WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 101709

First up in wildlife news today, a black bear found a comfy perch inside a beer cooler in a Wisconsin market (that is, until wildlife officers tranquilized it and returned it to the wild!) A black bear was reported in a Massachusetts community on Friday; while in British Columbia, the hunters became the hunted as a grizzly bear decided to have two men for an evening meal! A black bear was struck and killed by a car in Vermont on Friday, one of two reported accidents along the same stretch of highway. An article from Florida points out that raccoon attacks will become more commonplace as their habitat disappears; but a raccoon that was believed to be rabid was caught by authorities outside of the library at University of Richmond in Virginia. The difficult issue of keeping deer herd's numbers down is explored in an article from the New York Times; followed by another article from that same paper about the issue of feeding deer in the wild. Wildlife officials in Nebraska are asking hunters for help with reducing the deer herd in a state park; while residents of a Boulder, Colorado, neighborhood are complaining about deer hunters endangering them by shooting from the road with high-powered rifles. Motorists in Minnesota are cautioned to be wary of deer on the road this time of year; followed by a story about cougars in Missouri. Two articles express outrage at the wolf hunt in Montana; followed by one about a lifelike coyote decoy designed to scare off geese on a school athletic field in Illinois that has actually caused residents to report it to wildlife authorities in the area! Coyotes in Durham, North Carolina, are the topic of the next article; while police in a southern Ohio town are warning residents to keep an eye on their pets after the death of one due to a coyote. And finally, we've all probably heard of "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride", but we conclude today with a story about a wily coyote's wild ride!

Bear Run! Black bear chills in Wis. beer cooler

Black Bear Lumbering Through Tewksbury

Bear attacks two sleeping B.C. men

Black bear killed in Vermont car crash

More raccoons, less habitat increase risk of rare attacks

Raccoon captured in front of the library

Culls Expand as the Deer Chomp Away

White-Tails in Love

Neb. commission seeks deer hunters for state park

Boulder-area residents protest deer hunting

Motorcyclists and other motorists, be ready for deer on the road

There's Nothing So Rare as a Cougar in Missouri

Save the wolves before it's too late

I am so pissed off right now

Lindenhurst coyote decoy scares off geese, prompts reports of 'sightings'

Coyotes on the howl in Durham

Coyotes in Newark

A wild car ride for a wily coyote

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 101609

Camilla Fox of Project Coyote sent along our first wildlife news item today that announces the introduction of new legislation that bans the use of traps on fur-bearing animals in national wildlife refuges in the US; followed by a letter to the editor of an Alberta, Canada, newspaper that defends coyotes with some statistics of attacks on people by deer and dogs. A resident of suburban Chicago is in trouble after shooting a neighbor's husky, thinking it was a coyote attacking some cats. US government officials are attempting to limit polar bear hunting to reduce the loss in their numbers from causes other than the shrinking sea ice; while wildlife officials in Aspen, Colorado, reflect on a very busy year with bears. A dog owner in New Jersey is waiting pensively through the 45 day incubation period after his dogs were exposed to a rabid raccoon; followed by a look at deer-auto collision statistics in Illinois. Rumors of a cougar in an Ohio state park are circulating among visitors; and a Central California community in which a multitude of cougar reports have been filed is on edge. After the clothes of a boy lost on a Colorado hiking trail four years ago were found, authorities believe he was probably killed by a wild animal, possibly a cougar. A man who shot a skunk in Elmhurst, Illinois, has brought that city's skunk issue to a head. We conclude today with two stories about a wolf biologist who was killed in an air crash in Alaska.

