WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 100809

Raptor lovers are in their glory as hawks soar over Marin County, California, in our first wildlife story today; but a crippled bald eagle that had been a favorite in Indiana for many years died during surgery at the ripe old age of 22 years. Residents of Yankton, South Dakota, lost power after a wayward raccoon shorted out high power lines in town; and a school bus driver swerved to avoid a raccoon in the road in Chelan, Washington, ending up in a ditch. A Topeka, Kansas, woman has asked trappers to try to rid her area of a raccoon; while an elderly resident of Florida who was viciously attacked by a pack of raccoons a few days ago has returned home for a long recovery. A pregnant resident of New York state needs to go through a painful series of rabies shots after being exposed to a rabid raccoon her dogs had attacked. A black bear has been rummaging through trash bins in Ashland, Oregon; while a Colorado man will have to serve probation and has been fined in the death of a black bear which he shot in July; and a resident of Virginia has been fined $2,000 for illegally killing a black bear in a park there. An exotic Barasingha deer from India gored a man to death in Texas; but officials in a Virginia community are considering a deer hunt after a fatal auto-deer collision on a local road. Using silencers on their rifles, sharpshooters will begin culling the deer herd in a Kansas Park, perhaps as soon as tomorrow; however, a resident of British Columbia, Canada, who is feeding deer in her front yard may be popular with the deer, but her neighbors have quite a different opinion on the issue; and an apparent prank in which a dead deer was dressed up in a clown suit in Sioux City, Iowa, left officials nonplussed. A public official in an Ontario, Canada, township has no patience with people who defend coyotes in the area which he perceives as a threat to children and livestock; while another article from that province counsels to keep your pets safe from coyotes. As coyote trapping begins in Michigan later this month, wildlife officials are informing trappers about what to do if they trap a wolf instead; while a conservationist in Idaho discusses the lawsuit brought by an environmentalist group to stop wolf hunting in that state. A science center in New Hampshire is showing off an orphaned pair of cougars to familiarize residents with these impressive cats; but a bobcat seen prowling around the University of California, Irvine, campus was mistakenly identified as a cougar. A Canadian town on Prince Edward Island is undeterred in trapping skunks after learning that they were being shot by the trapper. Sea otters in Alaska, suffering from dwindling numbers, have been given a substantial area stretching from the Alaskan coast through the Aleutian Islands as a protected habitat. And finally, a small drama played out between a hawk and its intended prey, an industrious squirrel in Wisconsin!

