Human beings take up a lot ofreal estate — around 50-70 per-cent of the Earth’s land surface.And our increasing footprintaffects how mammals of all sizes,from all over the planet, move.
A study recently publishedby Science found that, on average,mammals living in human-modifiedhabitats move two to three times lessfar than their counterparts in areasuntouched by humans.
What’s more, this pattern persistsglobally: from African forest elephantsto white-tailed antelope squirrels inNorth America, the human footprintinfringes upon the footprints of mam-
Anticoagulant rodenticides (AR)are poisons that are unfortunatelyused to kill rodents, such as rats andmice, and are widely available foruse by farmers, homeowners, andlarge agribusiness alike. A paperpublished in Avian Conservation andEcology examined the effect of ARson populations of northern spottedowls and barred owls in remote for-est lands of northern California.Many similar studies have focusedon the presence of ARs in wildlifethat live in urban or agricultural set-tings, where it was believed rodenti-cide use would be more prevalent.This study, though, foundincreasing amounts of ARs pres-ent in remote forest settingswhere it is hurting non-target forest carnivores. The route of exposure forsuch animals is by consuming a rodent who has been exposed to the poison. Thestudy found that 40% of barred owls and 70% of northern spotted owls that theytested were exposed to at least one of eight ARs. Also, the use of what are calledsecond generation ARs is prohibited in agricultural settings without humandwellings, yet there were owls collected in such areas that tested positive for sec-ondary AR. While most of the ARs detected in the owls were at trace levels andnot the cause of death, it is still alarming that this poison is being found in theseremote areas and that secondary ARs are being used illegally. Even morealarming is that the northern spotted owl is listed under the FederalEndangered Species Act and listed as threated under the CaliforniaEndangered Species Act, and is being further negatively impacted.There are plenty of non-lethal effects of ARs which include reducedclutch and brood size, fledgling success, slower blood clotting time,and residual AR transfer to eggs that lead to the suffering of many owlsand other birds of prey.
Evidence ofRodenticides Foundin California Owls
BY M.R.GUERCIO
Continued on page 2
HUMAN-MODIFIED LANDSCAPES
STUDY FOUND THATHUMAN-MODIFIED
LANDSCAPESSHRINK MAMMAL
MOVEMENTS BY UPTO HALF
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSIONFROM FIELD MUSEUM
PLEASE VISIT THE LINK FOR A COMPLETE LISTOF THE AUTHORS AND THEIR AFFILIATIONS.
mal species both big and small. Thestudy, led by Marlee Tucker of theSenckenberg Biodiversity andClimate Research Centre inGermany, is the first of its kind tolog movement behaviors for sucha wide range of mammals global-ly.
“All organisms need space,”Bruce Patterson, a co-author ofthis study and MacArthur Curatorof Mammals at The Field Museumin Chicago, explained. “They needspace to gather their resources,find mates, and perform their eco-logical services.” For instance,bats need room to find and con-sume insects and pollinate plants(which amount to $3.5 to 50 bil-lion worth of agricultural laborannually in the US alone), andapex predators need room to huntand control other species’ popula-tions.
In the study, more than 100researchers contributed information on803 individual mammals representing57 species in total. Patterson offeredup data on the movement of lions in apristine wilderness area of Tsavo,Kenya. From 2002-09, he followedthree lions using high-tech collars thatcontinuously tracked individuals’ move-ment via GPS — the data he con-tributed to the Science study. One ofthose lions, in its natural habitat,patrolled an area twice the size ofChicago (1400 km2) to find food,attract mates, and repel intruders.
But habitat loss and fragmenta-tion disrupt these critical animal
behaviors. Clearing rainforest is anexample of habitat loss — the destruc-tion and loss of usable area for a givenspecies. Constructing a road throughthe savannah, on the other hand, con-stitutes habitat fragmentation — thedivision of habitat area into smaller,discontinuous spaces. When suitablehabitat spaces become too small or tooisolated, animals can no longer affordto visit them, changing their space use.
