USDA Wildlife Services Blows Off Congress While Leaving Massive Wildlife Death Trails

Geese rounded up by USDA and sent for gassing from Randall's Island in 2009.

Part of 702 geese rounded up by USDA in 2012 and sent to slaughter from Jamaica Bay Wildlife "Refuge."

As USDA Wildlife Services blows off the public and the press, it also blows off the Congress:

Leaked Documents Reveal Cover-up of Animal Abuse Investigation in USDA's Wildl

Congressman, John Campbell (R- CA) also wrote and added on his Facebook Page:

"With the release of these documents there is now absolutely no question that APHIS and Wildlife Services has lied to Congress. They intentionally covered up the fact that they have completed their report and are refusing to submit their findings to Rep. Defazio and myself. There is no question they are trying to cover up the action of their employee. This agency has a culture of abuse and animal torture and this wrongdoing is accepted and encouraged. It appears to me that this cover up extends to the highest levels of these agencies. I am angry at both their attempt to willfully deceive the American people and the arrogance they exhibit in their refusal to answer for their actions. It seems we are experiencing this kind of authoritarian attitude and sense of being above the law from a number of federal agencies right now. APHIS and Wildlife Services can longer continue to deny the obvious and smugly cover up the facts. This is now public and these agencies will have to answer for the choices they've made."

Mind you, the Congressman is primarily referring to the sadistic actions of one USDA WS employee and the rogue agency's attempt to cover up and not have to answer for them -- a kind of "Environmental Watergate" to quote one source.

But, that is the mere tip of the iceberg.

The tortured coyotes left in traps to be attacked and torn apart by dogs are but a tiny fraction of coyotes that USDA WS actually killed last year. -- That number is 76,048.

But, it is not just coyotes and other predators that USDA WS set its sights on.

It also kills millions of birds.

In 2012, these included, but were not limited to:

1,485,449 Starlings

850,505 Brown Headed Cowbirds

306,203 Red Winged Blackbirds

91,181 Pigeons

42,628 Grackles

24,768 Canada geese

21,810 Double Crested Cormorants

7,374 Laughing Gulls

2,648 Mallards

1,382 Red Tail Hawks

And even 3,597 House Finches

USDA WS also kills more common animals such as prairie dogs (12,561)  raccoons (11,486), squirrels (4,688) and even cats (1049) and dogs (437).

In fact, it seems there are few animal species that totally escape the traps, poisons, gas chambers and slaughter that represent USDA WS's "tools of the trade."

(For the full list of animals APHIS killed last year, these are their actual stats:

 http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/prog_data/2012_prog_data/PDR_G/Basic )

Some might wonder what WS does the rest of the year when it is not busy rounding up and sending to slaughter, NYC's Canada geese?

We need not wonder anymore.

There are obviously plenty of animals for USDA WS to kill (and profit from) all year long.

We might, however question the "how" of WS's mass captures and killings.

The only reason we know of the coyotes ripped apart by dogs while in traps is due the stupidity of one WS employee who brazenly posted the photos on his Facebook page.  

But, for sure, there is much more of that where that came from.  -- PCA

                                                              


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