WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 091609

New Westminster, British Columbia, is having a battle over wildlife living in green spaces within that city, in our first wildlife article today. Wildlife officials in Northern Arizona have been busily vaccinating wildlife, including over 100 skunks, from rabies; but police have reported their second rabid animal in a week, this time it was a skunk; and some residents of Half Moon Bay, California, have reported an increase in skunk sightings on their morning walks. Deer advocates, who were protesting a proposed deer hunting program to cull the herd at a Kansas park, have unveiled an anti-hunting billboard in nearby St. Louis, Missouri; and a trucker in South Dakota was killed when he rolled his rig attempting to avoid deer in the road. A Chicago suburb's residents debate what to do about an overpopulation of deer in their area; but some population control may already be in place as a cougar has been spotted on the outskirts of that metropolis. Arizona's Game and Fish commissioner waded into the debate over what to do about cougars that are impacting the bighorn sheep population in that state. A small black bear gave Canadian runners a fright in the Yukon over the weekend; followed by an update on the bear situation in Colorado. A nature lover from Kansas chronicles his ongoing battle with a mischievous raccoon; and public health officials in Seattle, Washington, warned residents about the danger of raccoon droppings. The seesaw battle over gray wolves in the Great Lakes region of the US has now tipped back in favor of the wolves; but an Op-Ed from Massachusetts argues against using traps on coyotes in the area. Virginia bird-watchers are reporting lots of raptors passing overhead on their way to Central and South America; as are hawk-watchers in New Jersey. And finally, a very interesting BBC documentary provides a window on a hidden world in the Andes, including mountaineering penguins!

Better wildlife protection needed for city

Rabies quarantine ends for Flagstaff-area pets

Police warn residents about rabid skunks

Skunk Population Increasing in El Granada?

Billboard Ups Park's Deer Killing Dilemma

Lemmon man killed when semi rolled to avoid deer

The trouble with too many deer

Second 'possible cougar' sighting in Wheaton

Commissioner suggests "lion free" zones

Black bear disrupts Yellowknife fundraiser

Bears spotted in Colo. foothills, plains towns

Raccoon testing limits of ‘great lover of nature’

Raccoons can leave dangerous droppings

Protections for wolves are officially back in place

YOUR VIEW: Coyotes can be deterred without traps

Annual hawk migration is upon us

The Hawk Watchers of Montclair

Mountaineering Magellanic Penguins

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 091509

The video of a very rare daytime gathering of over half a dozen coyotes in a Portland, Oregon, backyard has wildlife experts buzzing; but on a sadder note, Jessica Simpson has added her name to the list of celebrities whose pets have been poached by coyotes. A dog park in Ohio is being frequented by some different canines. A letter to the editor praises an article in yesterday's Salt Lake Tribune about wolves; and as the wolf hunt in Montana begins, residents are divided on the benefits of this activity. Some helpful tips for avoiding deer-auto collisions are offered in the next item; but anti-hunt activists in the UK are protesting a deer hunt that took place on Sir Paul McCartney's property. Hunters from Kentucky who take elk or deer in other states are forbidden from bringing certain parts back to Kentucky due to fears of spreading Chronic Wasting Disease to that state; while residents of Johnston, Iowa, are being advised not to feed deer, a practice which defeats the purpose of deer management. Wildlife officials in Louisiana have been frustrated in their efforts to try to catch a bear that continues to dumpster dive and spook cattle; but a trio of bears were left lounging in a tree in Boulder, Colorado, as wildlife officials decided to wait them out rather than chase them out. A California hiker was saved from a severe bear mauling by his dog; and the photo of a polar bear at a zoo in Tucson, Arizona, has entered the finals in a National Geographic photographic contest. Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch, a volunteer hawk-watching group in Delaware that counts raptors migrating south for the winter, is profiled in the next article. A pair of dogs has been quarantined after mixing it up with a rabid skunk in Virginia. 'Operation Possum Blitz', one New Zealander's attempt to rid her area of possums, is under way. And finally, for those of you who have toyed with making animal sounds from time to time, here's someone who can actually call raccoons (soon to be a competition at the local county fair, no doubt!)

Woman's backyard hosts coyote party

Jessica Simpson's Dog Snatched by Coyote

Coyotes found in Anderson Twp. dog park

Wondrous wolves

Wolves in the crosshairs as hunt starts today

Keeping Safe When Deer Take To The Road

Huntsmen 'filmed on McCartney deer sanctuary'

Kentucky defends against fatal deer, elk disease

Tip: Don't serve dinner to the deer in Johnston

Bear eluding traps in Dularge area

Momma bear and two cubs relax in Boulder backyard tree

Dog Saves Owner From Bear Attack In Calaveras Co.