As habitats become compromised,resources like food and living spacethat animals rely on become scarce.Sometimes, when resources are limit-ed, animals traverse larger areas to getwhat they need — if there’s notenough food in a five-mile radius, theymight move to a ten-mile radius.However, this study shows that on thewhole, that sort of additional move-ment tends not to be an option — ifthere’s no uninterrupted landscapeavailable, then the affected animalssimply can’t live there.
To that end, the Science study found“strong negative effects of the humanfootprint on median and long-distancedisplacements of terrestrial mammals.”Patterson put it more simply: “Humandominion over Earth’s landscapes getsin the way of animals doing theirthing.” Some species, like mice, canmake do with less room, but animalsthat need lots of space, like lions,tigers, and elephants, simply can’t livein areas with lots of humans.
“It is important that animalsmove, because in moving theycarry out important ecologicalfunctions like transporting nutri-ents and seeds between differentareas. Additionally, mammalianmovements bring differentspecies together and thus allow
for interactions in food webs thatmight otherwise not occur. Ifmammals move less this couldalter any of these ecosystem func-tions,” says lead author MarleeTucker.
Across the wide array of species itsdata encompasses, the study points toa singular, and grim, conclusion: Formammal species, the effects of habitatloss and habitat fragmentation don’tdiscriminate by geographic location,body size, or where that species sits onthe food chain — the human foot-print threatens most other mam-mals.
Still, Patterson remains hopeful thatthe Science study can guide furtherresearch and change our approach tohuman land use. “Ultimately, it wouldbe good to know whether there arecritical thresholds in the human foot-print for the species living around us.Are there specific points beyond whichresources become limiting and speciesare excluded?” he asked. “As we con-tinue to transform the landscape andas the human population expands,we’re limiting the space and resourcesthat other mammals need to live.”
https://tinyurl.com/alligatorgolfcourseWildlife Watch thanks Jim Robertson
for obtaining permission to reprint thearticle. Photos are the addition ofWildlife Watch.
Raccoons and opossums that find themselves onto our properties usually move along due to their nomadicnature. However, if you find that these critters are posing a hazard to your property and themselves, a
great natural repellent to keep them away is a simplesolution of about 1 part cayenne pepper, about 8 parts
water, and a drop of dish soap. Spray this on lawns,around vegetable gardens, and around trash cans. Thesensitive noses of these animals will be deterred by thespice. This is just one way to live in harmony with ourwildlife. From the Facebook page of SBWCN.www.facebook.com/SBWCN/?hc_ref=ARTJRMf4mGUC3gGr7rSz6jNSqiJ72DUt1lbbrrrpw6C3wWBrin4AvzoZnqA7BGHHOPk&fref=nf
CNN reports that theSwiss government hasbanned throwing lobstersinto boiling water whilethey are still conscious.They also have bannedkeeping lobsters on icewhile still alive.
That has been donebased on studies that“suggest” lobsters aresentient with advanced
nervous systems that “may” feel pain. [Those of us at Wildlife Watch KNOWthat lobsters feel pain.] The painful solution? Knock them out first!
These changes in law are based on a series of experiments by ProfessorRobert Elwood, Emeritus Professor in Ecology, Evolution, Behavior andEnvironmental Economics at Queens University, Belfast.
Wildlife Watch reached out to Prof. Elwood, but has not yet heard back. Wehave many questions and will report in the next issue if we do hear from him.
Recently, I was in a supermarket and witnessed a lobster reaching up to theworker who seemed to be playing with him by pulling at him with tongs. Thephoto we chose here shows what the lobster looked like. To me, he lookedlike a child asking to be helped, not realizing that he was asking for help fromsomeone who regarded him merely as food.
Wildlife Watch believes that the best solution to cruelty is vegan-ism, a plant-based diet. Veganism alone would relieve much suffering ofour wild land, water, and air animals.
