WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 072809

First up in wildlife news today, Sam Gowen, of the Orange County Register, sent along an article about a coyote that was caught and euthanized after getting way too comfortable around people at a Southern California park. Reports of a coyote prowling around an Ohio town are provided by the next article; but a writer from that state disputes the claims of others that the Cincinnati area is seeing an increase in coyote attacks on pets. After a small coyote pack was spotted in an Illinois community, wildlife officials provided tips on coexisting; however a cat was badly injured in a coyote attack in Massachusetts. Another trio of bear-hunting dogs has been killed by wolves in Wisconsin. A writer from New York notes the closer proximity of bears to humans; but a black bear in Vancouver, British Columbia, raced up a power pole where it was shocked repeatedly until falling off the pole and being euthanized by law enforcement officers due to its injuries. A large black bear was spotted in a Louisiana parish; but PETA representative and former game show host Bob Barker is meeting with Cherokee leadership in North Carolina to protest treatment of captive bears. A cat who was caught in a bear trap in Michigan was grateful to have survived the experience. A mountain biker from Oregon shares some tips on what to do if you run into a cougar or bear on the trail; while a cougar was spotted by a family in Murrieta, California, last night. A Canadian surveyor was pursued by a cougar in British Columbia. Residents of Alabama communities are encouraged to get their pets vaccinated, as wildlife incursions in that state are increasing. An elderly Massachusetts man on crutches was pursued and bitten by a rabid skunk; and another North Carolina skunk has proved to be rabid. And speaking of skunks, advice on eliminating the skunk stench from a pet is provided by a writer from Kentucky. A paper published in Conservation Biology states that Australia is guilty of indiscriminate wildlife destruction, mainly from land clearing and overlogging, with 300,000 hectares of land affected and perhaps as many as 20 million animals destroyed. A Wyoming trapper discusses the (usually) humane removal of errant wildlife from human settlements. A writer from San Francisco, California, discusses options on dealing with ravenous deer in people's backyards; followed by a New York Times article in which a panel of experts weighs in on the deer tick problem. And finally, for reckless drivers, a Connecticut man may have a good excuse in case they cause an accident: snakes in the car!

Audacious Central Park coyote caught and euthanized

Coyote Spotted in Anderson Township Neighborhood

Coyote attacks in Cincinnati *not* on the rise

Coyotes Roam Park Forest; Watch Small Pets

Raynham family shocked after coyote attack leaves pet cat clinging to life

Wolves kill three more dogs in Wisconsin

Toby Beahan: Wandering black bears move closer to humans

Black bear suffers gruesome death in Coquitlam

Bear looks both ways before crossing street

Bob Barker to Meet With Cherokee Chief Over Bears

Cat caught in bear trap in Ottawa County

If you encounter a cougar or bear on Mount Emily...

Mountain Lion

Man chased by cougar on Discovery Trail

Rabies Vaccination for Pets Encouraged

Norfolk man bitten by rabid skunk

Rabid skunk found

DeFunky that Skunky Dog

Australia one of worst animal destroyers

Cody trapper uses variety of tools, techniques on nuisance animals

Bambi gone wild!

Driver tells Conn. police snakes led to SUV crash