WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 022309

First up in wildlife news today, a happy ending to a tense situation occurred as a flightless red-tail hawk was successfully recovered after a harrowing experience over the weekend. And while we're on the topic of birds, two stories of eagles appeared today: a debate is stirring in Illinois over the actual bald eagle population; and US Fish and Wildlife officials have decided to evict a nesting pair of bald eagles who took up residence near an airport. An investigation of falling quail populations in Texas is discussed, with the work being done by Quail Unlimited highlighted, while a story from the Denver Post about hunters' experiences trailing cougars in Colorado follows. An article details the most effective way to remove the smell from an animal nailed by a skunk, and a skunk in Kentucky was found to have rabies, the eleventh reported case in that state so far this year. An Op-Ed piece from the head of a hunting organization in Maine lambasts officials for failing to provide coyote-hunting licenses, while an Op-Ed piece from Michigan dismisses the practice of 'thinning' wildlife in the next article, and an Op-Ed piece from Wyoming decries the practice of hunting coyotes. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated the reported kill of a calf by coyotes. An article from Colorado discusses the love-hate relationship one observer has with coyotes in that state, but a coyote caused a bit of a stir in Iowa when it was spotted on the grounds of an elementary school. Following the death of a chihuahua in Toronto, Canada, residents are divided over whether to trap and kill the coyote, and in a letter to the editor about the coyote attack story, a reader voices support for the non-lethal approach to the situation. The Executive Director for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discusses the controversial decision to release an injured bear back into the wild without treatment, and an elusive black bear was spotted in Maryland again. And finally, volunteers in the US are knitting stockings for moon bears in China rescued from the brutal bile farms legally operated there.

Tosh the red-tailed hawk found safe and sound

Eagles down in Illinois?

Bald eagle pair to be removed from Essex airport nest

Q&A with Dale Rollins: It's all for the birds

Hunt for mountain lion worth chase

Natural Ways to Treat a Dog that has been Skunked

Rabid Skunk Found In Woodford County

Coyote ugly

Some solutions to coyote 'problem' overkill

Killing coyotes is no solution

Fish and Wildlife doubts coyote is calf-killer

Coyotes thrive thanks to help from humans

Coyote sighted at C.F. school; students kept inside

Toronto dog owners defend coyote after dog killed

Refreshing view on coyote attack

Florida wildlife officials did what was best for injured bear

Black bear sighted again on Eastern Shore

Moon bears given mittens, helping hand