WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 100109

An Op-Ed piece from Elmhurst, Illinois, (formerly known as Skunk Hollow) counsels that it's better to try to get along with skunks in the area than trying to trap and remove them all; but at a wildlife shelter in Woodland Hills, California, a "Romeo and Juliet" story played out between an improbable couple: a rabbit and a skunk! A columnist from Montréal, Canada, is definitely not a fan of skunks, as demonstrated by the next article. Louisiana's state bird, the brown pelican, whose numbers declined significantly due to DDT affecting their eggs, is making a comeback; three crowned eagles, South America's rarest raptor with only 1,000 members in the wild, will be released back into the wild after having been rehabilitated at the Buenos Aires zoo; and a juvenile red-shouldered hawk which ran into a window, nearly losing its foot, is being rehabilitated and should be released back into the wilds of New York state soon. A teenager from Ontario, Canada, was attacked by an aggressive coyote while the youth was out picking apples. A cougar was seen in Ontario, Canada, prompting wildlife officials to issue warnings not to approach the animal; while students at a Colorado school had their access to a nearby lake restricted due to a possible cougar sighting. North Dakota Game and Fish officials have yet to confirm reported sightings of a cougar near a golf course; but an e-mail of a cougar with a deer seen in South Dakota is stirring some controversy as to its origins. Officials in a North Island, New Zealand, community have voted to stop aerial drops of the deadly 1080 poison baits intended to kill off the abundance of possums in the area; but TB reduction in cattle herds has been a resounding success, causing officials to now look towards reducing the incidence in the possum population as well. A New Yorker who ventured onto a neighbor's property in the Hamptons to free a cat that was inadvertently caught in a raccoon trap could face jail time; while another rabid raccoon has been identified in eastern North Carolina; and a Florida man is being tested for rabies after being bitten by a raccoon in his tool shed. Connecticut officials inadvertently killed a black bear that fell out of a tree after being tranquilized and broke its neck; but although a Wyoming resident covered in deer blood was approached by a grizzly bear which he immediately shot, wildlife authorities claim that it was not a clear-cut case of self-defense; and a deer hunter on Sitka Island, Alaska, was attacked by a grizzly bear while climbing a steep slope. Deer-auto collisions in North Carolina are the topic of the next article; while motorists in Ohio are being warned not to swerve to avoid hitting a deer in the road ahead of them for fear of veering into traffic or a ditch along the road. A community in Pennsylvania is wrestling with the problem of how to curb their deer population; even as changes to deer hunting rules in New York state are being discussed amid reports from venison food banks that indicate that donations are down this year in a program that has yielded over 300 tons of meat to needy families during the past 10 years. A writer from Michigan gives a little ancient history on the origins of whitetail deer in the US. And finally, we close today with a story from Montana of mule-tide cheer!

EDITORIAL: Skunks in the City

Love Stinks: After Skunk Passes, Bunny Dies of "Broken Heart"

So how do you get rid of skunks?

Pelican populations recover but will continue to be monitored

Endangered Eagles to Be Released

Injured hawk has ticket to glide

Coyote attacks Ontario teen

Cougar spotted near Dealtown

Fairview students restricted due to possible mountain lion sighting

Mountain lions seen in area

Picture Of Big Cat Comes With A Big Story

Aerial Dropping Must Stop

Submissions called for bovine TB strategy review

NY 'cat rescuer' could face jail if convicted

Rabid Raccoon Confirmed In Carteret County

Raccoon in tool shed bites Spring Hill man — rabies a concern

Bear dies after being sedated by Conn. officials

Hunter charged with illegal grizzly bear kill

Grizzly Bear Chomps Down on Hunter's Arm in Alaska

Study: Deer Crashes Continue To Rise In NC

Officials say collisions with deer are down, but drivers still need to be aware

Mt. Lebanon seeks ways to curb deer population

Groups seeking changes in rules for deer hunting

Ask Eric: How long have whitetail deer been around?

Mule deer or Yule deer? Buck draped with decor