|
Post by shapeshifter on Feb 7, 2005 13:55:13 GMT -5
Oh man, Wolves hunting have started in Alaska, and will be going on several more states! The reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone NF started not too long, now those psychotic brutal anti-wolf people are trying to hunt them down... How many species they wanna take down from the earth known species list? Being sarcastic, I wonder anyone would make a rule to eliminate those lunatic losers from the very surface of earth; 1st to make sure no such disgraceful beings in humankind, 2nd, no more selfishly psychoes stalking the earth.
|
|
Kitfox
Mexican Grey Wolf Member
Posts: 149
|
Post by Kitfox on Feb 7, 2005 16:11:16 GMT -5
I don't like the idea of hunting wolves anymore than anyone else on this board, and I disagree with Alaska's decision, but perhaps you're being a bit harsh on the people responsible for this decision? I mean, hunting to control populations is nothing new. Many of the people on these forums are hunters.
I think the controversy is whether or not there are alternative methods to controlling the populations, and whether they have more advantages to disadvantages with other members.
The method of this hunting is what turns people away from this, I think - flying around in helicopters and shooting down wolf after wolf. That, and the fact that it's wolves being hunted, and not an elk or something. Wolves are loved by many, and they're similar to dogs, and people aren't used to the idea of wolves being hunted. So, it seems worse to hunt wolves than it does to hunt elk or quail or something.
I'm not endorsing the activity. I'd like it very much if people wouldn't hunt the wolves. However, I think it's always important to look at both sides of the issue and to try and understand those who disagree with you rather than to view them as monsters. =)
|
|
Kitfox
Mexican Grey Wolf Member
Posts: 149
|
Post by Kitfox on Feb 7, 2005 16:15:00 GMT -5
Well, in a similar issue, at least we have continued protection of local wolves.
EFFORT TO KILL SOUTHWEST WOLVES AND END RECOVERY PROGRAM DEFEATED
On 1/31/05, a federal judge sided with the Center for Biological Diversity and Defenders of Wildlife in rejecting a lawsuit by cattle industry groups seeking to suspend the Mexican gray wolf recovery program and to kill or capture all wild wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. The Arizona/New Mexico Coalition of Counties for Stable Economic Growth and the New Mexico Cattle Growers sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under numerous laws to have the successful wolf recovery program terminated. The Center and Defenders intervened on behalf of the agency and helped convince the court that there was no merit to the cattle industry’s nuisance suit.
The Center will continue its efforts to have the wolf recovery zone expanded and to protect the wolves from shooting, harassment, and needless recapturing.
-------------
JUDGE STRIKES DOWN BUSH DECISION TO ABANDON NATIONAL WOLF RECOVERY, INCREASE WOLF KILLING
On 1/31/05, a federal judged ruled in favor of a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club and 16 other environmental groups challenging a decision by the Bush administration to give up efforts to fully recover the gray wolf to non-endangered status in the continental U.S. The gray wolf formerly occurred throughout most of the United States excluding the Southeast. Decades of recovery efforts have created and protected small populations in the Gila Headwaters of Arizona and New Mexico, the Northern Rockies, and northern Midwest. Yet the wolf is still extinct or at very low numbers in most of its historic range and is far from recovered. To short-circuit additional wolf reintroductions, the Bush administration issued a decision on 4/1/03 to abandon recovery efforts outside areas where the wolf already occurs. This decision would stop efforts to reintroduce wolves to the California, the Pacific Northwest, New England, and the Colorado Plateau. The decision also reduced the level of protection for wolves in the Northern Rockies and the Midwest, allowing them to be legally killed by ranchers for little or no reason.
The judge ruled that the wolf must be recovered in all areas of its historic range which are significant, not just small pockets were recovery is politically convenient. She also ruled that the decision to allow more shootings of wolves is illegal.
|
|
|
Post by Whiskey Jack on Feb 9, 2005 18:40:50 GMT -5
There is a lot to say about the Alaska Wolf Management, in fact, that was the most heated debate on the old forum. Maybe you could start a new thread about it Shapeshifter?
