Hi on Mammal Monday!
"Solving Problems with Coyotes, Humane solutions are more effective than cruelty
-
The coyote's adaptability, intelligence, and hardiness earned the respect of Native Americans. William Weaver Photography
-
Coyote or German Shepherd? Look for the coyote's black-tipped tail and yellow eyes. John Harrison
-
Most adult coyotes weigh between 20-35 pounds, but their thick coat and long legs make them appear larger. Dawn Macheca
-
Unlike wolves, coyotes hunt alone or in pairs. They hunt rodents by quietly stalking and then pouncing on their prey. Robert Whitney
-
Coyote breeding season is January-March. Once coyotes mate, they often stay together for life. richardseeleyphotography.com
-
Coyote pups are born in April and May, in litters usually ranging from 4 to 7 pups. Penny Hall Photography
-
Male coyotes take an active role in raising their young. Other family members pitch in to feed and protect the pups. Robert Whitney
-
Mother coyotes often move their pups between several dens to protect them from predators. Robert Whitney
-
At six weeks, pups begin to explore outside their den. Come fall, they'll decide whether to stay with their family group. William Weaver Photography
"Coyotes have been hunted, trapped, poisoned, and persecuted ever since the early days of western settlement.
Today, that old struggle has been transposed onto the suburban/urban stage, as coyote sightings raise alarm and unfounded fears—and lead to misguided programs to ‘control’ or kill these animals.
Trying to eliminate coyotes isn’t the answer. The answer lies in learning what attracts them to our homes in the first place, and then using strategies to solve that problem at its source.
People can live amidst coyotes yet never see them. Often it's only a night chorus or group howl that alerts them to the presence of this wild canid in their neighborhoods. We have a long way to go towards learning how to coexist with coyotes in this increasingly urban world." Adapted from the book Wild Neighbors
The basics for living peacefully with coyotes
Techniques for Resolving Coyote Conflicts
Why Is There a Coyote in My Yard? Food Lures and Other Answers
Coyotes, Pets, and Feral Cats
Coyotes and People: What to Know If You See or Encounter a Coyote
Why Killing Coyotes Doesn't Work
Coyote Hazing: Guidelines for Discouraging Neighborhood Coyotes
----------------
Teaching People and Coyotes How to Peacefully Coexist
Unique program saves coyotes' lives by re-instilling their natural fear of people
-
"Hazing" brazen coyotes—not killing them—is the effective, humane way to solve conflicts with coyotes. John Harrison
The Humane Society of the United States is reaching out to animal control officers, law enforcement agencies, and community animal advocates from around the country, offering special training on how to deal with conflicts involving one of America’s hardiest wild creatures: coyotes.
Lynsey White Dasher, Urban Wildlife Specialist with The HSUS, has been teaching classes on the latest methods to reduce suburban conflicts with coyotes. Coyote-human conflicts have increased, White Dasher said, because the wild creatures “have learned that people are not a source of danger.”
White Dasher teaches people how to "haze" coyotes, by making noise, shining bright lights, spraying water, and generally acting unpredictable. It might seem a little odd, but it's the compassionate way to prevent coyotes from being killed. Some municipalities trap and kill coyotes who hang around neighborhoods. But that doesn’t reduce the coyote population, and it doesn’t solve the problem.
“We want to teach them to be afraid of people, as they naturally should be,” White Dasher said.
Re-educating coyotes—and people
White Dasher presented the latest research and techniques at the International Urban and Wildlife Management and Planning Conference in Austin, Texas. At the Animal Care Expo in Orlando, White Dasher and Ashley DeLaup, wildlife ecologist for the City and County of Denver, Colorado, trained about 30 animal advocates and animal control officers from around the country on how to best haze wild coyotes.
“I think that hearing about successful coyote hazing programs encourages them to try it out in their own communities,” White Dasher said.
DeLaup developed a successful coyote hazing program for community residents in Denver after coyotes preyed on people’s pets. The HSUS has helped develop a similar program in Wheaton, Illinois, outside Chicago.
"Go away coyote!"
Blowing whistles, yelling, and making sudden movements around coyotes is “a way of marking our territory, which is something coyotes understand,” says DeLaup.
“The more we make them think we are unpredictable, the more they want to stay away,” DeLaup says. “If I go out and scare a coyote and then a second person scares a coyote, once the third time comes, the coyote thinks: You know what? I don’t want to stay around here.”
White Dasher adds, “When you teach one coyote in a family group, he or she will pass that information on to other members of a family group.” http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2011/07/people_coyotes_070111.html
____________________
More Wolf Hunts? Stop the Aerial Killing!
