Notes of a Lunatic Now on His Meds and Stable - There's a Lion in the Hedge
Once They're Saved, What Next?
Some years ago I ran across a story concerning the burgeoning number of whitetail deer turning up in the suburbs. Landowners with suffering rose bushes demanded they be controlled and a special archery hunting season was planned to thin the herd.
Then came the inevitable animal rights crusaders' uproar to save the deer and use contraceptive devices rather than killing to control their numbers giving me a hilarious mental image of wildlife officers stumbling around in the woods trying to put condoms on bucks.
But deer in the flower beds is an annoyance. The growing number of cougars (mountain lions, pumas, painters, catamounts, et al) is a greater problem.
These are major, top-of-the-food-chain predators who have recently shown more than once that they are not above filling their pantry with us.
All right, all right. I know that the problem is caused by us damned people encroaching on their habitat with bedroom communities metastasizing everywhere, but the housing is there and the people and the cougars. I wonder how many family members those who preach of the holy cougar would sacrifice to feed their sacred cat?
The most reported incidents and been reported in California and hunting for cougars has been banned there for years. This has been very successful, but this prompts another question. How many cougars are enough? Is there any population figure that would satisfy the animal rights crowd or is it keep going until there's a cougar in every pot?
The point of giving protection to animal species was to save them from extinction and, in this case, it's been done. So what now?
Life is what it is and, as much as we might wish it, no one's going to start tearing down suburbs, kicking out the residents and recreating habitat.
This isn't only a cougar problem or unique to California. Across the nation the cats and wolves and elk and moose are increasing beyond the remaining habitat's ability to support them and they enter yards and park looking for food. Sometimes violent encounters occur. You can't blame the animal. A moose, for example, is a moose and acts like a moose. The current trend is to blame the human victim ('Your grandpa should have kept the hell out of the way'), a disgraceful and shameful thing to do.
In the great race to save species no one seemed to consider what to do with them when they're saved. Maybe it's time.
Then came the inevitable animal rights crusaders' uproar to save the deer and use contraceptive devices rather than killing to control their numbers giving me a hilarious mental image of wildlife officers stumbling around in the woods trying to put condoms on bucks.
But deer in the flower beds is an annoyance. The growing number of cougars (mountain lions, pumas, painters, catamounts, et al) is a greater problem.
These are major, top-of-the-food-chain predators who have recently shown more than once that they are not above filling their pantry with us.
All right, all right. I know that the problem is caused by us damned people encroaching on their habitat with bedroom communities metastasizing everywhere, but the housing is there and the people and the cougars. I wonder how many family members those who preach of the holy cougar would sacrifice to feed their sacred cat?
The most reported incidents and been reported in California and hunting for cougars has been banned there for years. This has been very successful, but this prompts another question. How many cougars are enough? Is there any population figure that would satisfy the animal rights crowd or is it keep going until there's a cougar in every pot?
The point of giving protection to animal species was to save them from extinction and, in this case, it's been done. So what now?
Life is what it is and, as much as we might wish it, no one's going to start tearing down suburbs, kicking out the residents and recreating habitat.
This isn't only a cougar problem or unique to California. Across the nation the cats and wolves and elk and moose are increasing beyond the remaining habitat's ability to support them and they enter yards and park looking for food. Sometimes violent encounters occur. You can't blame the animal. A moose, for example, is a moose and acts like a moose. The current trend is to blame the human victim ('Your grandpa should have kept the hell out of the way'), a disgraceful and shameful thing to do.
In the great race to save species no one seemed to consider what to do with them when they're saved. Maybe it's time.
Published by Kenneth Dawson
Born in Wichita Kansas, service in U.S. Coast Guard 1969-1973, published one book (POD) of poetry and prose. Won writing awards in college. Have worked for three newspapers in Iowa(2 dailies, 1 weekly), on... View profile
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1 Comments
Post a CommentAn excellent perspective and one that many animal rights activists do not consider. There are huge problems with containing wild animals. Excellent article.