Congresswoman Nita Lowey Introduces Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act of 2009

Coyotes don’t mean any harm

Man shoots dog he thought was a coyote - Update

US seeks tougher protections for polar bear

DOW attacks bear problem

Rabies advisory issued for Monroe after infected raccoon found

Car/deer accidents decline here

Possible Mountain Lion Sightings In Local State Park

Mountain lion problem isn't going away

Lost Colorado boy likely killed by animal

Man cited after shooting skunk

Denali Wolf Biologist Dies in Plane Crash

Haber Devoted His Life to Studying and Saving Alaska's Wolves

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 101509

In the news today, South Dakota researchers have determined that the bulk of the young cougars in the Black Hills are immigrants from other areas; followed by a letter to the editor of a Colorado newspaper that asks why officials had not informed local residents that a cougar has been preying on pets in the area; and a flurry of letters to a Pennsylvania newspaper have people wondering whether there is a cougar haunting the Poconos. Camilla Fox, of Project Coyote, among others, spoke out against Maine's coyote and fox trapping program, pointing out that it endangered the Lynx population; even as experts debate the coyote situation in parts of Minnesota. Residents of Lake Tahoe's Incline Village are petitioning officials to do something about the coyote population; and pet owners in a Connecticut community fear that coyote activity is contributing to an uptick in missing pets in the area. An Ohio State trooper shot and killed a coyote suspected of killing multiple pets; but police in a Michigan community have been thwarted in their efforts to catch a local coyote. A coyote expert is being brought in by Massachusetts community to discuss coexisting with the eastern variant of this canine; while hunters have taken over 50 of the 220 wolves allocated for this year's hunting season in Idaho. A bear was struck and killed by a motorist in California's San Bernardino National Forest; and Colorado wildlife officials provided some useful tips to prevent bears from breaking in to cars (or homes) while looking for food. Wildlife officials in Oregon were able to transport a young black bear back to the wild after it appeared on a gradeschool campus; but Utah Division of Wildlife is advising residents and visitors alike that black bears pose little threat. New Jersey is caught in a dilemma as both conservation and hunting groups protest the fact that that state has still not invoked a bear management policy, despite a 2004 Supreme Court ruling requiring one. A red-tailed hawk died after being severely shocked on power lines in Idaho. A letter to the editor of a New Mexico newspaper complains about the ineffectiveness of local animal control in removing skunks. With 60,000 to 70,000 auto accidents related to collisions with deer and moose, New York State is cautioning motorists about the danger this time of year; while the pros and cons of urban deer hunting are debated in an article from Kansas City, Kansas. A wildlife sanctuary in Mozambique was severely damaged by wildfires. And finally, a firefighter in New South Wales performing controlled burns outside of Sydney got a shock when a pygmy possum stuck its head out of his shirt pocket during lunch!

Researcher: Hills' dominant cougars mostly immigrants

Mountain Lion around Deerfield Park

Pocono readers 'swear' they've seen elusive mountain lion

Groups Seek Halt to Trapping Season to Protect Lynx

Coyote problem? It’s hard to say

Incline Village residents organize coyote petition

Coyote activity is increasing in Weston

Trooper Shoots Coyote In Interstate Median

‘Uncatchable’ coyote thwarts police

Coyote expert to speak on rise in sightings

51 wolves killed so far in Idaho

Bear hit, killed by car

PHOTO: Bear Breaks Into Car...Are You Bear-Proof?

Bear at school captured, released

The bear truth: Utah's black bears pose little danger to humans

Conservation, hunting groups sue N.J. for failing to adopt bear management policy

Death of a red-tailed hawk

Aztec's animal control needs to remove threats

State officials caution drivers to watch out for moose and deer

Pro-Con | Should hunting be used to control deer overpopulation in communities nationwide?