Continued from page 1
RODENTICIDES
Earlier studies concerning ARs have foundextremely high concentrations in fishers, and havelinked this exposure to thousands of illegal marijua-na cultivation sites on public and tribal lands.Heading into the future as marijuana becomes legalized,this is something to be concerned about and warrantsexamination for a safer alternative to poisoning animals thatare simply living and behaving as they naturally should. Acreative alternative to rodent “problems” in agricul-tural settings is being implemented by California’sHungry Owl Project, founded and directed by formerwildlife rehabber Alex Godbe. In 2013 Godbe hadgroups of barn owls in 25 vineyards working to nat-urally reduce the rodent population that had beendamaging their crops, without the use of rodenti-cides. This can be the case for other predators toosuch as coyotes, foxes, skunks, raccoons and opos-sums, to name a few. A good point made by Godbe isthat we are killing off nature’s own rodent control bythe second-hand poisoning of rodent eating preda-tors (Williams).
While the use of pesticides such as ARs is a large issue
that may sometimes seem out of our direct control, thereare still things we can do in our daily lives that can eitherlessen or add to the existing problem. Pesticides have awide-reaching effect that isn’t always in the forefront of aperson’s mind when they decide to use them. Before youuse Ars, keep in mind that you are killing not only mice thatlive in or around your home, but you are potentially poison-ing many other animals and their offspring as well. Friendlyoptions are available that are safer for humans and animalssuch as catch and release mouse traps. For more detail,please visit:
Gabriel, Mourad W., et al. “Exposure to Rodenticides in NorthernSpotted and Barred Owls on Remote Forest Lands in NorthwesternCalifornia: Evidence of Food Web Contamination.” AvianConservation and Ecology, vol. 13, no. 1, 2018, doi:10.5751/ace-01134-130102.
Williams, Ted. “Poisons Used to Kill Rodents Have SaferAlternatives.” Audubon, 2013, www.audubon.org/magazine/janu-ary-february-2013/poisons-used-kill-rodents-have-safer.
------------------------Marissa Guercio is a biology graduate from SUNY New Paltz
who is interested in conservation and animal behavior.
Please watch a YouTubevideo of Dr. Will Tuttle’s andMadeleine Tuttle’s amazingwork to spread veganism
across the globe!www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKreXWObN04&feature=youtu.be
This is a good timeto once again introduce the
World Peace Diet by Dr. Will Tuttle.
Please visit: http://www.worldpeacediet.com/
It can change your life and health,and certainly make the world a bet-ter place for the animals.
Terre Adélie (Adélie Land) in east-ern Antarctica is home to a significant
colony of Adélie penguins. The over18,000 pairs of penguins haverecently suffered a breedingcatastrophe in which all but twoof the colony’s chicks have died.The cause of this tragic event is mostlikely abnormally vast amounts of seaice surrounding the colony, thus forc-ing the adult penguins to travel far-ther for food, said the World WildlifeFund. “The impact of this catastroph-ic event is confined to this specificcolony of Adélie penguins, predic-tions are that the Antarctic will getwarmer and this may pose differentchallenges in the longer term” saidRod Downie, Head of Polar Programsat WWF. As if the penguins didn’thave enough to worry about, and thisis not the first time for disaster tostrike the colony. Four years ago,every one of the colony’s chicks frozeto death when a cold snap followed arain event. We are hopeful that theremay be a light at the end of this bleaktunnel for the Adélie penguins.Environmental groups and officialsare meeting to discuss the creation ofa new Marine Protected Area (MPA)for the waters off eastern Antarctica.If this protection zone were tobe enacted, it would make thearea off limits to krill fisherieswhich is great news for the pen-guins since krill is an importantpart of their diet. This protectedarea would ultimately form a saferbreeding ground for the penguins,something that it seems they are inmuch need of these days. Accordingto Yan Ropert-Coudert, leadresearcher on the Adélie PenguinProgram at France’s National Centerfor Scientific Research (CNRS), thebreakup of the Mertz glacier since
2010 is causing other environmentalchanges in the region as well. Ropert-Coudert said “An MPA will not remedythese changes but it could preventfurther impacts that direct anthro-pogenic pressures, such as tourismand proposed fisheries, could bring.”This is good news consideringresearch by oceanographers at theUniversity of Delaware found that60% of Antarctica’s Adélie penguinhabitat may become unsuitable by theend of the 21st century due to warm-
ing seas andrain.