So for all you keeping track of the Pale Male and Lola story in New York, here is the happy ending...I got this from the New York Audubon Society:
February 7, 2005
Dear Friend of Pale Male,
As you know, New York City Audubon led the charge to bring back the spikes so Pale Male and Lola could rebuild their beloved nest. We succeeded with the help of people like you and thousands of others around the city and around the world, who sent their elected officials letters and emails and signed the petition asking for the nest to be restored – Thank you!
Because you made your voice heard, Pale Male and Lola now have the opportunity to return to their successful nesting site. Their courtship is beginning even as I write this letter and they keep returning to the site with twigs. Given their nesting history, it is likely their efforts will be fruitful.
|
|
Stinger
Mexican Grey Wolf Member
Cowboy Up!!
Posts: 183
|
Post by Stinger on Feb 9, 2005 21:39:59 GMT -5
I agree Crow, there is a lot to say about the Wolf management in Alaska...maybe if there was a thread going we could get our debate on but I dont think this is the right place for that.
That is great news about Pale Male and his mate...I guess we all made enough noise in this world for big business to finally listen on this one issue! Well done everyone!!
|
|
Kitfox
Mexican Grey Wolf Member
Posts: 149
|
Post by Kitfox on Feb 18, 2005 15:21:31 GMT -5
Looks like one more step in the direction to protect the rights of us foxes. =) [taken from The Australian - www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12295782%255E30417,00.html] Hunters now the hunted as ban becomes lawPeter Wilson, Europe correspondent February 19, 2005 CENTURIES of tradition ended yesterday when fox-hunting with packs of dogs became illegal throughout Britain, sparking angry claims by hunters that the Labour Government was waging "class warfare" against the often wealthy hunters. The last legal day of traditional hunting saw most of England's 270 hunting groups take to the fields amid tears and defiant cheers to farewell a sport that became a symbol of "tally-ho" Olde England ways but has now been officially consigned to nostalgic tea towels and old paintings. With many police chiefs saying their officers have better things to do than break up illegal hunts, the scene is now set for an odd reversal of roles as many hunters will continue to chase foxes but will themselves be hounded across fields by video-wielding animal activists gathering evidence for prosecutions or even making citizen arrests. Derided by Oscar Wilde as "the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable", the hunters will now be pursued by the unappeasable: animal welfare activists who have spent years trying to ban blood sports. The first showdown will come this weekend, when the largest ever army of hunters and supporters is expected to saddle up, and animal welfare groups will deploy dozens of teams equipped with binoculars and video cameras. The hunters can muster 60,000 horses and 20,000 hounds, and claim they will have hundreds of thousands of supporters this weekend. Police say their main priority will be to stop violence between the two sides rather than to protect foxes. The confrontation will certainly be confusing, as the new law imposes fines of pound stg. 5000 ($12,070) for using dogs to track and kill a fox, deer, mink or hare but will allow riders and hounds to take part in less bloodthirsty forms of the sport. Two dogs at a time can be used to flush out an animal, for instance, as long as it is then shot rather than torn apart by the dogs. Many groups plan to hold "drag hunts" by shooting foxes and then dragging them across fields to leave a scent for their hounds to follow. The Blair Government is nervous that acts of defiance by hunters and ugly clashes with animal rights supporters will cause a backlash in the countryside in the lead-up to a general election expected to be held on May 5. City voters have long opposed hunting as a cruel pastime but hunt lovers see the crackdown as a divisive attack on tradition, upper-class social life and even the human rights of hunters. Princess Michael of Kent suggested in an interview with a German newspaper yesterday that Labour's ban was really about a "class struggle". "I can't understand how this old English tradition can be banned," she said. "You have to ask yourself seriously: does this government really want to do things or is it more interested in class struggle?" Farmers see the animals as vermin and without hunting they will simply have to shoot more foxes but animal rights activities say that is more humane than blood sports. Prince Charles and Princess Anne, both avid hunters, enjoyed their last full hunts this week. While many hunters are conservative and well-to-do, their lobby groups have resorted to the sort of protests more commonly associated with left-wing activists. Protests outside parliament turned violent last year, and hunt supporters even stormed into the House of Commons.
|
|
Stinger
Mexican Grey Wolf Member
Cowboy Up!!
Posts: 183
|
Post by Stinger on Mar 15, 2005 18:55:05 GMT -5
I know I havent been posting much on here lately, sorry about that y'all!! So, I thought I would make my most recent post a good one with some great news!