Oppose the recent de-listing of Northern Rockies wolves from the endangered species list! Take action!
Sponsored by: The Animal Rescue Site
"Idaho's wolves are now more in danger than ever. Congress removed Northern Rockies wolves from the endangered species list, a move that could result in the mass killing of hundreds of these precious animals in Idaho and Montana. Many people in these areas say that the wolves threaten their livestock, but without federal protections, hunters will be allowed to conduct aerial hunts that can decimate hundreds of wolves at once.
What's worse is that the de-listing wasn't based on any scientific findings or data — it was a purely legislative move meant to allow wolf hunting for those who think the animals are preying on their livestock.
The removal of Northern Rockies wolves from the endangered species list could mean disaster for these precious creatures. Sign the petition asking Idaho's Governor C.L. Otter to stand up for the wolves and put a stop to the planned wolf hunts." http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/campaign.faces?siteId=3&adId=77608&placementId=207921&campaign=IdahoWolves
"The de-listing means that the wolves can be freely hunted starting in fall. Many hunters conduct aerial flights in order to kill numerous wolves at once.
What's worse is that their removal from the endangered species list wasn't based on any scientific findings. It was simply done so that disgruntled farmers can now keep wolves at bay from their livestock. Though admittedly a valid problem, mass-killing of the wolves is no way to address it.
If you care about wildlife and the future of the Northern Rockies wolves, you will prohibit anyone from killing them. After all, it wasn't so long ago we were afraid the wolves would disappear altogether."
___________________
Alaskan aerial wolf hunts were authorized by Sarah Palin when she was Governor of Alaska, I lost all respect for her right there!
___________________
Den of Two: Orphaned Bobcat Kittens Learn to Be Wild
The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center creates a temporary home for two babies who need to stay wild to survive.
-
The bobcat kittens at the Fund for Animals Wildlife Center. Ray Eubanks/The HSUS
-
The bobcat kittens' outdoor den will prepare them for life in the wild. Ray Eubanks/The HSUS
-
The bobcat kittens are both orphans who came to the center separately. The HSUS
-
Staff keep contact to a minimum, so the bobcats can teach each other to be wild. The HSUS
by Julie Hauserman
"When a seven-week-old orphaned bobcat arrived at the Fund for Animals Wildlife Center in Ramona, Calif., he was friendly and happy—and that wasn’t good.
It’s best that wild bobcats don’t get too comfortable with humans, and this little guy—dubbed “Happy Bob” needed to quickly be separated from people once his immediate medical needs were met.
A woman in La Jolla, Calif. found the little bobcat on her back porch, and she mistakenly thought he was a regular lost neighborhood kitten. Her husband returned from a trip and immediately realized the kitten was a wild cat.
Search for a bobcat buddy
Once at the Wildlife Center, the bobcat was checked out and quarantined. Then, Wildlife Center Director Ali Crumpacker went to work trying to find a nearby wildlife rehabilitation center that might have another bobcat baby, since bobcat kittens are raised together in the wild.
But transferring “Happy Bob” proved unnecessary, because—surprise!—another orphaned bobcat came into the Wildlife Center shortly after.
“It’s rare that we get bobcat kittens at all,” Crumpacker said.
Bobcats are elusive, and they largely range in Northern California, not Southern, where the Wildlife Center is located.
Angry Bob arrives
They called this new bobcat “Angry Bob,” because he came in “feisty and hissing at us,” just like a wild cat should, Crumpacker said.
He was weak, and “we pulled 44 engorged ticks off him,” Crumpacker said.
When the second cat was well enough, both were moved outside to a small enclosure that mimics a den.
Raised to be wild
“We stay away from them as much as possible,” Crumpacker explained. “We are letting them teach each other how to be bobcats.”
The bobcats are fed by humans who hide behind a blind to prevent the cats from associating humans with the appearance of food. As the cats grow, they will be moved to a larger enclosure with trees to climb.
When they are six or seven months old and it is clear they can fend for themselves, the cats will be released to live their lives in the wild."
"See a video on our Facebook page of one of the bobcat kittens learning to climb a tree branch in their enclosure.and how it attacked the webcam at: http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2011/06/bobcats_ffawc_061311.html "
____________________
Urge universities to protect animals used in experiments.
August 4, 2011
Stop Suffering in Campus Labs
"A dismal cage in a university laboratory is what hundreds of thousands of animals call home. It is where they may endure severe pain and distress without relief.
