Tales of wild animals abound

MVSD's grounds are private property and not open to the general public.
& lt;a href=mailto:slshaulis@vindy.com & gt;By SHERRI L. SHAULIS & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- With more than 6,000 acres, it's only natural that workers at the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District hear tales about wild animals.
Though the reports fall short of Bigfoot sightings or stories of the Loch Ness Monster swimming through the Meander Reservoir, Chief Engineer David Tabak has heard some things he questions.
Like the rumor that a pack of wild dogs is roaming the property.
Tabak says that though he's never heard of such things from his employees, he doesn't discount that it couldn't be true.
"We have dogs, cats, red fox, deer, rabbits," he said. "I am not aware of anything like a pack of dogs, but it wouldn't necessarily surprise me."
Tabak said one rumor he's heard consistently throughout the years is that there's a bear living on MVSD property.
"I've been here 27 years, but I have never seen it," he said. "But I've heard about it from all types of people."
Some facts
MVSD provides water to some 300,000 customers in the Mahoning Valley.
With the property lines reaching from as far south as Canfield to as far north as Niles, the MVSD owns land that is still untamed for the most part, making it a perfect refuge for all types of wildlife.
Tabak said he's personally seen several deer, rabbits, foxes, fish, bald eagles and wild turkeys.
"The turkeys were really nice animals," he said, adding that several of them used to hang out near the treatment plant. "They used to wander around out there and even come up near the door."
But Tabak said the public shouldn't consider using the wild area as a place to set free animals, especially pets.
He knows some strays will naturally end up on the property, but he discouraged people actively leaving pets near the reservoir of other MVSD sites.
No trespassing
Though MVSD employees and ODNR officials may wander onto grounds to view or track the different species and nesting ground of animals, the general public can't; MVSD's grounds are private property.
"All of our property is closed and fenced in," Tabak said.
Security concerns prevent district employees from permitting the general public to access the land for animal or bird watching.
Tabak said workers do not disturb most of the homes the animals have created for themselves, and MVSD employees work in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife to keep track of some animals.
"We cooperate with the ODNR when they are tracking the bald eagles and their nesting areas," he said.
& lt;a href=mailto:slshaulis@vindy.com & gt;slshaulis@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;