Animals run amok drive towns over the edge

Animals run amok drive towns over the edge

www.theglobeandmail.com

Elk are chasing tourists in Banff. Crocodiles have taken over Australian swimming holes. And badgers are giving Irish cattle farmers headaches.

All over the world, wild animals are hopping, clomping and slithering their way into human habitats, overstaying their welcome, breeding like mad and leaving municipal officials, scientists and homeowners desperate for new ways to usher them out.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Link contains a few interesting examples. Around my neck of the woods, the wildlife of concern are black bears, cougars, coyote and oppossum.

There's two reasons, imo.

1) Degraded habitat and urban sprawl

2) The animals are less fearful and getting used to being around humans

The end result is always the same... humans 1 - animals 0.


www.theglobeandmail.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

There are at least two more man-made reasons:

elimination of predators
and
protection/hunting regulations

Both of these factors has led to a huge increase of the deer population in the Eastern U.S.

Good points, dj.

The wolf population, which was the primary predator for deer, has all but been eliminated. The Red wolf, almost extinct, exists only in Algonquin Park and has perhaps 2 litters before straying out of park perimeters and being killed outright. There are no restrictions on hunting and killing wolves. The concern, of course, is cattle kills.

The deer explosion here, SW Ontario, is a major concern, mainly due to car collisions. There is no shortage of hunters, though and, quite often, the hunt is extended and the cull numbers raised. We even have 'special' hunts in places where the problem has become untenable.

Another concern is the cancellation of the spring bear hunt.

The system is out of whack. While I agree with wildlife management, quite often the cure produces unexpected and undesirable results. The friction created by the protection of cormorant and the resulting concerns with wild fish species is a contemporary example.

We just don't know enough 6to manage things properly.

On the other hand, 4x4's and ATV's are invading our wild places, driving wildlife out of the few remaining wilderness areas. Thanks to the foresight of certain influencial individuals, we, in Ontario, have one of the worlds largest wildlife sanctuaries north of Chapleau.

What is the answer? Canada has a slightly larger landmass than the USA and 1/10th the population mostly spread along the border. Why is it that our wildlife is threatened enough to become problematic?

Is it our lenient policies toward 'hunter/fisher tourism' that need to change?

Well this might explain something that happened to me a few days ago.I was walking to the store down a neighbouring street and lo and behold there were 2 wild rabbits happily munching on someones lawn.They were not afraid and my son even walked closer to them and they did not run.We continued our walk and on our return trip an hour later, they were still there.This was around noon hour.I have never seen wild rabbits that time of day here or that stood there just looking at you.BTW- in case anyone is thinking they were pets, I do know the difference.I have had 4 pet Rabbits in the last 6 years and I still have 1 now.

Masqua- Do you really have cougars in the SW of Ontario? I wasn't aware the eastern cougars range went that far. Scary.

you guys never read the Animal Post about humans running amok?
shssssh

Originally posted by AccessDenied
Masqua- Do you really have cougars in the SW of Ontario? I wasn't aware the eastern cougars range went that far. Scary.

Absolutely, yes. In fact, the government has a program to 'seed' the wilderness areas here with them so that they'll increase their numbers.

They are a deer predator and that is much needed in some of the wilder local areas.

I do live in the proverbial boonies, though. Not a whole lot of cattle farms just north of me, but there are some.

Here is one...Lions 10...Christians 0

Yes, it has to do with these predators being less affraid of humans. When we went around killing everything in sight, we were the big dog. Now that we have more respect for nature, nature seems to have lost respect for us.

It is a dog eat dog world out there!

I live in east Scarborough (Toronto) near the Rouge Valley. We used to have a stream near our house that ran along one of the major migratory paths in Southern Ontario. About ten years ago, the development started and within years, all sorts of new communities have sprung up... and there is no longer that stream and/or the fields of marsh and grass.

With the decrease in water/land for these migrating birds to use while on their journey... I've noticed several types of birds including falcons, herons, ducks and geese landing in my backyard, attempting to make usage of our pond and english garden. We've lost pond fish to the herons and I swear those geese leave turds like it's going out of style.

It's sad to see these creatures having to resort to 'intruding' on 'our' territory... such a crazy world.

[edit on 16-5-2007 by fattyp]

Originally posted by win 52
Now that we have more respect for nature, nature seems to have lost respect for us.

That's an interesting observation. We are on a course of more respect for nature.

However, it isn't nature losing respect, it's the loss of natural habitat which forces them into our proximity.

We are invading their territory with ATV's, etc., like never before as well.

Algonquin Park has hunts but motorized vehicles are not allowed and a rare species like the Red Wolf survives there.

Could our 'outdoor adventuring' be behind this to a degree?

Originally posted by fattyp
With the decrease in water/land for these migrating birds to use while on their journey

I agree.

The Oak Ridges Morraine north of Toronto is another area in jeopardy.

Urban sprawl will be one of the first victims of high energy (gas) prices. Hopefully cities will begin revitalizing core areas instead.

Thanks, my friend

I live in the suburbs of Montreal and we actually have wild rabbits and fox in our area. So strange to see animals like that running around the yard in the middle of the city!

