Stationed Without Sanction
Boulder Creek Native Leads the Second Responders
By Julie Horner
Ryan Okrant was born and raised north of Bear Creek Road in Boulder Creek. When he heard that his parents had been evacuated from the CZU fire, he hopped on the first plane he could get. He had seen on social media that pet owners were agonizing over not being able to collect frightened animals that bolted during the evacuation. He arrived with the fire less than 10% contained ready to employ animal advocacy skills he felt were unique and necessary for helping displaced pets reunite with their owners.
Using a hand-written Cal Fire pass, Okrant accessed burned out neighborhoods and parkland to install and maintain feeding and watering stations for lost domestic animals and wildlife that had become disoriented.
With guidance from Kim Fitts, a wildlife biologist who specializes in working with post-fire animal rescue, and with donations to cover expenses, Okrant was able to purchase high tech night vision tracking cams, which he installed in locations where pets had been reported missing. He and his team set up and checked dozens of feeding stations daily to determine what sort of animal had passed by or had taken food and water. Connecting to the memory card, Okrant played back footage of deer, fox, turkeys, skunks, and the occasional domestic cat. “The only animal I didn’t see was a puma,” he said.
When the camera came up blank overnight, Okrant used sand to identify what types of animals had passed by the feeding stations. Based on the footprints in the sand, he and his team could better determine what sort of kibble to stock the feeding station with, whether for herbivore or carnivore. Donated vittles included cat and dog food, grains and seeds, loads of apples, and fresh water in 5-gallon jugs. He dropped supplies by truck to severely damaged neighborhoods on compromised roads nearly inaccessible after the fire.
With Okrant’s diligence, many domestic cats were successfully trapped and sent on to shelters like Cats by the Tracks and Heading Home Animal Rescue for their owners to retrieve or to be adopted out if owners had lost homes and could no longer care for the animals. “Reuniting these cats is probably my favorite feeling from this whole entire thing,” he said.
Okrant also worked with the consent of property owners to track and feed other animals that were left behind, like the peacocks at Trays Ranch on upper China Grade. “I’m tired. I’ve put in probably 200 hours in the last two and a half weeks,” Okrant said. “I was probably up here 10 to 12 hours a day feeding cats and chickens.”
For the most part fire and law enforcement allowed Okrant and his team to work behind the scenes, as long as they stayed out of the way. A cease and desist finally came from State Parks. He was able to complete limited rounds but could no longer go inside locked park gates.
He hopes that park officials will recognize the value of the “second responders” who pick up the slack when first responders are called elsewhere.
“This has exploded really rapidly,” Okrant said. “It was the largest uprising of something I’ve ever been a part of, let alone a leader of, and the only way we had such impact was because the community had such positive support and reinforcement for my actions.” Okrant has heard from incident agencies in other regions across the US and has officially launched the Animal Survival and Safety Emergency Response Team (ASSERT). “The 501c3 non-profit has been processed for filing with the state and we will continue to aid first responders with the aftermath, which saves animal lives and restores hope to fire stricken communities.” Okrant leaves disaster specialist Sammarye “Samm” Lewis in charge locally until he returns.Learn more at assert.earth.
Photos contributed by Ryan Okrant.
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