A long-time Bel-Air resident's perspective

Lone buck's roaming area severely restricted to resident's backyard as it is surrounded by construction sites- video.

Our Bel-Air landscape has changed.  Progress?  Not sure…  Ten years ago, there was an abundant wildlife roaming around peacefully in our beautiful hills. I was privileged to have a herd of deer visiting my backyard on a regular basis.  I watched the mamas raised their fawns, I watched them ruminate lying down under the trees.  And then, it all came to a stop.  Construction started.  Cement trucks and heavy machinery made their entrance into our community.  Developers began cutting into the hills, cutting off their tops, building cement walls, yanking protected trees with total disrespect for the the Bel-Air wildlife, disrespect for the Bel-Air environment, and too many with disrespect for the Bel-Air residents.

I am not sure how this poor buck found himself in my yard but I am flattered that he selected it as a small oasis of peace.  So far, he has eaten all of my tomato plants and that put a smile on my face…  He ate my young apricot tree.  I smiled again.  He ate my fig tree – who cares?  My backyard is his home.  He is allowing me to share it with him.  And I hope that whomever he encounters will respect him as much as I do.

--Claude Rush, Stradella Road