Hawks, hawks and more hawks in Marin

Bald eagle popular around Ind. dies during surgery

Raccoon Causes Power Outage

Bus swerves to miss raccoon, hits power pole

GASPORT: Dog fight with rabid raccoon leads to painful injections for woman

Woman Afraid Of Raccoon Near Her Topeka Home

Long recovery ahead for woman attacked by raccoons

Residents spot bear near Ashland's Lithia Park

Steamboat Springs man sentenced in bear death

Man fined $2,000 for baiting, killing bear at SW Va. park

Exotic deer gores man to death

Harrisonburg Addresses Deer Population

Shawnee Mission Park deer killing may begin Friday

Feeding Nanaimo deer causes debate

Dead deer in clown suit left on Iowa porch

Coyote Kill Proposed For McNab Braeside

Keeping your pets safe from coyotes

Look out for wolves in coyote traps

Mike Medberry: Let's work together to ensure the future of Idaho's wolves

Mountain lions up close and personal

AV Bobcat Mistaken for Mountain Lion

Skunks remain under the gun in Charlottetown

Feds give sea otters habitat protection in Alaska

Hawk-squirrel drama unfolds in the ’burbs

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 100709

In our first two wildlife articles today, Pete Thomas of the LA Times points out how easy it's been for hunters to bag wolves in Montana; while a pair of grizzly bear hunters in Alaska who shot one right in front of wildlife tourists may find themselves in some legal trouble, in addition to being rapped for poor hunting ethics. Homeowners in Central Florida complain that bears are travelling by too near to their homes; but wildlife officials are blaming residents who leave their garbage accessible to wildlife for a couple of encounters that have made the news lately. Polar bears are one step closer to having a place of their own; which could be a good thing, considering the increase in sightings of these animals by oil field workers in Alaska. A polar bear who has lived at a zoo in Edinburgh, Scotland, for 25 years will be moved to a wildlife park. A school was locked down in Arlington, Washington, yesterday due to a bear on campus; and a raccoon that quarreled with a pair of dogs in Pennsylvania turned out to be rabid. Residents of Lakeport, California, are being warned of increased cougar activity in their area. Some reasons for eastern North Carolina's increasing coyote population are given in the next article; followed by an appeal to stop feeding coyotes around Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California, which is intended to reduce collisions between humans and the canines. An Op-Ed piece from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, relates the sad tale of a coyote who was shot and mutilated. Seeking to lessen the criticism from ranchers about reintroducing Mexican wolves into the Arizona/New Mexico area, federal agencies have set up a fund to reimburse them for livestock lost to wolf incursions. An advice columnist from central California provides tips on avoiding deer-auto collisions; while an Ohio man faces some serious charges for transporting deer to South Carolina in 2005. A letter to the editor of a Kansas City, Kansas, newspaper derides critics of a deer cull in a Kansas Park which has been generating a great deal of controversy for several months now. Wildlife officials in Colorado were called in to deal with a skunk whose head had become caught in a jar; while an article from Illinois underscores the benefits to one's waistline of skunk incursions! The humorous misadventures of a Seattle resident dealing with an obstinate possum is up next; followed by a profile of the Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center, a rehabilitation center in Oregon. And finally, a wild animal trapper from California who was recently featured on the cable program "Dirty Jobs" discusses his exploits in ridding households of nuisance wildlife.

Montana's wolves surprisingly vulnerable during inaugural hunt

Grizzly bear killed by hunters in front of 'disgusted' wildlife watchers in Alaska

Bears in DeBary: Wild Wander Dangerously Close To Homes

Officials suggest ways to avoid nuisance wildlife problems

Interior Sends Polar Bear Habitat Designation to White House

Alaska oil explorers encountering more polar bears

Polar bear preparing to move home

Bear in Arlington raises alarm at school

Rottweiler found in Upper Darby, under quarantine

Mountain lion problem isn't going away

Coyote population steadily rising in N.C.

Please, Just Stop Feeding the Coyotes

Even a coyote deserves proper burial

Fund will help ranchers deal with Mexican wolves

Roadshow: Drivers beware: It's deer-mating season

Man on trial in deer-trafficking case

Deer cull in park

Skunk gets head stuck in jar

Skunk-filled nights

Mr. Possum pays a visit

Injured, orphaned animals keep center busy

Bats in your belfry? Call Jeremy Bailey

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 100609

In our first wildlife story today, a bald eagle in Florida that is draped with fishing line has been spotted flying overhead; while a columnist from Minnesota tells an odiferous story about rescuing a baby skunk from the side of the road, with predictable consequences; and a resident of Prince Edward Island, Canada, was appalled that trappers were shooting skunks caught in their community. As wildlife officials in a Pennsylvania park prepare to implement a deer cull, a professor at a local college has offered to pay the cost for nonlethal alternatives; but a news item from North Carolina underscores the danger deer pose to motorists there. Police in Scotland are on the lookout for a man whose four dogs attacked a pair of deer, killing one; and several people were charged with baiting deer in Vermont, which is illegal. Helena, Montana, is considering sanctioning an urban deer hunt, but will wait for results from a survey before deciding; but a deer burst through the window of a West Virginia classroom, making a mess before departing the way it came. With protesters threatening to disrupt a deer hunt in a Kansas park, security is tight; followed by an article that provides some more details on one of yesterday's stories of a family of bears in North Carolina that came looking for honey, but ended up being treed. Fear rules a Florida neighborhood where a woman was attacked by a pack of raccoons, prompting people to stop walking at night and to take their kids in as well; even as wildlife officials scatter humane traps to catch the critters. In a follow-up to an article a few days ago about two young men who ran over raccoons in Half Moon Bay, California, the suspects were apprehended, but claim it was not an intentional act; and a motorist in Wisconsin lost control of her car after striking a raccoon in the road. Despite their skepticism, wildlife officials in New Hampshire continue looking for a cougar, though there have been none sighted in the state for over a century; while wildlife researchers in central California are keeping a close eye on the cougar population there; and the third report of a cougar in a Minnesota community has homeowners on edge. A coyote in South Texas jumped in front of a car, causing a rollover; and a family in Maine recounts the coyote problems they're having - first with their chickens, and now fearing for their children. Nine of the 75 wolves slated for hunters in Montana have reportedly been taken in an effort to reduce attacks on livestock. And finally, it seems that some enterprising folks in Waco, Texas, are having a predator calling contest in the near future (won't they be surprised if one decides to come and see what the ruckus is about?)

