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Each day we learn of human tragedies in the world. Everything from natural disasters to train wrecks, to illness, death, crime and all manner of human loss.
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But, according to Time magazine, the real tragedies are a "hawk nesting in a high rise" or a "flock of geese" on an Ohio golf course.
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Such mayhem and catastrophe calls for immediate human response such as outlined in the headline of the Time article:
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Label anything "pest" and action is required. Should the "pest" be animal, the usual remedy is killing -- or "culling" as Time likes to call it.
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It's a bit disconcerting that we seem to learn little if anything, from past (and present) ventures in wildlife killings. Ventures that ultimately bring thousands of species to their knees in trying to "adapt" to the endless predations of man be they rhinos, tigers and elephants in Africa or Big Horned Sheep and other species in this country.
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At one time Bison, Canada geese and even wild turkeys and deer were tottering on the brinks of extinction in this country from over-hunting until wildlife biologists and officials decided to bring them back and "restore" populations (mostly for hunters to shoot at).
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Now the complaint is that many of these same species have become "pests" due to a claimed "overpopulation."
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But, as covered previously in this journal, the term "overpopulation" is relative and actually has little, if anything to do with massive animal die-offs due to starvation and disease relative to true overpopulation.
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It as everything to do with human tolerance and "Wildlife Acceptance Capacity" (WAC) for wildlife.
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According to Time magazine, there is apparently little WAC, if any at all.
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Perhaps one can understand the human inconvenience of a hawk nesting on a high rise or a flock of geese on a golf course.
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But, should we really be embarking on programs of massive wildlife killings (whether expanded hunting or USDA wildlife "culls") because of "inconvenience?"
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What is the end point of these programs? Where do we draw the lines? What are the actual goals?
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To eliminate all manner or possibility of human complaint or inconvenience, ever?
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That would seem to suggest complete eradication of wildlife in many human communities.
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During the past year, there has been much media hype of the "Wild Turkey Plague" in Staten Island, New York near a Psychiatric Center.
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This led to a contract recently being signed between the USDA WS and the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) for culling, not only of the 80 turkeys estimated to be living at the location, but 30 Canada geese and 4 chickens as well -- animals not complained about in the local media covering the story.
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Although a fairly small number of birds overall, the contract nevertheless costs the taxpayers more than $16.000.
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USDA has already captured and killed dozens of turkeys from the location and plans are in the works for more slaughters until presumably all the targeted birds are gone -- including the 4 chickens and 30 geese.
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Most disturbing in the contract is the authorization for use of the drug, "Alpha Chloralose" to bait feed and immobilize geese for easy capture.
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The contract specifies that any drugged geese are to be killed and disposed of immediately OR "held for 30 days, slaughtered and then distributed to food banks."
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Notwithstanding the obvious cruelty to animals, as well as unnecessary killing of only 30 geese, there is the element of potentially dumping dangerous drugs and chemicals into a sensitive environment and ecology to potentially impact other non-targeted wildlife.
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Sure, USDA claims to clean up any leftover drugs, but who is willing to take that one to the bank?
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Nevertheless, the bottom line is that planned wildlife "culls" do not usually stop with just the so-called targeted, "pest" animals.
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As hunting generally injures and kills many more animals (including domestic pets in the wrong place at the wrong time) than just those species or individual animals specifically targeted, so too, do USDA Wildlife "culls."
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In the Staten Island example, I personally don't recall reading even one article complaining about the 30 geese or 4 chickens at the location.
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But, it seems anytime USDA "Wildlife Services" is contracted (with tax dollars, no less) to come into an area to cull wildlife, almost any animal in the area had better watch out --whether specifically complained about and targeted or not.
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It may very well be that our "Wildlife Acceptance Capacity" as Time magazine seems to suggest and promote is less than zero.
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And here some of us thought that Tsunamis, floods, earthquakes and fires represented the real human tragedies.
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Who knew they were really a hawk, a flock of geese and a band of turkeys? -- PCA
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