Mozambique: Bush Fires Strike Gorongosa Sanctuary

Possum's safe haven a surprise for firefighter

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 101409

Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center in Oregon has rehabilitated hundreds of animals from dozens of species so far this year, as chronicled in our first wildlife article today; followed by a National Geographic article that discusses the world as it was at the time of a gigantic South American snake. A cautionary tale about approaching wildlife comes to us from Colorado, where a woman tried to pet a mule deer, only to be gored by the animal; while a 10-point buck was photographed swimming across the Savannah River between Georgia and South Carolina. Deer hunters will donate the venison from deer culled at Shawnee Mission Park in Kansas; but a deer hunter from Maine was in trouble with the law for improper disposal of a carcass. An article gives some background material on why driving in Minnesota this time of year, when deer are rutting, is dangerous between dusk and dawn; and a deer hunter from Ohio unexpectedly captured a cougar on a wildlife camera. A cougar in North Dakota was thoroughly focused on dragging away its kill near a highway, ignoring passing traffic; while another was reported in a neighborhood in British Columbia, Canada; and the debate over cougars in New Hampshire is once again examined in the next article. The Baltic state of Estonia, which reported over 800 cases of rabies in 2003, has declared victory over the disease nationwide; but a man in Georgia who was talking on his cell phone had an unexpected interruption from a raccoon that bit him on the leg (no word yet on whether it was rabid). The next story underscores the fact that it's hard to deter determined dumpster-diving bears in Colorado; and black bears at Yosemite national Park give two paws up for those 'Meals on Wheels' in the form of SUVs stocked with food! A black bear is also causing headaches for residents of a Florida neighborhood. A pair of captive red wolves will be the centerpiece of a presentation in Kentucky on why not to hate the canines; while a naturalist from England who has lived with wolves discusses his experiences in a new book. A resident of a Central California community asks plaintively whether officials will do anything about a coyote they accuse of having killed two of their cats; while residents of Minnesota are openly discussing a coyote hunt. Northern Kentucky University has an unwanted new striped mascot, lots of 'em! A bald eagle which was tagged, then released in Tennessee has been spotted in Pennsylvania. And finally, the exploits of a shoplifting seagull from New Jersey concludes our wildlife news today!

Catch and release

World's Biggest Snake Lived in 1st "Modern" Rain Forest

Mule deer gores woman near Florissant

Deer takes swim in Savannah River

Johnson County will donate meat to Harvesters as deer are culled from park

Kittery hunter warned for improper disposal of deer in York

DNR: Watch for deer after sundown

Cougar caught on camera near Salt Fork

Mountain lion observed dragging a deer carcass

Cougar sighting in Gordon Head on Monday

Truth about mountain lions as elusive as lions in NH

Estonian authorities have conquered rabies

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Raccoon attacks local man

Bailey's giant hot-dog stand battles Dumpster-diving bears

Black bears rate minivans as top dining vehicle

Bear Is Bothering Neighbors in Buckingham

Wolves are center of attention at Land Between the Lakes

Book Talk: Britain's Wolfman hopes to give wolves a voice

Letters: Coyote threatens Monte Sereno neighborhood

Coyote complaints start discussion at YM County Board meeting

Skunk country

Eaglet Released by Dollywood's American Eagle Foundation Spotted in Pennsylvania near Lake Erie

Point Pleasant Beach gull- update

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 101309

A skunk in Oklahoma required a "skunk whisperer" to help it out of a tight situation when its head became stuck in a peanut butter jar, in our first wildlife story today. An elderly hunter was mauled by a bear in Tahoe National Forest; and a teenage girl riding a trail bike was mauled by a grizzly outside of Anchorage, Alaska. With a record population of black bears in the state, North Carolina is reporting more incidents of bears seeking food in residential areas. A writer from Ontario, Canada, blames an abundance of raccoons for a lack of grouse this hunting season; while Tennessee is scattering rabies vaccine baits along their borders in hopes of reducing rabid raccoons in the area; something which it sounds like they need to do in parts of New Jersey and Virginia, as the next two articles show. Another cougar has been taken in North Dakota's badlands, bringing the tally to three so far during this hunting season; but a trail runner in Utah came face to face with a young cougar that was very much alive on Saturday. Objections to a new deer management plan in Wisconsin are coming from, of all people, hunters themselves; while the next story from Ohio underscores the importance of not getting between two bucks during rutting season! New Jersey, Minnesota, Ohio, and North Dakota join the chorus of states advising motorists to beware of deer in the road, as the next four articles show; even as Ontario, Canada, tallies up the number of accidents with deer in that province. A female coyote caught in a humane trap in Ontario was euthanized and local residents who fed the animal were criticized by provincial authorities. A dog that was out for a little exercise with her master on a trail in Utah nearly became dinner for a coyote; and pet owners in Cincinnati, Ohio, are pensive about disappearing pets in their neighborhoods, something attributed to coyotes in the area. Now that the state of Montana has taken in nearly $250,000 in wolf hunt licensing fees, several groups have suggestions on how to spend the windfall; but Washington state is allowing public comment on trans-locating wolves within the state; while Montana's first attempt at a wolf-hunting season has shown how delicate a balance they need to strike if they proceed with this policy. And finally, just when you thought you understood spiders, along comes a member of the family who is a vegetarian!