Former R.I. zoo polar bear stars in national competition

Hawk watcher counts the birds

Skunk in Varina tests positive for rabies

Blitzing the pests out West

Monkeying around paying off

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 091409

In wildlife news today, a researcher from Cornell University in New York provides insight into wildlife in that state; followed by wildlife and pet columnist Gary Bogue, who provides some advice to a homeowner about a tail-less squirrel in California. A Washington couple and their dog had a vicious battle with an aggressive raccoon; but a dog's encounter with a rabid skunk in Ohio had a better outcome for the dog. A skunk crossing an Oklahoma Highway caused a head-on collision between two motorists; and a Missouri motorist missed a deer in the road, but hit the embankment. A US Geological Survey researcher fears that Wisconsin's deer herd, afflicted with Chronic Wasting Disease, could be going the way of deer herds in Colorado and Wyoming; but a letter to the editor of a Central Virginia paper argues for the elimination of a local golf course rather than culling of the deer population that damage the vegetation there. Wisconsin wildlife officials are on the lookout for a cougar spotted in a community last week; and a cougar was seen in a northern Michigan neighborhood as well. The emotional issue of hunting cougars in Arizona is debated in the next article; but there appears to be no debate on the topic in Colorado; while hunters in the borderlands of Minnesota and North Dakota are concerned about fallow fields disappearing. A coyote pup was seen in a Chicago suburb; but problems with coyotes in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, were once again in the news. A professor from the University of Wisconsin discloses why coyotes and bears are invading suburban areas: it was their home first! A former Fish and Game biologist has joined the chorus of critics chastising Alaska's government for their state-sanctioned wolf and bear hunts. An Op-Ed piece from Utah's Salt Lake Tribune blasts the federal decision to reinstate wolf hunting in neighboring states; but a letter to the editor of a Montana paper from a rancher argues quite the opposite. A bear was spotted by residents of a New Jersey community over the weekend; while wildlife officials in Florida are becoming victims of their own success, as an exploding population of black bears is making human-bear interactions more frequent. Wisconsin officials are pursuing a plan to have residents plant trees on their property in order to offset global warming, and thereby help preserve the polar bear population; followed by an article from ABC news that provides tips on how to enjoy bears without bears enjoying you! And finally, for those of you who have always wondered how a grizzly bear learns to swim, our last article answers the question!

Keeping nuisance animals under control

Gary Bogue: A squirrel with no tail and a talking fence -- Wow!

Raccoon attacks Ballard couple, dog

Rabid skunk found in Kirtland

Skunk causes head-on collision in Rogers County

Louisiana driver crashes truck after swerving to miss deer

Rate of fatal deer disease will increase in southern Wisconsin

Letter: Keep The Deer, Get Rid Of Vista Links

DNR, police investigate cougar sighting in Kronenwetter

Cougar in Leelanau County

Shorter cougar-hunting season to be restudied

DOW hosts lion hunting meeting

Conservation reserve acres steadily expiring

Wild Monday: Suburban coyote pup

Dartmouth residents at wits’ end in standoff with coyotes

Curiosities: Why are coyotes, bears moving closer to cities?

Alaska: Wolf, bear hunts increasing moose, caribou

Live and let live

Preserve Montana’s livestock heritage; control wolves

Black bear spotted in Hillsborough

Officials Coping With Growing Bear Sightings

Wis. DNR: Plant a tree, help a polar bear

How to Enjoy Bears Without Becoming Their Prey

Grizzly bear gets swimming lessons in local pool

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 091209

Raptor enthusiasts in Texas are in their glory as flocks of hawks, sometimes 500-1,000 in number, soar overhead in their annual fall migration, our first wildlife story today. Wildlife officials in Nevada have determined that a hunter who was after grouse, but ended up bagging a cougar instead, was justified in shooting the animal; and Nebraska's cougar policy is laid out in the next item. A new wildlife biologist in North Dakota has the task of keeping track of that state's cougar population; while an Illinois jogger believes she spotted a cougar in a municipal park about a week ago, although wildlife officials are skeptical due to the lack of cougar sightings in that state. Nebraska deer hunters have been asked to keep an eye out for bovine tuberculosis in deer that they shoot; but due to an overabundance of rain earlier this year, elk and deer may be hard to find in Montana due to scattered numbers amongst ample feed; while in West Texas, they're gearing up for a hunter's bounty of venison for needy families. The Indian Veterinary Research Institute is investigating the deaths of over a dozen deer at a zoo; but deer hunters in Mississippi will be culling the herd to cut down on the destruction of vegetation in communities there. A legally blind woman in Michigan bagged her first bear (with a little help from her boyfriend); while a black bear that came calling in a New Jersey borough last Saturday ended up being returned to the wild. More details on a recent bear attack in Aspen, Colorado, are provided by the next article; and another bear-human encounter in India's Kashmir has resulted in a man being hospitalized. And finally, the U.S. Army is considering a risky maneuver in the California desert: relocating tortoises!

