WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 103109

Wildlife News Of The Day will be on hiatus next week, returning on 11/9. Australian wildlife biologists are trying to assess the damage caused by a leaking oil rig off the northwest coast. ABC news provides an in-depth study on coyotes in light of the mauling death of a Canadian singer; but some politicians in Nova Scotia have a simple solution to the problem: extermination! People in Madison, Wisconsin, are speculating about whether fake coyotes would keep geese from fouling parks and golf courses in town; while a coyote in Massachusetts who made off with a Yorkie got more than it bargained for when the dog's bulldog companion took off after the predator. An article from Florida provides a map of coyote sightings in the city of Gainesville. A log of the travels of a golden eagle equipped with a radio tracking collar is provided by an article from Minnesota; but researchers in Arizona are tracking a worrisome new trend in bat-transmitted rabies. Texas health officials, faced with testing 8-10,000 animals for rabies each year across the state, provide tips on identifying and avoiding rabid wildlife. Throw away your tomato juice - the next time your dog gets skunked, there's a new product that promises to work much better on ridding your pet (and your house) of the odor! Wildlife officials in Washington state are on the lookout for the mother of several bear cubs they've encountered; while wildlife officials at Mammoth Lakes, California, are reporting a decrease in black bear activity as winter approaches. Canada and Greenland are cooperating on limiting the number of polar bears hunted by indigenous peoples; while Churchill, Manitoba, the unofficial polar bear capital of the world, is issuing their annual Halloween warning to trick-or-treaters. Our next two articles show that sometimes wildlife just wants a good dip in the pool: a New Jersey homeowner came home to find that a bear had been paddling away in their pool; and the owner of an apartment complex in North Carolina thought that the report of the deer in their indoor swimming pool was a prank, but came to find out it wasn't! A careless hunter in New Hampshire shot himself with his own rifle as he hoisted it up onto his deer stand; while a Texas deer expert weighs in on the true characteristics of white-tail deer. A sheriff's deputy in Missouri had a painful collision with a deer; but not as bad as one in Oklahoma, where a motorcyclist from Arkansas was killed when he swerved to avoid a deer in the road. Residents of Vermont are being reminded not to bring deer and elk meat into that state from outside due to the danger of spreading chronic wasting disease to the Vermont herds. Echoing yesterday's story from San Bernardino about deer hunters reporting larger deer in the wake of wildfires, a story from San Diego tells much the same tale. Two stories, one from West Virginia, the other from Michigan, underscore the fact that wildlife can have an impact in the most unexpected places - in this case, your chimney! A resident of Pennsylvania was fined for illegal possession of wildlife; but a teenage hunter out to bag his first deer came face-to-face with a cougar instead in Montana. And finally, it's a story of the triumph of good over weevil, as the boll weevil infestation in the US, which has cost an estimated $20 billion to the cotton industry, has been all but eradicated!

Australian oil spill 'putting animals at risk'

Coyotes Attack and Kill: Should You Worry?

Coyote ugly

Doug Moe: Would coyote decoys keep geese away?

Family Bulldog saves Yorkie from coyote attack

Updated map: Coyote sightings

Tracking that Golden Eagle

Biting into bat research

Skunk confirmed rabid in county

Biocides Systems Introduces New Hi Technology Skunk Odor Eliminators for Dog, Cat, Home and Yard

State Wildlife Officers Still Looking for Mama Bear in West Bremerton

Bear activity quiets down for winter

Halloween Warning: That's Not A Polar Bear Costume

Greenland, Canada Commit To Polar Bear Protection

Bear has pool party in Boonton Township, ditches tab

Caught on tape: Deer swims in pool

NH hunter shot while using rope to hoist rifle

Deer expert has hunting down to a science

Deputy's car totaled after hitting deer

Motorcylist dies in LeFlore County after losing control to avoid deer

Deer, Elk Import Warning Issued

Deer hunters head out with the hooting owls

Fireplace safety

Fireplace Safety Tips

Fines imposed on Pocono man for illegal possession of birds

Teen shoots cougar

US cotton almost clear of voracious boll weevil