At Emory University, a young monkey was intentionally infected with malaria and allowed to suffer for days without relief, even with gangrene on his fingertips and tail, severe anemia, purple spots covering his body, and an inability to eat. He was finally euthanized 14 days after being infected.
Help prevent other animals from suffering like he did -- urge more than 400 federally-funded universities to adopt policies prohibiting severe suffering in animals at campus laboratories."
Thank you for all you do for animals. 
Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO
___________________
Conservation professional rescues humpback whale
Aug 1, 2011 11:18:15 PM
"Whale activist and expert Michael Fishbach was traveling through the Sea of Cortez in northwest Mexico over Valentine's Day with family and friends when they thought they saw a dead whale. After watching for a few minutes they saw no movements. Then, they saw the floating mass "forcefully exhale," according to Fishbach in a video he made about the event.
Fishbach dove in to the waters to find the whale "severely entangled" in a fishing net used by local fishermen. He released the whale's dorsal fins himself, but decided to call for help. The authorities said they would arrive "maybe" in an hour, so Fishbach and his group decided to take action themselves.
One small knife was used to released the pectoral fins, and the team was eventually able to free the back fins. The whale, which they named "Valentina," seemed to enjoy her freedom as she breached and slapped for the crowd for miles.
Fishbach and Gerhson Cohen founded The Great Whale Conservancy in 2010. The Conservancy is part of the Earth Island Institute's International Marine Mammal Project and the Campaign to Safeguard America's Waters. The organization seeks to protect blue whales along the coast of California from ships and other forms of death."
___________________
Endangered Manatees Need Your Help
"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed rules to protect endangered manatees from being harassed, injured or killed by boats in Kings Bay of Crystal River, Florida -- one of the manatees’ most important habitats. These rules include commonsense proposals like restricting the speeds of high powered boats around manatees, and making it illegal to try poking or standing on them.
But the proposal, which the agency developed after years of public input from tens of thousands of concerned citizens, has been painted by some as a “Big Government” conspiracy to infringe on individual liberty. These gentle manatees are being used as a pawn in partisan power plays. We can’t let this happen.
TAKE ACTION
Please send a brief, polite message to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to thank them for the proposed rule that would help protect endangered manatees. Although manatees are protected as an endangered species, they continue to suffer severe but preventable injuries and death from boat strikes. Take action by supporting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's proposed rule to protect manatees from injury and death. Will you please take a moment to help manatees? "
Click here to take action: http://bit.ly/oTAj73
And more:
Your Urgent Support Is Needed For Critical New FWS Protections for Manatees in Crystal River
"Lethal propeller wounds on a manatee nicknamed "Patriot," who died in Kings Bay, from her injuries before she could be rescued. Patriot was so named because she was killed on July 4, 2007 in the dangerous Kings Bay high-speed zone. Such unnecessary deaths and injuries to manatees would be eliminated by these new FWS manatee protections. (Photo courtesy Tracy Colson)
Last winter, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) put in place an emergency rule to protect manatees from harm, including harassment, in Crystal River, Florida. That rule expired in March 2011, and the FWS has now proposed permanent protections, including an end to a high-speed zone in Kings Bay that is currently allowed during the warmer months of the year.
More manatees are using Kings Bay and Crystal River in all months of the year. The FWS has recognized the critical importance of this area and is proposing these regulations under the provisions of both the federal Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act to keep more manatees from being maimed and killed.
But the entire rule has recently been placed in jeopardy because of unfounded attacks claiming that the FWS is using manatees as part of an international conspiracy by the U.N. to take private property. Unfortunately, numerous elected officials are giving weight to these false allegations. In one extreme case of political harassment, a local Congressman has even filed an amendment in Washington to prevent the FWS from spending money to implement the new rule.
Please help prevent further manatee injuries and deaths by signing this petition, showing that you support the FWS proposal. Just fill in your name, address, and email address below and then click the "Sign Petition" button. We will then deliver the petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "
Support the proposal (FWS-R4-ES-2010-0079) made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate Kings Bay in Crystal River as a manatee refuge. Please sign here: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5215/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=7682 "
_____________________
More Manatee news at: http://www.savethemanatee.org/news.htm and :http://www.savethemanatee.org/aa_usfws_rule_7-6-11.html
_____________________
During “Shark Week,” The Humane Society of the United States Files Lawsuits to Protect Imperiled Porbeagle Sharks
"The Humane Society of the United States filed litigation in federal court seeking to increase protection for the porbeagle shark, a species that has lost 80 percent of its population as a result of overfishing. The lawsuits challenge the National Marine Fisheries Service’s denial of two HSUS petitions to protect the species — first under the Endangered Species Act and second under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
The porbeagle shark is among the most vulnerable shark species in the world, and the Northwest Atlantic population, which lives off the east coast of the United States and Canada, has suffered a fishing-related decline of 90 percent in the past 50 years. Current federal fisheries management measures are inadequate to prevent continued depletion of porbeagle sharks – NMFS does not even track all porbeagle mortalities.