NEW YORK - New York's high-rise hawks are expecting an addition to the family. Pale Male and his mate, Lola, who live on the ledge of a Fifth Avenue apartment building overlooking Central Park, have at least one egg in their nest, according to the Pale Male.com Web site run by Lincoln Karim, a video engineer with Associated Press Television News who devotes most of his spare time to monitoring the birds.
In December, the board of the co-op apartment building, whose tenants include actress Mary Tyler Moore and CNN anchor Paula Zahn, removed the hawks' huge nest on a 12th-story ledge, calling it a hazard.
The board later bowed to public outrage and pressure from the city and environmentalists, and restored a row of anti-pigeon spikes that the hawks had used to anchor their nest. Pale Male and Lola immediately rebuilt their nest.
The male hawk has sired 23 chicks with four mates since he first set up housekeeping at 927 Fifth Ave. in 1993.
Volunteers use the Web site to record every detail of the hawks' lives.
"Lola appears to be turning the eggs every half hour or so. Pale Male had two sittings today between noon and sunset," said an entry posted Sunday.
|
|
Stinger
Mexican Grey Wolf Member
Cowboy Up!!
Posts: 183
|
Post by Stinger on Apr 1, 2005 13:32:43 GMT -5
Thought this was kind of a neat story:
Monterey Aquarium Releases White Shark Fri Apr 1, 8:32 AM ET Science - AP By MATTHEW FORDAHL, Associated Press Writer
SALINAS, Calif. - A great white shark that survived far longer than any other in captivity was returned to the wild Thursday because it was growing too large and had begun preying on other fish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The shark, captured by a halibut fisherman off the coast of Orange County in August, was in captivity for 198 days. The previous captivity record was 16 days.
It was also the first great white to regularly eat outside the wild, putting on 100 pounds while at the aquarium.
"The larger she grew, the more that human safety and animal welfare concerns became a factor in our thinking," said Randy Hamilton, vice president of husbandry for the aquarium. "It's more risky to handle a larger animal."
The predator had killed two soupfin sharks earlier this year, although aquarium officials weren't sure whether the shark was hunting at the time. After close observation this week, researchers noticed it was starting to exhibit true hunting behavior.
"We've been watching to see if she was actively hunting other animals in the exhibit," Hamilton said. "When we saw clear signs on Monday, we decided an immediate release would be best."
Aquarium staff released the shark south of Monterey Bay. Its movement will be tracked for 30 days with an electronic tag that was attached before its release.
During its stay in Monterey, the shark had grown from a length of 5 feet and a weight of 62 pounds to 6 feet, 4 inches and 162 pounds. It was about a year old when it was caught.
The aquarium acquired a wealth of information on how best to care for the animals in captivity.
Mark Berman, assistant director of the International Marine Mammal Project at the Earth Island Institute, applauded the release. The San Francisco group is leading efforts against keeping dolphins, orcas and other advanced sea life in captivity.
"In the future, we think the Monterey Bay Aquarium and others should work on protecting these species in the wild," he said. "I'm sure they now have valuable footage and data they can utilize without having to bring another (shark) in."
The aquarium, however, said it will try to find another young great white shark for the exhibit later this year. It also is expanding other research that involves tagging and tracking the animals.
The aquarium, which opened in 1984 at the site of an abandoned fish cannery, saw attendance jump 30 percent after the shark arrived.