I do not understand why it is a surprise to some people. Animals are getting used to our presense and, after all, we are in their habitats.

Then again, I live in northern New Jersey (farm country). On any given day, especially in the summer/spring, I will see:

*At least ten dear...one of which will always do everything in its power to become one with my car.

*More squirrles and chipmunks then I can count.

*Many rabbits.

*Some possum.

*Usually one racoon driving around at night.

*Snakes, frogs and crickets (I love the sound they make at night...very relaxing to fall asleep to).

*So many geese and ducks; along with plenty of 'song birds'.

*Crows the size of my cat...those things are huge.

*Some of the biggest owls you will ever see.

*Not an everyday but at least once a week I will see bear in my backyard just walking around.

*I have seen some some mountain lions around...maybe 5 or 6 times my entire 20 years living here.

*The occasional escaped cow or horse.

EDIT; *A bunch of fox...but I see them less and less since the rabis outbreak around here about eight years ago.

I love the animals around here. It is great living in an area where it is not uncommon to watch rabbits play and eat in the backyard and where one can occasionally catch sight of a slinking mountain lion and her cubs.

[edit on 5/16/0707 by spines]

... scientists and homeowners desperate for new ways to usher them out.

If people do not want to be around these animals then they should not build their houses in the animal's habitat. The people are the problem, not the animals. Maybe the animals are tired of too many people just as these folks are tired of too many animals.

Originally posted by roadgravel

... scientists and homeowners desperate for new ways to usher them out.

If people do not want to be around these animals then they should not build their houses in the animal's habitat. The people are the problem, not the animals. Maybe the animals are tired of too many people just as these folks are tired of too many animals.

Thats what I was gonna say. I mean really what do people expect? Give me a break.

Elks chasing tourists good for the elk.

I think you're forgetting about the hordes of humans now camping, snowmobiling, hiking, biking, fishing, hunting and various other activities in what was once wilderness.

A few short years ago, the human invasion was a trickle of Canadians and fewer tourists. Today, tourism has become THE industry in Canada and the results are seen in the topic of this thread. The Boreal forest has a new type of fauna and it is us.

Animals which were frightened of humans no longer are.

That's my opinion, anyways.

I have no idea what should be done about it, though.

We can't really put a fence around cities, keeping people in and animals out. Nor does our government wish to turn around the burgeoning tourist industry with the billions of dollars it generates.

On a side note; could changes in the environment be a factor?

Originally posted by AccessDenied
Masqua- Do you really have cougars in the SW of Ontario? I wasn't aware the eastern cougars range went that far. Scary.

Cougars Ontario?lol. without a doubt.

Hell, We have them in the city area here in Detroit Michigan and absolutely in the rural areas.

I will try to find a pic my friend sent me. He took a picture of a cougar at night walking by his deck, in the backyard. The picture is amazingly clear.

[edit on 16-5-2007 by Realtruth]

Your right about animals not being so scared of people anymore. An animal can spot a rifle same as a man. And most of them know about them now. They say there's not a wild elephant alive that doesn't hate men. But I think they found some...

But it's more than them not being so scared of us anymore, they're bold. Dwindling extinctions...They know about those things too. Maybe more than people - sensing a presence, or a collective presence. They sense man's soft belly.

They're coming to the cities because there's food. They let each other know - so they'll be like human resistant bacteria...The cities are getting overrun with crows too.

Unless there's a big die off, which has been happening too and then all the culling etc. Tigers are getting bold in India as they dwindle too.

Originally posted by roadgravel

If people do not want to be around these animals then they should not build their houses in the animal's habitat.

Let's turn this around. If animals don't want to be around people, then they should not build their dens in the people's habitat.

Yes... exactly!!! That's why they're invading the suburbs

Case in point; how much of an impact does ATV's and 4x4's have on the wilderness?

Wilderness abuses surprise Morton

LINK

Sustainable Resource Development Minister Ted Morton got a first-hand look at the damage being done by people spending the long weekend near Chain Lakes Provincial Park.

-snip-

The scene included a chaotic jungle of trailers, tents and vehicles, mud-caked riders roaring about on quads and dirt bikes and souped-up trucks bouncing in the distance, ripping through streams and bogs.

"A lot of the activities that we saw are just irresponsible," Morton said after returning from a tour by helicopter on Saturday. "I would never have guessed at the number of vehicles, the number of people.

That's not the provincial park we're talking about... it's the area around it that's the concern and there are no boundaries there. The provincial parks are controlled environments and not the kind of place such activities are allowed.

So... how does this impact the animals? I'd say they get 'out of Dodge' and into the suburbs/parks where these yahoos aren't.

The problems have grown dramatically in the past five years as Calgary and its neighbouring communities swell, said Rick Blackwood, a provincial manager of the southern Rockies area.

... and the same can be said of many wilderness areas all year long. (snowmobiles, etc.) I have no problem with hunters since that is a controlled system which depends on a healthy environment. Hunters and fishers, for the most part, are careful about how they impact the wilderness and care about the health of the animals they hunt.