Entwined eagle spotted soaring above Bonita Springs

Pepe Lepew would have been proud

Skunk shooting upsets Charlottetown woman

For deer, a siege ahead at Valley Forge park

Fear the deer -- they can kill you

Dog attack ends in deer's death

7 charged in deer-baiting investigation

Helena begins to survey deer population

Deer breaks in, leaves W.Va. classroom in shambles

Tight Security as Shawnee Mission Park Reduces Deer Herd

Oh, Pooh! No honey for these bears

Wildlife expert: 'Raccoons are little bears on crack'

Traps yield raccoon, possum and cat after raccoon attack

Raccoon deaths an accident, suspect says

Woman injured in crash with raccoon

Search continues for evidence of mountain lion

Tracking the big cats

In Eagan, three reports of cougar sightings

Coyote Causes Rollover Accident - First Edition - October 6th, 2009

Thomaston woman reports coyote problems

Nine wolves taken so far in Montana

Outdoors: Predator calling contest coming soon

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 100509

What a difference a week makes - the Queensland pensioner who had been ordered to surrender his beloved pigmy possum by wildlife authorities not only has the right to keep possums now, but these same officials are now asking him to care for another one! Protesters in Vermont are up in arms against wildlife officials trying to remove a moose from a deer preserve; even as animal rights protesters tried blocking the entrance to a Kansas Park were a deer cull is scheduled to begin soon. As deer-auto collisions increase in North Carolina, two articles offer some insight on the subject; and the danger of motorists colliding with deer in the Washington DC area is examined in the next article. A foursome of bears took shelter in two trees in a North Carolina neighborhood Sunday; but despite an increase in nuisance bear reports, provincial officials in Ontario, Canada, have indicated they will not reinstate a spring bear hunt. A Pennsylvania resident was mauled to death by her pet black bear over the weekend; and a Florida homeowner was in shock after being attacked by five raccoons in her front yard. In a follow-up to a story in Saturday's Wildlife NOTD, an article from Colorado tells how a young llama came to be on the slopes of Pike's Peak; while a mountain lion hunt in North Dakota has bagged a second cougar. A game warden from Kansas tells some tales from an interesting life in the next article. A trio of skunk stories today: an Ohio family was finally able to get rid of a family of skunks that was making their life miserable, but now it will cost them $70,000 to repair the damage; a Colorado advice columnist tells readers with a skunk infestation that the state isn't going to be much help in clearing up the problem; and an advice columnist for Michigan offers a simple solution to skunks digging up the lawn: kill the grubs they're after! A Colorado woman is sounding the alert after a coyote tried to make off with her miniature pinscher; while coyotes have began making their homes in St. Tammany Parrish, Louisiana. An Op-Ed piece from Oregon discusses the problem of wolves from a rancher's perspective. And finally, newspapers in Las Vegas, Nevada, may soon see the following ad in the classifieds: 'Wanted, home for Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil, minimum care required, a bargain at $6 million!'

Possum carer raoul takes on his new charge

In Vermont, Making a Stand for Pete the Moose

Deer cull protesters try to block traffic into Shawnee Mission Park

Defensive driving tips to avoid hitting a deer

Deer fears: More vehicle crashes involving deer, and animals especially active now

Risk high for striking deer in Va. and Md.

