WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051209

Sam Gowen, of the Orange County Register, sent along our first wildlife news item today that explains how, for a nominal fee, pets can be protected from deadly encounters with rattlesnakes. An article from Pennsylvania provides techniques for keeping wildlife away from your garden; followed by a press release from that same state that warns homeowners about the adverse consequences of feeding wildlife. A New York resident sent in some security camera video of a bear who came to visit a Monticello home; but a Jacksonville, Florida, man has been charged with illegally killing a Florida black bear last fall. Well-known wildlife researcher Jane Goodall has weighed in on the issue of British Columbia's trophy bear hunts. An elusive Florida black bear who made national headlines by appearing on TV (inadvertently) has avoided traps set to catch him. Purdue University, in Indiana, has completed a study of wildlife hazards at airports; followed by the exploits of a man who chases wildlife away from Seattle-Tacoma airport in Washington State. A small gathering heard from a wildlife expert about coyotes in Upstate New York. A Kansas woman attempting to extricate a raccoon from an enclosure in which it had become trapped was bitten for her trouble; but Toronto, Canada, construction workers found a raccoon litter with one exceptional member who was pure white. With 700,000 deer scattered across the state, Ohio has a high auto-deer collision rate, as could be expected; but one town in that state will employ bow-hunters to cull their overpopulation of deer this fall. A couch potato discusses the capabilities of a cougar in the next item. And finally, some startled diners had an unexpected dinner guest near their table in Adelaide, South Australia (this is a restaurant that really caters to multiple species!)

Poll: Would you vaccinate your dog against rattlesnakes?

Keeping critters from the garden

PA Game Commission Offers Advice to Avoid Attracting Bears; Public Supports Game Commission's Management of Bears

READER VIDEO: Bear on Monticello homeowner's porch

Charges filed in death of Osceola National Forest black bear

Jane Goodall joins campaign to end B.C. bear hunts

Bear traps removed in south Fort Myers

Purdue study finds deer, wildlife common hazards at airports

Sea-Tac's 'bird man' works to keep critters away from jets

NORTH TONAWANDA: DEC informs residents about coyotes

Raccoon bites Wakefield woman, 84

Wildlife Crew Finds Rare Albino Raccoon At Construction Site

OSP: Deer-Vehicle Collisions Increase

Heath residents favor deer hunting in city

Indoorsman heads to the desert

Carpet snake caught swallowing possum