Please seethe full articleP e n g u i ncatast ropheleaves thou-sands of chicks dead with only twosurvivors by Manisha Gangulyhere:www.cnn.com/2017/10/13/world/antarctica-penguin-chicks-die/index.html
Summarized by M.R.GPhotos from National Geographic:
SAD FOLLOW-UP: PROPOSED MARINE PROTECTED AREA GETSDENIED AT 2017 MEETING OF THE COMMIS-
SION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF ANTARCTICMARINE LIVING RESOURCES (CCAMLR)
BY M.R.GUERCIO
Above, we featured a story about acolony of Adélie penguins who tragi-cally lost all but two of their chicks. Ahopeful proposition to create a newMarine Protected Area (MPA)around eastern Antarctic waterswould lessen anthropomorphic stres-sors on the areas that the penguinsbreed and fish in. At last year’s meet-ing the Ross Sea MPA, which is thelargest in the world, was successfullynegotiated and CCAMLR was hopefulthat this positive momentum wouldcarry the decision to approve anoth-er large MPA covering one millionsquare kilometers in easternAntarctic waters. Not only wouldthis MPA be beneficial for Adéliepenguins, but also would protectunique marine ecosystems.Unfortunately, this propositionwas denied during this year’smeeting due to the lack of con-sent from Russia and China. Themeeting of representatives from 24countries plus the European Union,must all be in agreement in order forthe MPA to be approved.
Fishing is a common excuse usedby parties who oppose the creationof protected waters, as it can beused to exert power and geopoliticalcontrol over this neutral area of the
world. It is important to note, thatthe proposalfor theE a s t e r nAntarctic MPAdid not explic-itly ban all
fishing in the protected area, andaccommodations for fishing havebeen made in the past in other pro-tected areas - - in spite of the factthat the ecology will suffer along withthe individual sea animals.
However, there were positivestrides made in protecting Antarcticwaters at this year’s meeting whichinclude protection of exposed watersafter the Larsen C ice shelf split(Larsen A collapsed entirely in 1995and Larsen B did the same in 2002);approval of an MPA around the ArcticPeninsula, and the approval of aresearch and monitoring plan for theRoss Sea MPA.
If you wish to look into this more,please read the articles below:
Why are talks over an EastAntarctic marine park still dead-locked? By Cassandra Brooks https://theconversation.com/why-are-talks-over-an-east-antarctic-marine-park-still-deadlocked-86681
Plans rejected for East AntarcticMarine Park By April Reese https://www.nature.com/news/plans-rejected-for-east-antarctic-marine-park-1.22913
…AND IN THE NORTH POLE, STARVING POLARBEARS HAVE ALMOST NO PLACE LEFT AT ALLIn the Arctic, polar bears are
dying because they are beingforced to travel farther, whichresults in loss of body fat rela-tive to their caloric intake.Global warming or climatechange caused by CO2 emis-sions are the problem.
Polar bears are particularlysusceptible to changes in seaice because of their huntingstrategies: the bears eat asmuch as they can in the springand early summer, when sealsare having their pups, putting on lots of fat that will help
them get through pretty muchthe rest of the year. But if seaice is missing or is thinner,drifting longer distances, polarbears can’t catch as manyseals, using more energy thanthey take in. That affects theirhealth and their ability to makenew pups: the number of polarbears in the Beaufort Sea hasalready declined by 40 percentfrom 2004 to 2007, likelybecause of changes in sea ice.