The Stuck Skunk

Brown bear mauls hunter in Tahoe National Forest

Bear attacks teen bike racer

More NC bears leave woods to find food

Thank racoons for gross grouse season

Rabies Abatement Program Targets Rabid Raccoons

Rabid raccoon in Galloway is county’s seventh case

Rabid Raccoon Killed In Near West End

Third Mountain Lion Killed in Western ND

Trail runner comes eye to eye with cougar above Bountiful

Objections surface to new deer management plan

Ohio boy, 7, hit by deer while playing football

Deer feeling frisky – and causing problems on N.J. roads

Beware of deer on the road

2 Area Counties Lead In Deer-Vehicle Crashes

Drivers urged to keep an eye out for deer

Sharpshooters latest tactic in desperate bid to prevent deer-car collisions

Province condemned Beach Strip coyote

Woman saves dog from hungry coyote

Pets Disappear As Coyotes Roam Neighborhood

Ravalli hunters want state to spend license funds to study wolves

State wants to talk about wolves

Wolf quota eyed after 9 shot near Yellowstone

"Surreal" Vegetarian Spider Found -- A First

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 101209

In our first wildlife article today, residents of Washington state are once again considering introducing wolves into the Olympic Peninsula; followed by a video segment that examines the plight of the Mexican wolves: caught between environmentalists trying to reestablish their population in the American Southwest, and ranchers who want them dead. A New York state resident managed to catch a coyote on film as it walked through his backyard; and a commentary from North Carolina points out that coyotes are now present in every county in that state. The investigation into a reported sighting of a cougar in Alabama is chronicled in the next article; while the plight of the Amur leopard in Russia's Far East, whose habitat is being destroyed by, among other things, forest fires, is examined. North Carolina's growing black bear population is becoming a growing problem, as a farmer reported that one mauled a llama on his property; but even though polar bear populations may be shrinking, polar bear tourism in Alaska is booming! The Binghamton Zoo, in New York state, has suffered the loss of a spectacled bear and a wallaby in the course of two days; while wildlife officials reported that a black bear that entered a trailer outside of Juneau, Alaska, was killed. Homeowners at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida may have to get some bear-proof trash bins due to frequent incursions by their furry neighbors; while homeowners elsewhere in that state found a black bear in their garage Sunday night. The contentious issue of poisoning possums in New Zealand has now transitioned to the political arena. A bald eagle that had been rescued as a fledgling was released into the wilds of Lake Tahoe, California, this weekend, and was quickly joined by two others in flight, something that is rarely seen at such events. A wildlife rehabilitator from Illinois discusses "Seattle", her red-tailed hawk that was rescued as a chick in Washington state from a bald eagle; but a very old bird may have been too heavy to fly, scientists now believe. Zoo and animal preserve workers are relocating over 100 deer in India to comply with population restriction; and having provided over 2 million meals to needy families, Illinois' deer hunting program is examined in the next article. A driver in Florida attempting to avoid hitting a deer in the road crashed his pickup truck, injuring three people; while a deer-motorcycle collision in Ohio left two people injured over the weekend. A deer decided to join restaurant patrons in Michigan for lunch; and a doe made an unexpected visit to a boutique elsewhere in that state Saturday. And finally, a forested area in England should probably put up a sign that reads: 'Never mind the dogs, beware of deer'!

Peninsula Poll Backgrounder: Are Wolves at the Peninsula's Door?

Assignment Earth: Mexican wolves

East Syracuse man photographs coyote in backyard

Newcomer: Get used to coyotes, because they're not leaving.

