Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - [NAFEX] Steve's wildlife relocation comments

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Alan Haigh <alandhaigh@gmail.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Steve's wildlife relocation comments
  • Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2009 07:55:34 -0400

The danger of where Steve is taking this discussion is that some might think how wildlife professionals deal with the relocation of bears justifies their unprofessional relocation of common fruit pests like raccoons and squirrels.  There is no relevance at all as far as moving pest animals to new sites. 
 
I have about an acre of bearing fruit trees on my property of 3 acres.  I have had seasons where I've trapped as many as 30 raccoons which is simply an obscene quantity from any ecological viewpoint.  These animals are like outdoor rats (however beautiful you may find them) that thrive in the presence of humans.  Pet food and garbage have increased their numbers and human elimination of their predators has made any natural balancing impossible- short of an occasional rabbi outbreak or other disease.
 
What is the justification for the relocation of such an animal other than to spare someone the discomfort of having to kill it?  I often wonder how this raccoon population must affect songbirds and other wildlife.  Raccoons are well known bird nest raiders.
 
Speaking of birds, squirrels benefit from what I consider to be the ignorant feeding of birds.  Feeders deliver the majority of grain to rodents beneath them even if they are designed to deny rodents access.  The birds themselves knock most of the grain off while feeding.  I often see well developed rat tunnels beneath bird feeders.  In the west there will also be ground squirrel tunnels.  Red and Grey squirrels will swarm to bird feeding sites in winter when conditions would otherwise bring their populations down (naturally).
 
It's interesting that the managers of these feeders (homeowners) are probably demographically heavily slanted to putting a high priority on environmental issues.  I believe that it is far superior for homeowners to create a landscape that feeds birds in a more natural manner by establishing plantings that nourish their birds.
 
I have a very difficult time controlling squirrels and protecting fruit on sites where the homeowner maintains a bird feeder and in neighborhoods where such feeders are common. 
 
The point I'm making is that species whose populations are exploding due to human intervention have no place to be relocated because adequate or excessive populations of the animals already exist most anywhere you can take them.  Only a wildlife expert would be aware if a given location would benefit from the addition of any given animal. 
 
 
 



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page