|
|
|
Post by Whiskey Jack on Apr 20, 2005 12:16:51 GMT -5
Man, cool story Stinger! Here is the "Huh?" news for the week..... Whale-Dolphin Hybrid Has Baby Wholphin HONOLULU (AP) - The only whale-dolphin mix in captivity has given birth to a playful female calf, officials at Sea Life Park Hawaii said Thursday. The calf was born on Dec. 23 to Kekaimalu, a mix of a false killer whale and an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Park officials said they waited to announce the birth until now because of recent changes in ownership and operations at the park. The young as-yet unnamed wholphin is one-fourth false killer whale and three-fourths Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Her slick skin is an even blend of a dolphin's light gray and the black coloring of a false killer whale. The calf still depends fully on her mother's milk, but sometimes snatches frozen capelin from the hands of trainers, then toys with the sardine-like fish. She is jumbo-sized compared to purebred dolphins, and is already the size of a one-year-old bottlenose. ``Mother and calf are doing very well,'' said Dr. Renato Lenzi, general manager of Sea Life Park by Dolphin Discovery. ``We are monitoring them very closely to ensure the best care for them.'' Although false killer whales and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are different species, they are classified within the same family by scientists. ``They are not that far apart in terms of taxonomy,'' said Louis Herman, a leading expert in the study of marine mammals. There have been reports of wholphins in the wild, he said. Kekaimalu, whose name means ``from the peaceful ocean,'' was born 19 years ago after a surprise coupling between a 14-foot, 2,000-pound false killer whale and a 6-foot, 400-pound dolphin. The animals were the leads in the park's popular tourist water show, featured in the Adam Sandler movie ``50 First Dates.'' Kekaimalu has given birth to two other calves. One lived for nine years and the other, born when Kekaimalu was very young, died a few days after birth. Park researchers suspect the wholphin's father is a 15-foot long Atlantic bottlenose dolphin named Mikioi. ``He seems to be totally oblivious to this happening,'' Lenzi said. False killer whales do not closely resemble killer whales. They grow to 20 feet, weigh up to two tons and have a tapering, rounded snout that overhangs their toothed jaw. Atlantic bottlenose dolphins reach a maximum size of 12 feet and can weigh up to 700 pounds. Sea Life Park officials said they hope to decide on a name for the baby wholphin soon and move her to a large display tank in a few months.
|
|
Kitfox
Mexican Grey Wolf Member
Posts: 149
|
Post by Kitfox on Apr 23, 2005 2:08:11 GMT -5
Another interesting, and kinda crazy, story:
Routine traffic stop results in alligator surprise A routine traffic stop by an Arizona Department of Public Safety officer proved to be anything but routine when a trailer full of alligators, snakes and other animals was discovered. The Arizona Game and Fish Department was immediately called in to help.
DPS stopped a San Bernadino, Calif. man near Casa Grande at 11 p.m. April 17 for an equipment violation (tail light out). The man told the officer that he and his wife were relocating from California to Georgia. The DPS officer asked and received permission to search the triple-axle fifth-wheel trailer being towed behind the man's truck. The officer found a surprise: the trailer was full of alligators and other animals.
The DPS officer called the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Two wildlife officers and a biologist arrived on the scene to discover 32 alligators and three desert tortoises, along with 30 boa constrictors, various chickens and even some rabbits. It took hours to safely process all the animals.
"We kept finding alligators hidden in every nook and cranny of the trailer. None of the alligators had their jaws taped closed, so we had to be very careful handling them. It got pretty hairy at times," said Wildlife Officer Ken Dinquel.
Officer Dinquel cited the man for possessing the alligators without proof of legality. Alligators are listed as restricted live wildlife in Arizona. It is not legal to hold them in the state without a special holding permit. It is legal to transport them across the state but only if the person doing the transporting can show that he or she is in legal possession of the animals. In this case, the man had no paperwork in his possession relating to the reptiles.
The department seized the following:
* One 8.8-foot alligator * One 6.5-foot alligator * One 6-foot alligator * One 5-foot alligator * 27 alligators between 20 inches and 3.5 feet * Three desert tortoises
The confiscated alligators and desert tortoises were taken to the Phoenix Herpetological Society for holding pending the outcome of the case. The Herpetological Society has built special ponds just for alligators and closely works with the department to provide a secure location to hold such reptiles.
Russell Johnson with the Herpetological Society said they had already begun work on some additional ponds prior to the incident Sunday night, but they did a mad scramble on Monday to finish those ponds and construct some others to hold the additional 32 alligators. The Herpetological Society was already holding 28 large aquatic reptiles, including alligators, caimans and crocodiles, for the department.
It takes a lot of money to keep the facility going and to feed all the animals. Those interested in making donations to the Herpetological Society can call (602) 550-1090.
|
|
|
Post by NAU Wildlife Society Admin on Sept 9, 2005 12:52:42 GMT -5
Crazy story Kitfox!
Here is a recent one that might be interesting to you all....