“Porbeagles are not only caught by commercial fisheries, but they are the targets of shark tournaments, where participants are encouraged to catch them and are awarded prizes for killing the biggest sharks,” said Sharon Young, marine issues field director for HSUS. “Sharks are some of the most ancient and amazing of ocean creatures. When so many Americans are celebrating sharks and learning about the need to conserve them, it is shameful that the federal government is playing roulette with their survival.”
More at: http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2011/08/Files_Lawsuits_to_Protect_Porbeagle.html
_______________________
Your ride can be used to help end dogfighting -- find out how.
Show Some Like. Did you know we’re on Facebook? Stay up to date on our latest news, actions, and insanely cute photos. Like us»
August 16, 2011 One Car Makes a Difference
"Donate your vehicle to The HSUS through the One Car One Difference™ program, and you’ll help support our community-based programs to steer at-risk youth away from dogfighting. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles -- you name it, you can donate it. From classic cars to those totaled by flood or fire -- every vehicle has value! The proceeds pump much-needed dollars into The Humane Society of the United States’ End Dogfighting programs.
The donation process is easy. Enter the vehicle’s information online, or call 877-836-6674, and schedule a time to have it towed at no cost to you. The vehicle is sold at auction, and you’ll receive a donation receipt for tax purposes."
Thank you for all you do for animals,
Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO
____________________
PBDEs in Pet Food and in Your Home.
Indoor-pollutant-that-damages-your-pets-brain-thyroid-and-liver
"According to research conducted by Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, and published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives:
PBDEs may enter the food chain in several ways, including contamination of food during processing or packaging and general contamination of the environment via emissions of PBDEs at various points of the life cycle of consumer products. As PBDE-containing products continue to degrade and enter the waste stream in larger amounts, future exposure to PBDEs may begin to shift more heavily from the indoor environment to the outdoor environment and, consequently, the diet (Harrad and Diamond 2006).
The level of PBDEs measured in the meat and poultry in dry dog food samples used in the Indiana University study was considerably higher than the levels found in human food. The IU researchers concluded the PBDE-contaminated dog food was probably the result of the manufacturing process rather than the ingredients used in the formulas.
There are likely a variety of ways your dog's food can be contaminated during processing.
Fatty fish higher up the food chain, like tuna, and whitefish, salmon and other seafood are well known to be contaminated with PBDEs. The chemicals build up in oceans, lakes, rivers, streams and other bodies of water, and magnify in food chains.
It's likely the most contaminated organ of fish is the skin. Fish skin is a by-product of seafood production, like guts and other fish pieces and parts unfit for human consumption. These by-products are rerouted to the animal feed and pet food industries for use in their formulas.
In a previous study of cats, the IU research scientists tested both dry and canned cat food samples for the presence of PBDEs. Dry food showed higher concentrations than canned food, and seafood-based formulas contained the highest levels of PBDEs.
Cats eating commercial diets containing various kinds of seafood have been found to have exceptionally high levels of PBDEs in their bodies.
It's easy to imagine that commercial dog food formulas can be contaminated during processing by PBDEs left behind during the manufacture of seafood-based cat food products.
There was also a study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives on butter contaminated with PBDEs. Investigation into the situation revealed the paper wrapper around the butter had PDBE levels over 16 times higher than the butter itself. It is unclear how the wrapping paper became contaminated.
What is clear, however, is that packaging as well as processing can potentially contaminate commercial dog food formulas with pollutants like PBDEs."
"PBDEs are found in polyurethane foam products manufactured before 2005, like upholstered furniture, mattresses and pillows. They are also used in electronic equipment. Your exposure (and your pet's) to PBDEs can come from your bed, your living room couch, the padding beneath your carpet, or the seat covers in your vehicle.
Other possible sources in your home are electronic components, kitchen appliances, fans, water heaters and blow dryers.
You can also be exposed through cell phones, your TV or the remote control, video gear, computers, printers, copiers, scanners, faxes and even toner cartridges.
PBDEs leak from products when, for example, a TV or computer heats up during use, when a mattress is slept on, or when products containing the compounds begin to deteriorate."