Contact GREENPEACE www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/en/ and become involved in their amazing work. Here’s one beginning: https://www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/en/campaigns/agriculture/Things-You-Can-Do-To-Start-Eco-Food-Revolution/
RECENTLY, “FIELD ROAST,” ACOMPANY THAT PRODUCESVEGAN MEAT ANALOGS, WASACQUIRED BY CANADA’S LARGESTMEAT PRODUCER FOR
$120,000,000. “LIGHTLIFE” WASBOUGHT BY THE SAME COMPANYLAST YEAR FOR $140, 000,000!
Maple Leaf Foods Inc, the largest dis-tributor of packaged meats in Canada,has announced it has purchased U.S.vegan meat producer, the Field RoastGrain Meat Co, for $120 million.
Michael McCain, Maple LeafFoods’ CEO, said this move is partof the company’s shift towardachieving its vision of becoming aleader in sustainable protein.
“The acquisition of Field Roastcomplements and expands ourportfolio in the fast-growing NorthAmerican market for alternativeproteins,” McCain said in a state-ment. “It also aligns with ourvision to be a leader in sustainableprotein and create shared valuethrough making a positive social
impact. Field Roast has built brandleadership through focusing onquality, craftsmanship and taste,and its acquisition will allow MapleLeaf to fuel growth in the categorythrough investment, brand build-ing and innovation.”
Seattle-based Field Roast produces arange of vegan plant-based meats,including roasts, sausages, frankfurters,deli slices. The company also recentlylaunched a line of nondairy cheesescalled Chao, and frozen foods, includingvegan mac and cheese.
Animal agriculture accounts for18% of global greenhousegas emissions.
Field Roast is the second plant-basedcompany Maple Leaf has acquired thisyear. In February, the packaged meatscompany bought another U.S. basedplant-based protein company, LightlifeFoods, for $140 million.
Lightlife Veggie Turkey Slices is my alltime favorite! Theslices are super thin,and make a great sand-wich. Best of all, mydog, Chico, LOVES itmore than meat!! Iwrap his heart med-ication in a quarter of a turkey sliceand he gobbles it down without astruggle!!
Wildlife Watch needs your helpmore than ever to continue providingour vital wildlife hotline service to thepublic. We receive calls from acrossthe country and occasionally fromCanada from people needing helpwith injured and orphaned wildlife.Our easy to remember number877WILDHELP is recommended byveterinary offices, SPCAs, and lawenforcement agencies. Additionally,we publish the Wildlife WatchBinocular to inform the public aboutanimals and the people who helpthem, to promote wildlife watching,and to provide the understandingthat all animals are individualsdeserving of kinder treatment.
Will you help our work?Y E S
http://wildwatch.org/join/contrib.htm
The Wildlife Watch Binocular is published quarterly by Wildlife
Watch Inc., a 501(c)3 Corp.P.O. Box 562, New Paltz, NY 12561
Thank you to Julia Parker of SBWCN for filling us in onthe nightmare that torched the Santa Barbara area and themudslides that buried homes, people and wildlife.
We reached out to the Santa Barbara Wildlife CareNetwork and asked to know more about the state of thewildlife there. Julia Parker who returned our call was kindenough to write the following from the frontlines.
During this challenging time within our community, multi-ple species of wildlife have been directly impacted by theThomas Fire and subsequent mudslides. SBWCN hasreceived reports from the public about deer that arechallenged as grazing areas are now barren.Predator species have also been significantlyimpacted, losing a large amount of lucrative huntingarea as many species are forced to move into alter-nate territories due to the catastrophic events. TheSanta Barbara Wildlife Care Network has received reports ofdead bears found on local beaches as well as moun-tain lion sightings close to individuals’ homes. Todate, the SBWCN has admitted a gull and raccoon forrehabilitation that were both found in the Montecito area
post Thomas Fire and mudslide.The raccoon in care has burn
lesions on his paws and tail. Hewas discovered in Montecito bya fireman after the mudslide.With the vast amount of landnow void of vegetation, chapar-ral, oaks and grasses, survivingwildlife must relocate in searchof new habitat, food, and shelterwhile competing with estab-lished wildlife in these areas.
