WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 070409

We lead off wildlife news with some stories about cats and dogs (so to speak): despite an intense search by hunters, a cagey cougar has eluded detection after being spotted in Port Alberni, British Columbia; the American Bird Conservancy weighs in on feral cats in light of a new study about coyotes preying on these cats; and some useful tips for co-existing with coyotes are provided by a Southern California resident whose property abuts the wilderness. A Dallas, Texas, pet trainer discusses attempts to domesticate wild animals. A nesting pair of bald eagles which has resided in Washington, DC, since 2001 may be chased away by construction of a new Department of Homeland Security facility; and Georgia is hosting more nesting pairs of bald eagles. The mayor of Cody, Wyoming, never imagined the stir a proposed ban on deer feeding would cause; and a writer from Atlanta, Georgia, provides a recipe to keep deer from nibbling on garden foliage. Two stories of deer in traffic follow: a deer-motorcycle collision in British Columbia sent two people to the hospital; and a train struck a deer on the tracks near Skokie, Illinois, stalling traffic on the rail line for an hour. With upwards of 3,000 bears in Utah, wildlife officials are warning vacationers to be careful; and wildlife officials in Arizona provided similar tips for encounters with bears in that state. A bear was reported in Cleveland, Ohio, this morning; and a pair of teens elsewhere in that state got a shock when a black bear reared up on the road. And finally, Australians are toasting the first elephant ever born in their country!

Cougar evades human hunters

Studies show stray cats coyote chow

Keeping a wild animal as a pet

Bald eagles at risk in Washington

Eagle numbers up significantly

Cody considers ban on feeding deer

Deer be gone

Motorcycle collides with deer near Tonasket

CTA train fatally strikes deer near Skokie

Utah officials: Be mindful in black bear country

Wildlife encounters are increasing -- Be Bear Aware while camping

Bear spotted on East 144th Street?

Teens Meet Black Bear On Warren Co. Road

Australia welcomes its first new-born elephant