Migrating hawks take flights of fancy

Mountain lion killed by startled hunter

Commission Has Reminders of Mountain Lion Policy

New furbearer biologist joins Game and Fish

Jogger claims to spot cougar in Wheaton park

Deer Hunters Asked to Watch for Signs of TB

Elusive Elk and Deer

West Texas Food Bank to Begin Receiving Deer Meat Donations

14 deer die at Kanpur zoo in one night

Oxford allows bow hunting for pesky deer

Legally blind Mich. hunter gets black bear

Bear caught in downtown Washington Borough

Aspen bear attack came at dinner

One attacked, injured by bear in Kashmir

Army to move forward with tortoise relocation

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

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 091009

First up today in wildlife news, a potent reminder to never try to outrun a cheetah, especially one from Ohio; but a cougar in the Seattle area couldn't outrun a car and was killed. A story from Oregon about a poodle that was apparently snatched from a backyard by a coyote includes a link to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website on dealing with 'nuisance animals' in the area; while financial woes for a Virginia community have lowered the bounty paid on coyotes. A resident of Idaho is in trouble for poaching a young female wolf. A wildlife biologist in British Columbia, Canada, dismisses claims that grizzly bears will be severely impacted by a decline in the salmon population; but a hunter who illegally shot a huge grizzly last month may find himself endangered if Montana wildlife officials catch up with him! A bear that appeared in a Southern Arizona community caused bit of a stir yesterday; followed by an update on a story from New Jersey yesterday, in which a black bear sparked a number of 911 calls, but New Jersey Fish and Game officials calmed local residents. A county in Maryland plans to deploy rabies vaccine baits for raccoons; while a box turtle from central California, whose front legs were amputated after being mauled in an apparent raccoon attack, has found new motivation with a pair of furniture sliders! Public safety concerns have brought some controversy to a proposed deer hunt in Virginia; and techniques for counting deer, in order to tailor deer management plans more appropriately, are discussed in the next article. Wildlife and pet columnist Gary Bogue provided some advice to homeowners fearful of residents illegally hunting deer in their neighborhood in Central California. There was a spirited debate at a Wisconsin community meeting over a proposed deer hunt within the city; and in a letter to the editor of the Michigan newspaper, a hunter dismisses alternatives to a deer culling project. A motorcyclist in Indiana who collided with a deer had to be hospitalized. We conclude today with a mystery from Boston: what exactly has invaded a gardener's domain?

Ohio cheetah is fastest land mammal, at 36 mph

Cougar hit by car, killed on SR 520

Coyotes Blamed For Gresham Pet Death

Coyote Ordinance Passed

Eagle man cited for poaching female wolf pup

B.C. grizzly bear population not in trouble: expert

Probe continues into illegally shot bear

Bear sighting near eastside school

Black bear sets off 911 calls

County's rabies vaccine project targets raccoons

Turtle whose front legs were amputated gets around with the aid of furniture sliders

Debate Raging over Deer Hunt in Loudoun

Deer counts integral to management plans

Gary Bogue: Dangerous deer hunting going on in Martinez

Archery deer season approved in North Hudson

Letter: Alternatives to proposed deer cull just aren't feasible

Motorcyclist, deer collide on Quince Road

A skunk in the garden (Part I)

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 090909

We lead off today with some personal comments from Catherine Pannell Waters, President of the Western Field Ornithologists, on skunks:

I remain a huge fan of Wildlife News of the Day. Thank you for compiling it. About skunks. Many years ago Robert and I lived in Seal Beach, California. When we purchased our first home and moved in with our cat, Miss Kitty, we found we had not only purchased a home but we had purchased a skunk habitat. They were our best house guests ever. They didn't drink, smoke or do unacceptable things with the neighbors' daughters yet they ate every snail and slug in the yard. They lived in the crawl space under the house. Miss Kitty spent nearly every day in the crawl space and would emerge at dinner time with a faint wisp of eau de skunk and an appetite but that was it. For two years the "gang" of us lived happily with each other. We never knew what the cat did under the house and we never asked. We rarely saw the skunks and they never sprayed in our yard. The noisy, pool- party- every- weekend neighbors saw a different side of our house guests who turned loose on the drunken pool parties with fervor. We honestly got used to the scent and ever since have wished that our current neighborhood had a few skunks to teach neighborly manners as well as our former skunk roommates did. No doubt they are rabies carriers, sadly. We kept our cat's vaccinations up to date . It is now over 35 years later and we still fondly remember our house guest skunks with fondness.