The native Western pond tur-tle (WPT) has been found on local beaches, afterbeing carried away from their habitats during themudslide. Five WPT are in care, one with burns onhis leg and another healing from a broken leg.
Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network is the only generalwildlife rehabilitation center in Santa Barbara and VenturaCounties, the region affected by the disaster. We are enter-ing our 30th year and have noticed that the need for our
work to rescue wildlife increases every year.We cannot yet comment on the repercussions to
songbird and raptor populations, as survivingspecies will have to establish new territories on theheels of the breeding season that is quickly upon us.We suspect that this domino effect for wildlife in theloss of habitat, food supply, shelter, and territorieswill have a significant impact on our local ecosystemfor years to come.
National Geographic has titled 2018 to be the “Year of theBird”, in recognition of the centennial anniversary of theMigratory Bird Act. For the team at the Santa BarbaraWildlife Care Network, this description could not be morefitting. Now more than ever, our attempt to preservewildlife species in Southern California will be invalu-able while our community continues to repair theirlives in the wake of this disaster.
Please visit the Santa Barbara Wildife Care Network at:https://www.facebook.com/SBWCN/ Not only will you seethe extraordinary rescues done by the SBWCN, but you willalso see videos of ANIMALS RESCUING OTHER ANIMALS!
On the SBWCN Facebook page you will see the innovativeand life-saving work of Dr. Jamie Peyton of the UC DavisVeterinary College. She treated this poor bear andother wild burn victims the way human burnpatients are treated, with fish skin mainly fromtilapia. Dr. Peyton said that its use for bears was for thefirst time. Sheand her col-leagues stitchedtilapia fish skinson the animals’feet to sooth theburns. She saidthe bears soonwere up andwalking aroundin their bandages and will be released as soon as they areready.
Wildlife Watch is happy to report that synthetic skin isnow being developed in the US and Australia for treatment ofsevere burns, but as of now it is not available for use.
The Wildlife Watch Hotline – 877-WILDHELPreceives hundreds of calls every year from across thecountry, and a few from Canada. Police departments,conservation agencies, SPCAs, veterinary offices, and fed-eral, state, and municipal offices have referred callers to
Wildlife Watch for help. Your contribution to Wildlife Watch will help us
to expand our volunteer service by allowing us tocover phones 24/7 and update our lists as newwildlife rehabilitators come on the scene.
WHO WILL HELP THE WILDLIFE WHEN THERE’S FIRE, MUDSLIDES, AND DEATH?
THE SANTA BARBARA WILDLIFE CARE NETWORK (SBWCN)
Photo from the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
7
IN GEORGIASavannah Coastal Ecotours
provided by Fran and KathrynLapolla
Captain Fran Lapolla operatessmall boats for the SkidawayInstitute of Oceanography and actsas part-time naturalist and host forThe Ossabaw Island Foundation.Kathryn Lapolla is a Georgia nativeand an avid kayaker and is trained incoastal interpretive tours..
Ebenezer Creek, kayaking through ancient baldcypress.
Let’s Go Wildlife Watching
EYE ON THE NEWSATLANTA, GEORGIA,
POLICE OFFICER WANTS TO HELP ANIMALS,
THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLEAfter a young boy was killed by a
dog who was running loose, the dogwas shot andthe dog’s“owner” andabuser wascharged withmanslaugh-ter. AmySoe ldner ,who is withthe AtlantaP o l i c e
Department, thought of a way tohelp. Not by banning or killingdogs, but by stopping crueltyand irresponsible people fromhaving dogs.
She said, I want to educate offi-cers on using nonlethal methodson animals. And I also want toeducate them and the publicabout the link between animalcruelty as a precursor to moreviolent crimes such as domesticviolence or school shooting. Ifsomeone abuses an animal andthey’re not punished or caughtor redirected, it emboldens themto go onto other crimes.