Family Of Bears Spotted In Rockingham Co. Neighborhood

Ontario spring bear hunt won't return

Pet black bear attacks, kills Pa. woman

Raccoons attack woman as she tries to wave them away

Llama ran away when mother was killed by mountain lion

Second Mountain Lion Killed in ND

Times have changed, but game warden's role hasn't

Stinky guests gone for good at home in Sheffield Lake

Action Line: You're on your own in skunk situation

What you can do about skunks digging up your lawn

Wheat Ridge dog mauled by coyote

Coyotes are snatching pets in St. Tammany neighborhoods

Dealing with wolves on an Oregon ranch

T. rex still looking for home after Vegas auction

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 100309

First up in wildlife news today, a trio of stories in which law enforcement officials ran afoul of deer in the road: a Texas policeman on his way to assist another had some delay getting there due to a trio of deer in the road; a sheriff's deputy had a fatal encounter with a deer elsewhere in that state; and a Massachusetts state trooper was injured in yet another deer-auto collision. Deer management in Kentucky is a hot topic in that state right now; while a donkey being used by a South Carolina farmer to keep wild dogs away from his livestock was mistakenly shot by a hunter who thought it was a deer. The exploits of a baby llama on Pikes Peak, Colorado, makes for a good read with a happy ending. A coyote wandering through a Texas shopping center put shoppers on edge; but a Florida sheep rancher recounts the losses of 15 sheep to coyotes in the next item. A news video from British Columbia, Canada, underscores the tension in a community whose pet numbers have been decimated by coyote incursions. A controversial plan to land helicopters in wild land areas of Idaho as part of a wolf-collaring exercise is being proposed once again; while the next article takes a look at Oregon's planned expansion of a cougar hunting program that has resulted in over 100 cougar deaths out of a population of approximately 6,000 animals. A Native American court is going to take over the case of a man who shot a bald eagle for a religious ceremony in 2005; but shoppers at a Wal-Mart in Alexandria, Minnesota, were startled by a raccoon seen wandering around the parking lot in the daylight. Bear problems in Aspen, Colorado, where there were 275 encounters in August alone, are covered in the next article; while fewer salmon, trash that is better secured, and better-educated citizens are cited as reasons for a reduction in human-bear encounters in Anchorage, Alaska, this year. A Florida homeowner, expecting to interrupt a raccoon raiding his trash, instead was confronted by an aggressive black bear! A destructive ursine home invader has reignited the debate over the spring bear hunt in Northern Ontario, Canada. Pennsylvania wildlife officials caught up with a nuisance bear that apparently originally came from New Jersey; but elsewhere in that state, game officials are trying to track down someone who illegally killed a 600 pounder. And finally, a polar bear cub shows that sometimes you feel like walkin', and sometimes you just feel like ridin'!

Deer Create Unexpected Delay in Cops Routine

Burnet deputy dies in morning wreck

MA trooper injured in crash with deer

Deer zone designations a matter of concentration

Donkey killed after SC hunter mistakes it for deer

Rescuers capture 'Homer' the lonely llama on Pikes Peak

Coyote Sightings Making Grapevine Shoppers Nervous

Rancher loses sheep to coyotes, but law limits him fighting back

Pet predators

Idaho again wants to land choppers in wilderness

Oregon proposes expanding its cougar hunts

Tribal Courts To Take Over Eagle-religion Case

Raccoon Causes Commotion at Alexandria Wal-Mart

In Aspen, it's the year of the bear

Anchorage bears quiet after last year’s maulings

Black bear attacks Heathrow man outside home

Bear wanders into family home

Bear caught, tagged, shipped off

State investigates illegal killing of black bear in Wayne County

Polar bear cub hitches a ride

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 100209

In our first wildlife article today, a new study from Oregon State University shows that the decline in large predators worldwide over the past 200 years has led to an explosion in the population of midrange predators, such as coyotes, which has wreaked havoc on the ecosystem; while Davidson College, in North Carolina, has reported an abundance of wildlife in the green spaces of their campus. Residents of Pasadena, California, received reverse-911 calls about a bear rummaging through garbage and taking dips in people's pools in the northern parts of that city; while a mama bear and 2 cubs ended up treed at a Montana home after raiding the bird feeder. The first kill in the Oklahoma bear hunt has been announced; ; but wildlife officials have "bagged" nearly a dozen bear poachers in New York state in the past few weeks. A more detailed look at raccoon rabies vaccines is provided in an article from Tennessee. Washington state wildlife officials have requested that hunters remove half a dozen cougars from two areas in the western part of that state. The unique dynamics surrounding Yellowstone's wolves, in comparison with their northern brethren, is examined in the next article; followed by an Op-Ed piece from Oregon that councils against wolf depredation permits in that state. A letter to the editor of an Alberta, Canada, paper expresses concern about coyotes in their area. Statistically speaking, an insurance study shows that auto collisions with wildlife increase from now until November each year; which is probably why the Texas Department of Transportation is warning motorists about an increased risk from deer-auto collisions in the central part of that state during the fall. An elderly resident of Ohio has been sentenced to community service and a small fine after beating a fawn to death with a shovel; but the New York Times provides an excerpt from a new book mentioned in Wildlife NOTD a few days ago that examines the less obvious aspects of a deer's life. And finally, a good Samaritan helped a skunk in Michigan whose head became stuck in a McDonald's cup, a good deed which raised only a little bit of a stink!

Decline in big predators wreaking havoc on ecosystems, OSU researchers say

Campus wildlife causes fear, joy, awe

Big bear roams Pasadena neighborhood for dinner and a swim

Bear family treed after tempted by bird feeder

First black bear harvested

DEC charges 10 with bear poaching

Fighting Rabies And Counting Raccoon At Steele Creek Park

WA Public Safety Cougar Removal Applications Due October 19

Researcher: Yellowstone wolves distinct

Protecting wolves promotes a healthy landscape

Coyotes moving causes concern

Make sure your auto insurance covers accidents involving deer

TxDOT: Watch for deer on road

Ohio Woman Sentenced After Beating Baby Deer

‘The Hidden Life of Deer’

Officer saves wayward skunk disrupting traffic on Southfield Road

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