WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 091909

We lead off Wildlife News Of The Day today with a story that comes to us from Paris, France, the fabled City of Lights, where beekeeping is becoming a popular activity (who knows, maybe it will be known in the future as the City of Bees!) A New York Times article discusses how humans introducing invasive species have made a mess of northern Australia's wildlife; followed by a story from Mississippi about how firefighters removed a crocodile monitor lizard from a tree outside of a grade school. The issue of what to do with dead or injured wildlife in a small Central California town is discussed in the next article. In a bizarre incident, a bear attacked a group of tourists in a mountainous region of Japan; while people pursuing outdoor activities in New Mexico's Gila National Forest are being advised to avoid feeding the bears. A bear evidently traveled nearly 100 miles to attack a horse in a Colorado community; but wildlife group in Colorado is asking for financial help from the city after wildlife officials killed the mother bear, leaving two cubs in their care. Residents of Tacoma, Washington, have been advised not to leave doggie doors open during the night after a raccoon snuck in through one and attacked the dog. A rabid raccoon interacted with an unknown number of cats this week, causing a bit of a health scare in a North Carolina community; and the death of a horse in El Paso County, Colorado, underscores the importance of vaccinating not only pets, but also livestock in areas where rabies is present in the wildlife. A cougar has been reported prowling around outside a Central California community, probably driven there by a population boom in the high country; while a cougar spotted by wildlife officials in New Hampshire is believed to be someone's pet who was illegally released into the wild, as related by the next two articles. A cougar was spotted jumping from a tree in a San Mateo County neighborhood this week; but Ohio's Department of Natural Resources is debunking cougar pictures as being fakes. Refinery workers at a Shell facility in Martinez, California, are on edge after several deer carcasses, attributed to either a cougar or coyote, were found on the grounds. An Iowa man who transported deer out of state in 2004 was sentenced for illegal hunting. Coyotes preying on pets in Santa Monica, California, are once again in the news; and the hunt is on for coyotes frequenting Griffith Park in Los Angeles after a man was bitten on the foot by one there earlier this week. Here's something they probably don't teach at the Chicago police academy: how do you get a skunk out of a Mayo jar? And finally, a Florida pool guy managed to rescue an eastern spotted skunk that had fallen into a swimming pool, took it home to help it recover and gave it an appropriate name: stinky!

Paris rooftops abuzz with beekeeping

The Extinction Knot: A Hidden Crisis in Northern Australia

Raw Video: Firefighters Capture Rogue Lizard

Oh deer! Disposing of dead or injured wildlife presents dilemma

Bear mauls 9 people at bus terminal on Gifu mountain

Be 'bear aware' in Mimbres region

Bear mauls horse in metro area

Silt wildlife group seeks funding to care for orphaned bears

Raccoon attacks family dog inside Tacoma home

Rabies alert issued for Flat River Township

Rabid horse dies in El Paso County

Evidence of mountain lion reported in San Benancio Canyon

State official: Mountain lion seen in New Hampshire

Mountain lion sightings? Two reported inside a week, one by Fish and Game staffer

San Mateo Co.: Mountain Lion Spotted near Home in Unincorporated Montara

Mountain lion picture a hoax

Four dead deer raise concerns about predator

Iowa man sentenced for illegal hunting

Coyotes moving further into city

Coyote reportedly attacks man in Griffith Park

Cop tries to free skunk from mayo jar

Catch of the Day - pool skimmer-style