WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 040609

We lead off wildlife news today with a story about how people in a rural section of Vermont did their part in protecting slow-moving migrants; followed by one that shows that rabies has come to Washington, as a possum that may be rabid was caught near the White House. And speaking of possums, the manager of a wildlife shelter is asking for help obtaining more possum boxes to house the huge influx of possums injured by the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria, Australia. Some interesting details in the next article from Pinellas County, Florida, about bald eagles adapting to life as man encroaches on wildland areas; followed by a story about how the Native American community is concerned over confiscation of eagle feathers used in their religious rituals. Coyote hunting from the hunters' perspective is provided next; but a coyote trap in Texas caught the wrong species. Some advice is provided to residents of Georgia on the coyotes whose visits are becoming more frequent. A pair of cougar cubs weighing about 18 lbs each were captured in Solvang, California, and remanded to Fish & Game officials. Police officers in an Ontario, Canada, community are sticking by their story that they saw a cougar in a meadow, despite doubts by an expert; while pet owners in a Wyoming community were advised to keep tabs on their pets when a cougar came to town. From the same community in which a raccoon had moved into a raptor's nest (much to the chagrin of the original occupant) comes another sight of a unique raccoon perch. Here's a way to sharpen your minds on a Monday: a nature quiz from Pennsylvania! PETA is battling with the St. Louis, Missouri, zoo over their polar bear exhibit. Ohioans spotted over 100 bears in that state last year, an increase from years past; but naturalists are protesting a proposed hunt of black bears in California, where an estimated 30,000 bears reside; and residents of a Wisconsin town are going to have to relabel their bird feeders as bear feeders! A debate over culling a ballooning deer population in Ontario, Canada, is the topic of the next article; and deer sprinting across the road caused traffic problems in Illinois and North Carolina, as the next two stories show. In light of the preceding two stories, the next offers a suggestion about keeping car collisions with deer at a minimum in New York State. And finally, 'High School Musical' star Zac Efron is probably used to being stalked by intrusive groupies and aggressive paparazzi, but his latest encounter was, shall we say, unique!

Volunteers help salamanders avoid roadway massacre

Rabid Capitol possum nabbed

Plea for pals

Bald Eagle Nest Numbers Take Flight In Pinellas

Soaring With Eagles

Many hunters hear the call of the coyote

Vulture caught in trap rescued in South Texas

Coyote Sightings Increase, Education Key

Two Mountain Lion Cubs Captured Safely in Solvang Neighborhood

Cougar sighting raises questions

Mountain lion seen in Riverton

Another unusual raccoon sighting

Pennsylvania Nature Quiz

Group Wants St. Louis Polar Bear Exhibit Closed

Bear Sightings Up in Ohio

Protests of proposed bear hunt in SLO County continue

Black bear on prowl in Juneau Co.

Deer battle set to resume

Deer causes accident

Deer runs across interstate, causes accident

Fencing could help keep deer off traffic roundabouts

Zac Efron's deer drama