In wildlife news, a tame skunk was rescued by RSPCA workers in Wales after it was found wandering through a local community; but a New York community reported a rabid skunk, prompting officials to remind residents to secure their trash in order to cut down on skunk incursions. A bevy of red-tailed hawks have taken up residence in a Massachusetts park; and school kids from three Tennessee counties got up-close and personal with various forms of wildlife at a conservation camp. New Zealand is looking to import a new poison to deal with the runaway possum population; but drought conditions in Kenya, Africa, are taking a toll on their iconic elephant herds. A new study published in the British Journal 'Nature' postulates that chronic wasting disease and other maladies may be passed along by the feces of otherwise healthy deer; while poachers and illegal deer hunters beware - posting your exploits on Facebook may land you in a world of hurt! Police in a North Dakota community have been given shoot-to-kill orders in regards to a cougar that has been prowling around the city limits; and a letter to the editor of an Ontario, Canada, newspaper recounts their encounter with a cougar in their backyard. Residents of Stockton, California, have nervously noted coyotes moving into their neighborhood; while a resident of Minnesota reflects on a coyote encounter on a rural road. A coyote apparently made off with a Portland, Oregon, family's dog early one morning; followed by an article about suburban coyotes in Seattle, Washington. The coyote problem in parts of Orange County, California is addressed in an LA Times article in which Wildlife NOTD reader Laura Simon, who is field director of the Humane Society of the United States' Urban Wildlife Program, advocates hazing rather than trapping the animals; and some tips on avoiding coyote visitations are offered in the following article. An Op-Ed from Minnesota tallies up the charges against coyotes in their area by various parties; and coyotes have been making trouble for rural dwellers in Nova Scotia, Canada, as well. A New York Times ethicist decries the hunting of wolves, which has just begun in some Midwestern states. A Florida resident who fed raccoons has been let off the hook by law enforcement after stopping the practice. Residents of a New Jersey community are being warned to watch their children as a bear passes through their area; but there are concerns in British Columbia, Canada, that a salmon shortage may lead to a bear shortage. Due to an abundance of bear food, ursine encounters have been down in the Lake Tahoe area this year, but that may be about to change; while hunters in Ontario, Canada, claim the cancellation of a bear hunt has resulted in more orphaned bear cubs in their community. Wildlife officials in Louisiana are providing pointers for residents to help them avoid messy encounters with black bears as the creatures go into their fall feeding frenzy. Aspen, Colorado, has had an unbearable year with ursine visitors, according to an article from the Associated Press; followed by a few other stories of bear encounters in that state, including one from a firehouse in which a bear was drinking from a toilet! We conclude today with a still life study from New York State: bear in a chair!

RSPCA rescue skunk found wandering in Tredegar

Rabid skunk found in Norwich

Red-tailed hawks swooping through Medford

Conservation camp introduces students to concepts, critters

TRC supports use of alternative possum bait

Kenya's elephants dying amid drought

Healthy deer can spread prion disease through faeces

Facebook video leads to deer shining charges

Mountain lion confirmed near Tioga city limits

Cougar on the prowl in Meaford

Coyotes put some in neighborhood on edge

Dan Conradt: Coyotes are common in state

Family suspects urban coyote in disappearance of pet dog

Suburban coyotes

Hungry coyotes are hunting near homes

Keeping coyotes away

Is there a coyote problem in Yellow Medicine County?

‘An exceptional year for coyotes’

Killing Wolves for Fun

North Fort Myers 'Raccoon Lady' agrees to stop feeding critters

Parents are warned: Beware of the bear

British Columbia Bears Dying From Salmon Shortage, Globe Says

Lake Tahoe bear activity down, but maybe not out

Cancellation of spring bear hunt responsible for nuisances

LDWF aims for bear awareness

Aspen confronts bolder bears looking for food

Bear-ing the brunt

Still Life: Bear in a Chair