Wild buffalo a problem in Oklahoma MCALESTER, Okla., Sept. 8 (UPI) --
Wild buffalo are causing problems in eastern Oklahoma and no one seems to know where the marauding bison are coming from.
Deputies and volunteers spent six hours earlier this week corralling and eventually killing a wild and aggressive buffalo. In recent weeks, several buffalo have been reported running wild in Pittsburg and surrounding Oklahoma counties, wandering through farmland or tearing down fences.
No one knows the origin of these buffalo and authorities say there is no plan to catch or kill them.
"We just go out there and turn the siren on and get them off the road," Latimer County Sheriff Wayne Brinkley told the Daily Oklahoman. "That's about all you can do."
_________________________
So what do you think? Bison were once wild in those parts of the country, why couldn't they be wild once again. Is it possible?
|
|
|
Post by Whiskey Jack on Sept 21, 2005 11:33:32 GMT -5
10,000 elephants may be destroyed JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Sept. 21 (UPI) --
The South African government plans to end its 10-year ban on culling elephants, which may result in the slaughter of up to 10,000 of the beasts.
The current elephant population of about 14,000 in the Kruger Park reportedly has become a threat to the habitats of rare antelopes, eagles and other threatened creatures.
But anticipating protest from animal welfare groups around the world, the government will have an 18-month "consultation period" before starting the cull, reports the Times of London.
Government officials say culling is needed to reduce the elephant population in the Kruger national park to protect trees, some of them 4,000 years old, as well as vegetation and water supplies. They say an adult elephant consumes about 375 pounds of vegetation a day.
The country's environment minister says between 7,000 and 10,000 animals would be killed, the report said.
"Elephant culling is something I would rather not have to do," he said. "If there was any way of avoiding it we would have done that. But the do-nothing approach is no longer an option."
© UPI, Headline News Powered by Bravenet.com
|
|
|
Post by boogiemonster on Sept 21, 2005 16:06:08 GMT -5
is there a plan to offer some of the elephants to zoos or sanctuaries that may want to keep some of the animals; perhaps even relocation to areas that are traditional habitat for them but have lower numbers of the animals? If there is no other place for the excess of animals to go, should their managment not be treated like animals in any other place in the world? If numbers get to high for a specific area, the amount of animals needs to be reduced to prevent starvation and further deaths due to over grazing of vegitation. Or is there a part of the eqation that i am missing?
|
|
|
Post by Whiskey Jack on Sept 23, 2005 11:34:31 GMT -5
Odelay, senor Boggiemonster. I agree with you whole-heartedly. My best guess is that it all revolves around the dollar sign. The time and money that it take to relocate an elephant isn't worth it to folks who can't afford it. Hence, the most the elephants will recieve is a news bite in the form of an epitaph. What I wish would take place is a movement to secure more land for wildlife in South Africa, but the struggling economy (even though many industries there seem to be booming) and the capitalist mindset make any notion of that path very unlikley. P.S. Rupert, thanks for posting man, I am sick of reading my posts.
|
|
|
Post by boogiemonster on Oct 10, 2005 20:47:55 GMT -5
well whiskey I don't know what to say. Why people can't see that living in a sustainable environment only makes sense; that is because the only alternative to living sustainably is to live un-sustainably, which by it very definition makes it a way of living that will end very quickly. and part of living sustainably is living with those creatures that inhabit the world around us. However many people, prehaps mostly the people in the seeming postions of power, don't see any farther than the next dollar that they are going to make, which blinds them to the destruction that is happening all around them. Even a dog knows not to shit where it sleeps (not that i think lower of dogs, because in most cases i look at dogs with more respect than most humans) yet we seem incapable of learning a lesson from that. Yet in the end we can talk all we want whiskey, but we will never change anything from a keyboard (probably not anyway), and it seems this worlds "dyin' and its hardley been born" and i believe we may be too late to revive her. Our great mother has sufferd mans abuses for a thousand years yet her back may not be strong enough to stand another thousand. So pull up a rock next to the fire, put your feet up and warm them by the last logs of wood, open your bottle of old grandad's, and drink 'till you caint stand no more. may we all enjoy a few more drunken stupors befor the whole shithouse goes up in flames.
|
|