scooter
03-05-2009, 09:52 AM
Wildlife critters must have voice in development
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If wildlife critters were able to do the newspapering and settled on the same topic of exploration as we did today, it would be interesting to see how the narrative would vary.
Might the two coyotes in one of the opening anecdotes describe a scene where they were simply eating and ensuring no other animal swiped their food when they came to notice a man watching them? They were in an area that for years had been animal turf and they weren't crowding this man.
But he nonetheless disturbed them.
First, he made noise. Then, he tossed a snowball at them. Finally, he walked right up to them. Even when they gave a bit of ground to him he just stayed close and stared at them.
"It was unnerving," Mr. Coyote might have been quoted, closing the anecdote -- as Dave De Medeiros is in our humans-viewpoint opening to today's anchor news feature.
We need to pay attention to the subject of wildlife incursions in urban areas. We just can't forget to walk a few miles in the other side's paw prints on this one.
People developing in formerly wild animal habitat areas is a huge reason why many locals are noting close encounters with the crittered kind. So, too, seemingly, is a changed climate that allows for more successful breeding in certain cases.
Ditto, the ability of some of these creatures to adapt to the urban ecosystem and all its ready food via waste, gardens and lawns -- not to mention a shortage of predatory pressure.
Some sources, among them the continent's leading sports magazine, have asserted that this spike in urban animal populations is a cause for great alarm. Sports Illustrated reviewed the subject last year and concluded it's reason to rejuvenate the sport of hunting. It urged a call to arms -- shotguns and hunting rifle. Crossbows were acceptable, too.
That's a bit Orwellian. But the subject shouldn't receive a blind eye locally.
Last year's incident where provincial officials blasted a stray bear near Elora, demonstrated the need for less knee-jerk responses to this matter.
--------------------------------------------------
PUBLICATION: The Guelph Mercury
DATE: 2009.02.28
EDITION: Final
SECTION: Editorial
PAGE: A6
SOURCE: THE GUELPH MERCURY
WORD COUNT: 315
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If wildlife critters were able to do the newspapering and settled on the same topic of exploration as we did today, it would be interesting to see how the narrative would vary.
Might the two coyotes in one of the opening anecdotes describe a scene where they were simply eating and ensuring no other animal swiped their food when they came to notice a man watching them? They were in an area that for years had been animal turf and they weren't crowding this man.
But he nonetheless disturbed them.
First, he made noise. Then, he tossed a snowball at them. Finally, he walked right up to them. Even when they gave a bit of ground to him he just stayed close and stared at them.
"It was unnerving," Mr. Coyote might have been quoted, closing the anecdote -- as Dave De Medeiros is in our humans-viewpoint opening to today's anchor news feature.
We need to pay attention to the subject of wildlife incursions in urban areas. We just can't forget to walk a few miles in the other side's paw prints on this one.
People developing in formerly wild animal habitat areas is a huge reason why many locals are noting close encounters with the crittered kind. So, too, seemingly, is a changed climate that allows for more successful breeding in certain cases.
Ditto, the ability of some of these creatures to adapt to the urban ecosystem and all its ready food via waste, gardens and lawns -- not to mention a shortage of predatory pressure.
Some sources, among them the continent's leading sports magazine, have asserted that this spike in urban animal populations is a cause for great alarm. Sports Illustrated reviewed the subject last year and concluded it's reason to rejuvenate the sport of hunting. It urged a call to arms -- shotguns and hunting rifle. Crossbows were acceptable, too.
That's a bit Orwellian. But the subject shouldn't receive a blind eye locally.
Last year's incident where provincial officials blasted a stray bear near Elora, demonstrated the need for less knee-jerk responses to this matter.
--------------------------------------------------
PUBLICATION: The Guelph Mercury
DATE: 2009.02.28
EDITION: Final
SECTION: Editorial
PAGE: A6
SOURCE: THE GUELPH MERCURY
WORD COUNT: 315
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------