Morgan City cougars?

Land of Leopard in Flames

Bear mauls llama at Riceville Road farm

Polar bear tourism booms on Alaska's North Slope

Bear Dies at the Binghamton Zoo

Black bear killed in Juneau mobile home park

Residents at Fla. Air Force Base Clash With Growing Black Bear Population

Bear invades home in Buckingham

Politicians join fight against 1080

Rescued Bald Eagle Returned to the Wild

ILLINOIS SPOTLIGHT: Woman gives rescued hawk home

Archaeopteryx may have been more dinosaur than bird

Deer, neelgai being relocated from Seminary Hills to Bor

Deer Hunters Can Help the Hungry Through Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger Program

Three seriously injured in crash with deer

2 injured when deer, motorcycle collide

Deer Interrupts Lunch

Doe is a door-buster at Michigan women's boutique

Deer with 'attitude' savages dogs

WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 101009

Researchers from UC Santa Cruz began their lion hunt yesterday in hopes of putting radio collars on cougars in the vicinity, our first wildlife story today; followed by a story about how wildlife biologists in several Washington state counties are still evaluating the impact of using cougar hunting dogs. Five orphaned cougar cubs will be distributed to two wildlife organizations in Minnesota to be raised in captivity. An upstate New York couple is grieving the loss of their cat, presumed to have been carried off by a coyote; while officials in a county in Virginia are debating the virtues of a coyote bounty program that has been in place since 2005. A deer cull in Michigan is proceeding without any fanfare; but in a case where lots of negatives are positive, deer that have been tested for Chronic Wasting Disease in Kent County, Michigan, have all proven to be free of the disease. The manager at a tire dealership in Delaware felt fortunate that the doors were closed when a deer decided to barge in; but a self-employed welder in Indiana has been charged with 17 counts of "thrill-killing" deer. An article from North Carolina offers some additional tips on avoiding deer-auto collisions this time of year; while Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation is advising motorists in that state about the danger posed by deer in the road. A letter to the editor of a Delaware paper comments on an abundance of skunks in their neighborhood. In Ontario, Canada, homeowner was crushed about having to euthanize his five dogs after they mixed it up with a rabid skunk; while Greenbrier County, West Virginia, has reported their 30th rabid raccoon so far this year; and another rabid raccoon has been found in a New Jersey community, the second in the past few weeks. Despite the outcry against two people accused of maliciously running down raccoons in a Half Moon Bay, California, parking lot, not everyone looks upon their act as infamous. A man had to be hospitalized after being attacked by a bear in Wyoming; but faced with a $5,000 fine and a six-month stint in jail, a wildlife photographer is fighting a bear-baiting charge in Alaska. In another head-scratcher, attorneys are arguing that the decision to put grizzly bears back on the Endangered Species Act list may actually harm their population near Yellowstone National Park; while a Kodiak bear living in a wildlife sanctuary in Florida is quite taken with his new swimming pool, donated by contractors who felt sorry for their ursine neighbor. And finally, here's a new app for the iPhone: bear repellent!

Santa Cruz Researchers Focus On Mountain Lion Whereabouts

Cougar hunting closed in some counties during deer season

Orphaned cougar cubs find refuge in Minn.

An Irondequoit couple says their beloved cat was killed recently by a coyote

County debates controversial coyote bounty program

A quiet 'cull': City again killing its deer

Kent County deer testing all clear so far

Deer nearly treads into Salisbury tire business

Wabash man faces multiple charges in deer killings

Detouring Deer

Danger alert: It’s deer crash season

Growing skunk population taking over the neighborhood

Owner upset at having to put dogs down after skunk attack

Another Rabid Raccoon Found in Greenbrier County

Second rabid animal found in Woodbridge

Safeway Raccoon Suspect a Local Hero?

Man attacked by bear near Cooke City

Alaska photographer charged with bear-baiting

Feds: Bears in more danger on threatened list

Contractors pitch in to give bear new pool

A bear ate my iPhone!