots behind them, a pair of water fowl skim across the surface of Holmes Lake to join a group of fellow water birds who were feeding in a cove Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013, at Holmes Lake Park.
FRANCIS GARDLER/Lincoln Journal Star
Baby robins
Lincoln, NE - 7/8/2013 - Baby robins clamor for food in their oak tree nest on Monday, July 8, 2013, in the 40th and A Neighborhood. GWYNETH ROBERTS/Lincoln Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS/Lincoln Journal Star
Audubon Tour bird and peanuts
A blue jay picks up peanuts in the Eastridge backyard June 4, 2013.
GWYNETH ROBERTS/Lincoln Journal Star
Rabbit
A rabbit, enjoying some peace and quiet on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. The university canceled classes because of the snowstorm.
ZACH PLUHACEK/Lincoln Journal Star file photo
Urban deer sighting
A deer was spotted roaming at Ryons Street and Sheridan Boulevard in Lincoln in 2010.
AMY SACK/Courtesy photo
Pelican
A pelican flaps its wings at Capitol Beach in Lincoln on Wednesday morning, Nov. 30, 2011. One Capitol Beach resident is worried about the bird's health, and the Wildlife Rescue Team is working on a plan to help. (FRANCIS GARDLER/Lincoln Journal Star)
FRANCIS GARDLER/Lincoln Journal Star
Robins
It's true, the early bird does get the worm! This robin pecked around the grass around 10:42 a.m. to find a juicy morning snack at Holmes Lake Park on Tuesday morning, April 5, 2011. Warmer weather returned to the Lincoln area after Monday's chilly, windy gusts. (FRANCIS GARDLER / Lincoln Journal Star)
FRANCIS GARDLER/Lincoln Journal
Brown-headed nuthatch
A pair of Brown-headed Nuthatches, a rarity for Nebraska, were spotted during the annual Christmas Bird Count in Lincoln. (Courtesy photo)
PAUL A. JOHNSGARD
Foxes in backyard
Backyard foxes at 27th and Lake in Lincoln.
Courtesy photo
Mourning doves
27th and Lake
Courtesy photo
Watch Now: Northeast Lincoln visitor
Coopers Hawk backyard 27th and Lake
Coopers Hawk backyard 27th and Lake
JON NEWCOMER
Vultures on William Street
Vultures on William Street.
JON NEWCOMER
Coyote
A coyote in front of a building on North Cotner.
Courtesy photo
Hummingbird
Hummingbird near 27th and Lake streets. It's taken control of the feeder and chases away other hummingbirds that try to feed.
Jon Newcomer
Damselfly
Damselfly near 27th and Lake
Jon Newcomer
Sleeping red fox
Sleeping red fox near 27th and Lake streets.
Jon Newcomer, courtesy photo
Red-bellied woodpecker
A red-bellied woodpecker that started hollowing out a home in a tree in December 2021 near 27th and Lake.
Jon Newcomer, courtesy photo
Squirrel
Harvesting crabapples from a tree near 27th and Lake.
Jon Newcomer, courtesy photo
Fox at 8th and E in Lincoln
Fox at Capitol Beach Lake
A fox at Capitol Beach Lake.
Submitted photo
Deer
A deer crosses the street at 2nd and F in Lincoln.
Submitted photo
Opossum
This opussum was feasting on crab apples in a Lincoln tree in December 2022 near 27th and Lake streets.
JH Newcomer
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