Complete article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/08/18/indoor-pollutant-that-damages-your-pets-brain-thyroid-and-liver.aspx
_________________
Yesterday:
It turned into Sewing Sunday. Shay called me, asking to borrow a needle and thread to fix a sheet. If it were her king-size sheet, she would just replace it, but it is at the house where she is house/dog sitting around the corner. The lady of the house won't be back until October. I knew it wasn't her sheet, as the guest house doesn't have a king-size bed. Well, Shay doesn't sew, that's why she doesn't even have a needle and thread, so I knew that she was really asking me to fix it. My machine is all set up and ready to go, so I told her to bring it on.
While I was waiting, I mended a couple of my own things, and a sheet that Jay had asked me to fix. The rip in the king-size sheet repair went well, but there were other places that Shay didn't know about, that required patches. Upon looking in my sewing drawer, it seemed that the spools of thread, bits of lace, and lengths of elastic, etc, had been square dancing in there. You know, all interwoven in a do-si-do. Prime had a great time 'helping' me sort that out.
I finally found some iron-on tape in the drawer, some fabric off something else, and plugged the iron in, but first put Prime in the Grooming Room so she couldn't get burned. The patches were steam ironed onto the sheet with iron-on tape, and then I sewed around the edge of the patches, so they wouldn't come off in the wash. I hope that old sheet makes it until October!
While I had everything going on a roll, I fixed the bedspread that I have been trying to get done for a while. It wasn't that urgent, as it is a winter bedspread, but it is one more thing out of the way.
Loveland Pass, elevation 11,990 ft.
While I was sewing, I had the TV on the History Channel and the show about how the Eisenhower Tunnel, 11,158 ft, was made. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenhower_Tunnel When I was there, I had to go up and over Loveland Pass, towing a travel trailer. Going up was tough, but going down was worse, and we had to stop to let the brakes cool down.
The way I went was more scenic, http://www.allsummitcounty.com/scenic_drives/loveland_pass.php , but who had the time to look at it!. They must have finished the tunnel just after I was there.
"Further complicating construction, the boring machines could not work as fast as expected at such high altitudes; the productivity was significantly less than planned. The frustration prompted one engineer to comment, "We were going by the book, but the damned mountain couldn't read."
"Initially this tunnel (the Eisenhower bore) was used for two way traffic, with one lane for each direction. The amount of traffic through the tunnel exceeded predictions, and efforts soon began to expedite construction on the second tube (the Johnson bore). Construction began on the eastbound tunnel on August 18, 1975 and finished on December 21, 1979. The initial engineering cost estimate for the Eisenhower bore was $42 million; the actual cost was $108 million (equivalent to $534 million in 2011). Approximately 90% of the funds were paid by the federal government, with the state of Colorado paying the rest. At the time, this figure set a record for the most expensive federally aided project. The excavation cost for the Johnson bore was $102.8 million (equivalent to $311 million in 2011). Not included in these figures is about $50 million in non-boring expenses in the construction of both tunnels."
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenhower_Tunnel
It seems that it costs them a lot maintain it too, 24/7, http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/eisenhower-tunnel/eisenhower-tunnel-interesting-facts.html just to shave off 9.1 miles, and a lower elevation of 800 feet.
___________________
Stephanie wrote an update to Bruce and Margie's blog:
Update Sunday, August 21, 2011
"Hello Everyone!
I have received many emails with beautiful words and wishes for my family. I wanted to update you all to tell you thank you for your priceless words.
First, the good. The "beast" motorhome is gone. Unfortunately it did not sell; however; through legal channels we were able to return it to the lender. It was very difficult to get rid of it, but we are in no way able to keep it in our life. It is not a motorhome for a family like ours to vacation in once a summer.
Second, the legal issues are still going forward in California. If you want you can check on-line to see, it is not something I like to talk about much.
Third and the hardest is that our loving Annie is no longer with us. She passed in April and I'm sure is in a happier place. She was miserable without mom & dad. We did our best to care for and love her, but with our busy lives we just couldn't be with her as much as mom & dad. Her health literally began failing immediately after we picked her up in San Luis Obispo. We hated to see her continue to lose weight and suffer. The "grands" miss her very much.
We will be ending our summer in Maui on a family vacation; where my parents took us many times. So lot's of happy memories watching my kids have fun in the same place my parents took Dennis & I.
Thanks to you all for your words of encouragement. I found this great picture that brings me happiness thinking of just how long my parents loved each other. I hope you enjoy it too."
_________________________
I am so glad that she posted on their blog, as I had been thinking about "Little Orphan Annie".
Hopefully, the three of them are all together now.
Then my sewing machine started acting up, I think it needs a new belt or something, so that was it for the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment