WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 091109

First up in wildlife news today, an article reveals a species of eagle that lived in New Zealand centuries ago which may have actually been large enough to prey on infant humans! UC Davis has unveiled a new program, called the California Roadkill Observation System, which will tabulate roadkill within the state of California; and a variety of wildlife encounters from Fairfax, Virginia, are summarized in police dispatches, including bats flying around bedrooms, rabid wildlife, and deer-auto collisions. A retrospective on cougars in Lake County, California, is provided in the next article. A trio of cougar stories come to us from Washington state today: there's been another cougar sighting, however this one is in the Cascades; a writer from Seattle comments on that state's enlightened approach to wild animal control, compared to control of dangerous pets; but a large cougar, who was apparently killing just for fun elsewhere in that state, was killed by wildlife authorities. Wolf hunters in Idaho are finding out that coyotes aren't the only wily canines prowling the open plains. Canadian officials at Vancouver's Stanley Park are advising visitors not to feed raccoons, after a woman was hospitalized due to raccoon bites; while the report of a backyard shooting of a raccoon in Wisconsin may have been part of a larger issue about the open carrying of firearms in that area. A tally of rabid animals found in a New Jersey county so far this year is up next. Deer hunting in the suburbs of Contra Costa County, California, is raising some concerns for public safety; but an anticipated 300,000 hunters will begin culling deer herds across Ohio later this month. Wisconsin is looking to extend their deer hunt due to an overabundance of deer in that state; but deer hunters in Montana are being warned to stay out of dense vegetation frequented by grizzly bears, else the hunters may become the hunted! Aspen bears are in the news again, after one broke into a home and attacked the homeowner; but a study released yesterday in 'Science' magazine discusses the perilous situation of arctic wildlife. And speaking of the arctic, a photo spread from Churchill, Manitoba, the so-called 'polar bear capital of the world', shows Canadian polar bears in their natural element.

Extinct New Zealand eagle may have eaten humans

Wild Neighbors: Dead Skunks and Others: Looking at Roadkill for Science

Animal Watch

Mountain lion numbers have increased

Yet Another Cougar Sighting -- But This One's Closer To The Cascade Mountains

Cougars and pit bulls: How should we handle dangerous animals?

Livestock-killing cougar shot near Quilcene

Wolves Aren’t Making It Easy for Idaho Hunters

Vancouver raccoon attack prompts warnings

Open Carry Controversy in Racine

Stray kitten fifth rabid animal to be found in Monroe this year

Deer Hunting Raises Safety Concerns In Contra Costa

Deer-archery season opens statewide Sept. 26

Wis. board considers deer control options

Bird and bowhunters urged to be bear aware

Bear attacks man in Aspen home

Polar bear, arctic fox, caribou hurt by climate change

In the Polar Bear Capital of the World