She’ll be investigating any kind ofcases of animal cruelty. Her love foranimals started when she found adog in a box with a broken leg. Shewas able to get him veterinary care,and he became her companion ani-mal for 16 years!
When we emailed CarlosCampos, Director of PublicAffairs of the Atlanta PoliceDepartment, for permission to usethe photographs, not only did hesend us other photos, but he addedthis heartening response:
As an animal lover myself andproud dad to two dogs, I can tellyou Amy’s passion, care and lovefor animals is unmatched. Andso is her belief that people whoabuse animals will also abusehumans. So this is importantwork.
Officer Amy Soeldner, Courtesy of Atlanta PoliceDepartmentIf you wish to stay closer to
Atlanta and yet enjoy nature andwildlife, please visit CascadeSprings Nature Preserve Trail atthis link: www.atlantatrails.com/hiking-trails/cascade-springs-nature-preserve
It is described this way: Insidethe park’s 120 acres of greenspace, a wide trail networkexplores a tumbling waterfall, awildlife-filled forest, and tricklingsprings that feed the park’s manystreams. The hilly forest is aretreat from the surrounding city,
and home towildlife includingdeer, birds, andturtles.
WHAT HAPPENED TO VINNY NUNU?Thank you to Laureen Straw who
reached out to Wildlife Watch follow-ing the article that appeared inPeople.
Vinny Nunu, was a little bear in NYSwho was nursed back to health afterhe was hit by a car that also killed hismom.
Sadly, the NYS Dept. ofEnvironmental Conservation (DEC)removed him from the rehab facili-
ty where he was staying and he hasnot been heard from. We hope thismystery can be solved by the next issue.
Noble and compassionatewildlife rehabilitators need to beable to protect the wildlife thatthey are caring for without inter-ference and the oppressive author-ity of those in the business of see-ing the value of wild animals onlyfor hunting.
8
Wildlife WatchPO Box 562, New Paltz, NY 12561
NEED HELP FORINJURED OR
ORPHANED WILDLIFE?CALL THE WILDLIFEWATCH HOTLINE!1-877-WILDHEL(P)(1-877-945-3435)
Wildlife Watch maintainscurrent lists of wildliferehabilitators around thecountry. Our hotline helpsus to help hundreds of peo-ple and animals annually.Please help us by becoming aWildlife Watch member for$25 annually and pleasemake an additional contribu-tion for the R.O.C.K. Projectthat will be put into a fundand used to help a rehabberhelp wild animals. R.O.C.K.Project funds will be distrib-uted at our discretion up tothe amount available. You can contribute by PayPalby clicking herewww.wildwatch.org/join/contrib.htm
Contribute by phone with acredit card. 845-256-1400
Contribute by mail:Wildlife Watch, P.O. Box562, New Paltz, NY 12561
NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTERJACINDA ARDERN'S POLYDACTYL CAT,PADDLES, KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENTJust as we were delighted to hear the news about the animal-friendly, newly
elected Prime Minister of New Zealand, and felt a certain glow upon learningthat her cat, Paddles, had been adopted, and just as this was to be an upbeatstory about the antics of Paddles in the inner circle of the government of NZ,our follow-up revealed some sad news: Paddles had been killed by a car short-ly after she became First Cat.
Is it better to let a cat have freedom to run and roam in spite of the dangersthey both face from other animals and pose to other animals? Does the dan-ger from cars or humans outweigh the freedom I wish for them? Followingseveral heart-stopping near misses, and one fatal side-swipe of our adorablecat rescue “Smudge” with his sloppy milk-mustache on otherwise all black fur,I resolved not to let our cats out again. That and the little animals they wouldbring back dead or severely wounded led to this decision. I’ve committed tocaring for my rescues inside. One thing that helps them to stay occupied ishaving another cat or two or three around.
We were so sorry to hear about Paddles and hope that the NZ PM will thinkabout another adoption after the grief related to losing Paddles fades.
Here’s Paddles showing off his beautiful paws on the left, and the Prime Minister and Paddles on the right:
