ANIMAL CONNECTION

Archive for the ‘Habitat Issues’ Category

I recently did a talk for the Audubon Society on exotic animals.   It was a great project for me and I learned a lot of things I never knew.  Please enjoy.

A growing worldwide trade, fueled by a fascination with the rare and beautiful, often wreaks havoc on Florida’s native plants and animals.  The exotic, dangerous, and illegal pet trade in the U.S. is worth billions of dollars. The intruders are exotic species — non-native plants and animals introduced into the country either intentionally or by accident. Invasive species are one of the leading threats to U.S. ecosystems and may cause devastating economic, environmental, and human impacts. The following 10 animal species are considered to be among America’s Least Wanted:

Africanized Honeybee

Asian Carp

Asian Longhorned Beetle

Brown Tree Snake

European Green Crab

European Starling

European Wild Boar

Nutria

Red Imported Fire Ant

Zebra Mussel

America has a love affair with exotic species, but unfortunately it has a dark side. Go down to Miami International Airport. It’s amazing what comes in on a daily basis from overseas.

The list includes tropical flowers, colorful fish, scorpions and spitting cobras.

Though the imports can start harmlessly as pretty plants or cool pets, far too many wind up in the wild, becoming a growing exotic menace that some say is the single biggest threat to the nation’s protected species.

Many scientists consider Florida ground zero in the invasion with more exotic imports arriving daily and more protected species at risk than anywhere else except Hawaii. Hundreds of nonnative species flourish in the wild.

Some wildlife professionals say that in a decade or two, the ecology of the state of Florida is not going to be what we’ve known all our lives.  It’s going to be changed by all these exotic species.

People have long traded in goods such as seeds, plants and animals. But an explosion in global trade and Internet sales triggered a more rapid and prolific exchange. Overall, more than 50,000 species of plants, animals and microbes have been introduced to the United States.

A staggering number of (species) are being moved from disparate places to our lands, and sometimes waters, at a speed never before accomplished and it happens with little oversight.

That troubles conservation scientists who fear invasive species are threatening natural ecosystems. A plant or animal becomes “invasive” when it thrives and reproduces in new surroundings and harms native plants and animals, placing them at risk of extinction.

Most species brought to the United States are beneficial rather than invasive, including cattle and crops such as rice.  But when exotics escape or are released into the wild and face no natural predators, they can cause major problems.

Florida, however, with up to 100,000 pythons roaming in the Everglades, is considered by some the poster child for “really creepy invaders.”

Dozens of other nonnative reptiles and amphibians thrive in the state’s temperate and subtropical climates.

Exotic armored catfish are most likely the result of escapes or releases from aquarium fish farms. In Florida, this species occupies waters adjacent to Everglades National Park and is considered a threat to the park.  Males will dig out river banks to create burrows in which an attract female, where they lay and guard her eggs. In large numbers, burrows potentially destabilize the banks, leading to an increased rate of erosion.  These fish seem to be spreading throughout the rest of the state. Over the years, the United States has introduced a large amount of wildlife and plant species from the continent of Asia, such as beetle insects. The primary reasoning for introducing these species include pest control — which is the case for the Asian beetle. However, some Asian beetle and plant species have become an invasive species in the United States since they do not have any natural predators to keep their populations from growing. These beetles have now expanded and decimated red bay trees around Jacksonville and the Palm Coast.These kinds of issues nationwide, leave nearly half the country’s 958 protected species at risk from competition by these intrusive exotics.

The invasive exotics cost the country more than $137 billion a year in damage and containment efforts. That’s one dollar for every $8 worth of food grown and nearly double what the nation spends annually on cancer treatment. Florida property owners and agencies spend more than $600 million a year.

Between diseases such as citrus canker, which killed off tons of citrus trees, weeds and the bugs that are killing forest plants and crops, the overall economic impact is very severe.

Conservation scientists say legislation and rule changes are urgently needed to limit the flow of invasive, exotic species, build a coordinated nationwide effort to determine the extent of the problem and repair the damage. The hope is to enlist others in this battle to contain and control exotics, including legislators who could funnel more money to combat the problem. The hope is also to convince backyard gardeners to plant natives and to stop owners of exotic pets from releasing them into the wild.

Efforts to restrict trade and exotic pet ownership meet heavy resistance.

Progress toward a zealous national effort to control exotics has been slow, but the call for action took on new urgency after July 1, 2009. That’s when a Sumter County family’s pet Burmese python strangled a toddler. Officials say the python was improperly caged and the family didn’t have a permit.

The resulting nationwide headlines made threats posed by exotic animals a very major issue.

Florida is cracking down on the sale of Burmese pythons. The so-called ‘reptile bill’ (SB 318) disallows importing, selling, or swapping the giant snakes and seven other constrictor species as personal pets.

Proponents of exotic pet and plant ownership and some scientists fear the new legislation and rule changes might unfairly hinder trade, limit personal freedom, and create an underground black market that could make matters worse.

Scientists are working to develop ways to analyze which species could be most invasive and what economic and environmental problems they could cause. Knowing the flow of exotic invaders may be impossible to stop, they continue looking for ways to minimize impacts.

State and federal agencies and private landowners have achieved some successes with plants, pests and animals.

The Gambian rat is an African native that can grow to the size of a raccoon. A few rats were released in 2003, by a pet breeder in the Florida Keys. The rat is yet another threat to Florida’s fragile ecosystem and human life. Gambian rats eat almost anything, including the eggs of endangered birds, snails, crabs, seeds and endangered plant life.

Many people were surprised to learn that earlier this year, an Orlando man had brought a nonindigenous species of cockroach into his community to feed his reptile. This is a bad idea for a number of reasons, but it’s nothing new.  There are so many people doing the same thing.

Killer bees, fire ants, termites, root weevils, insects that spread citrus greening, yellow fever mosquitoes, gypsy moths, screwworms, exotic catfish, eels, monitor lizards and venomous spiders are just a few introduced pests that no one in America ever expected to see in their backyards.

Yet pests still get in, and some get released into the environment. Recently, there was an orange-spotted roach imported allegedly without proper shipment papers. Importing any living, and certain dead animals into Florida requires state and/or federal government approval.

Imported insects or animals can spread and compete with, reduce or eliminate other species of wildlife. They can also facilitate the spread of human disease and severely impact our agricultural commodities and our environment.

Excessive cargo for the number of available inspectors, incorrect identification of pests and smuggling are all ways in which exotic pests enter the country.Imagine Florida without fire ants. Those who lived here before World War II can remember picnics and beaches, parking lots and baseball fields devoid of fire ants. Then somebody allowed an ant-infested shipment from South America to be delivered to Alabama. Fire-ant venom can cause life-threatening anaphylactic shock in some people.

Everyone needs to be careful when importing food, animals or dead plant materials from outside of America. Military personnel returning from other countries should inspect their packed items for any pests. Fresh foods and plant, insect or animal materials require a permit issued by state and/or federal authorities.

Many countries impose hefty fines for illegal importation of plant and animal materials. In the U.S., punishment can include forfeit of all illegal items to authorities and possibly fines and probation.

The Lacey Act, enacted in 1900 and amended several times since to combat trafficking in illegal plants and wildlife, is especially strict when it comes to importing plants. Many plants and insects are sold over the Internet without proper permits and documents. Fines can be in the tens of thousands of dollars, plus jail time.

Collectors of plant, insect and animal materials must insist on proper permits, must be sure that these documents have not been falsified and must retain the documents.

Even one exotic pest-infested item carelessly discarded can wreak havoc.

Piranha are fish that are only a foot long.  They are the most ferocious fish in the world. Even the most formidable fish, the sharks or the barracudas, usually attack things smaller than themselves.  But the piranhas habitually attack things much larger then themselves.  Piranha should be considered potentially dangerous even though there is no record of attacks resulting in death by these fish on live humans.  Reported injuries are from fishermen carelessly removing fish from the hook, or recovery of drowned victims who were later eaten by these fish.  These fish are scavengers by nature.  It is unlawful to keep piranha as pets in Florida, but people do it! It’s punishable by a maximum $1,000 fine and a year in prison.  About 1 year ago a piranha were found in a retention pond in Florida.  The authorities feel these piranha were pets.

Due to Florida’s prominence in the exotic pet trade, iguanas imported as pets have escaped, or been released, and are now established in Florida. This has created unique problems for Florida’s homeowners and businesses.

The Green Iguana may be brown, gray, black or dark green. The males turn orange when they are mating. Babies and juveniles are bright green, and adults have black bands on their sides and tails.  The Common Green Iguana lives in trees, usually near water. You can spot them on the branches that hang above a pond, lake, canal or river. They will sun themselves on grassy slopes, tree trunks and limbs. They are excellent climbers and swimmers. They build burrows which can weaken waterside structures like embankments, cement seawalls and docks.  Green Iguanas are herbivores and live on vegetation. They like to eat brightly colored flowers like hibiscus, orchids, and bougainvillea. Their poop is generous and they leave it on our pool decks, docks, sidewalks, and rooftops. Because they eat our plantings and poop in our yards, Florida neighborhoods are waging war with the Green Iguana.

If you leave iguanas alone, they will not approach you or threaten you or your pets. However, if you corner them, they may bite, scratch, or whip you with their tail in self-defense. Both males and females are territorial and will defend the trees they live in and the area around them–including your entire backyard. If you dispose of an iguana in your backyard, another will come to take its place. If you prefer not to share your yard with iguanas, it is best to iguana-proof your home rather than trying to kill off the animals one at a time.

The Cuban Knight Anole is often confused with the juvenile Common Green Iguana because they are the same shade of green. However, on close inspection, these lizards are quite dissimilar. The Knight Anole has a triangular head, and the tail is extra long. There are yellow slash markings on the body and the dewlap is pale pink.

Most of the Knight Anoles living and breeding in the wild are in the Miami area, but they have been reported around the state and as far south as Key West. They were imported by the pet trade, but these lizards do not make good pets.

Knight Anoles are carnivores. They eat mostly large insects and fruit, but will prey on frogs, small anoles and geckos, small birds, bird eggs and hatchlings. When cornered, these lizards stand their ground, inflicting a heartfelt bite in order to protect themselves. They have sharp teeth.

It is not easy to spot a Knight Anole because they live high up in the tops of trees, hidden in leafy canopy. You may see them sunning on tree trunks, clinging to the bark while facing the ground, or sneaking across phone lines from tree top to tree top. If you see one, do not approach or attempt to capture this lizard. Outside of the Miami area, you can report your sighting to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on their Nuisance Species Hotline.

The nine-banded armadillos are common here in Florida. They are not native to the state but were introduced here in the early 1900′s. The Spanish name armadillo, which means “little armored one”, originated from the Spanish conquistadores.  They now live throughout the state and can be found wherever there is dense ground cover.

The nine-banded armadillo has been observed to travel, and get across a body of water, by two methods. The first method is the ability to float across by gulping air into their stomachs and intestines (Watson, 1989), and secondly if the body of water is shallow enough, the nine-banded armadillo is able to walk across the bottom by holding its breath for up to five minutes.

Armadillos are, to some degree, beneficial because they eat adult insects and larvae. But their feeding behavior also can cause problems for property owners and managers. When looking for insects in the soil, armadillos dig numerous holes in golf courses, lawns, flowerbeds, and gardens. These holes typically are 1-3 inches deep and 3-5 inches wide. They also uproot flowers and other ornamental plants. Armadillo burrows under driveways and patios can cause structural damage; and burrows in pastures can pose a potential hazard to livestock.

On the positive side, the nine-banded armadillo has become an important animal in the research of Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy, which effects 4,000 individuals in the United States. At first it was thought that nine-banded armadillos weren’t able to procure leprosy due to their location. Eventually, people in Texas and in Louisiana were infected with the disease, which was later discovered that it was due to the extensive handling of nine-banded armadillos – racing armadillos, extracting meat, and making souvenirs from their shells (Wilson, 1997).

One last animal we are seeing in Florida is the Wild Boar.  Feral hogs have nearly the highest reproductive rate of any large animal on Earth.  First brought to North America by Spanish explorers to be used as domestic pigs, European wild boars have since formed feral populations that wreak havoc on the ecosystems they inhabit. These secretive, highly adaptive opportunists seek out and destroy native plant communities without regard for rare or endangered status.  They have destroyed breeding sites and degraded key habitats of several endangered amphibians, and pose a serious threat to coastal nesting areas for marine turtles. Their ravenous consumption of food upon which other forest species depend has had a direct negative impact on native animals.

Florida is bound to suffer economic loss because of alien predators. There is no sure way to protect Florida visitors and tourists from the  bees or pythons. Florida is known for its many outdoor attractions, popular recreation events, coastal beaches and miles of nature trails. As for protection from other animals, like the feral hogs, they are a menace across Florida. It’s not unusual to spot wild hogs near wooded areas while traveling the highway. Wilderness hikers have to travel with care and stay alert.

Florida is a retirement haven for seniors. Families with young children flock to central Florida all year ’round for the many outdoor attractions. South Florida is a tropical paradise. Northwest Florida offers some of the finest fishing in the world; visitors and private groups come in droves to rent charter boats and enjoy the white sandy beaches that make up the emerald coast. But is it safe to vacation in Florida? Is it safe to move to the sunshine state with so many invasive animal and plant species endangering native inhabitants and humans?

No one knows for sure how much damage the predator invasion will cause. Is the federal government doing all it can to stop the predator population explosion in Florida?  Wildlife experts and many residents say no.  The saga continues.

The holidays are a wonderful time of year; friends and family visiting and an abundance of new toys for your pet.  Those annual holiday items we think are beautiful and peaceful are viewed as toys by your dog and then a menace when they ingest it.  To make sure that your holiday runs smoothly, here are a few tips to dog proof your house during the holidays.  These suggestions should be used for other your other pets as well, like cats and ferrets.

Everyone loves the holiday lights that glow beautifully in the night this time of year; but there is an unseen hazard.  Dogs, especially those who are over curious, will find the cords to your indoor and outdoor lights a toy.  This is a hazard if your dog chews on the cords, they could expose the wiring which could shock or even electrocute your pet.  To avoid this, make sure to tie your cords together and hide them under a sheet or cord cover and check regularly that your pet hasn’t messed with the cords.

The tree looks beautiful to us but to a dog it is covered with lots of toys.  All those shiny, glittery balls are great to knock off the tree, then break, and then eat.  And once it’s eaten, the problems multiply.  The last thing you want during the holidays is a pet with a blocked intestine and in need of surgery.  Set your tree off the floor on boxes and cover those boxes with a large tree skirt, and don’t hang ornaments too low where your pet can get to them.

Everyone knows the best food of the year is made during the holiday season.  There is a lot of turkey, chocolates, cakes, cookies, and the list goes on.  All of these foods are dangerous to your pet.  After cooking a turkey, make sure the keep it out of the way where your dog can’t get at it, and when you are finished with the turkey, take the trash with the bones out to a lidded trash can immediately.  Dogs love turkey bones which are sharp and can puncture the intestines if eaten.  Many meals contain a chocolate treat this time of year as well.  Chocolate is a poison to dogs and should be kept out of reach at all times.  Keep an eye on your dog to make sure it’s not getting into anything they shouldn’t be.

Dogs react to alcohol just like anyone does.  Except, your dog has a low tolerance and can get sick from it.  Every year beloved pets die from alcohol poisoning.  Don’t let them drink from the punch bowl or the eggnog.  Keep it out of reach of your pet.

Holiday plants like poinsettias, mistletoe and holly can be dangerous to pets.  Recent studies have shown that the plants are not as dangerous as they were thought to be, but they can still cause stomach upset for your pet.  Use fake plants instead, just make sure that your pet doesn’t eat the fake flowers which are also dangerous.

Dogs, like humans and all other living organisms, need food. The right food is important, it makes your dog look, act, and feel better. The wrong foods can upset their stomachs, give them gas, make them appear unhealthy, or even be fatal. Here is some information to help you decide what foods are best for your dog.

Dogs should be maintained on dog food. Whether it be dry or wet food or a mixture of both. There are many dog food companies out there and all of them want you to purchase their food. But which is right for your dog. The first rule about dog food; look on the back of the package at the ingredients. If it starts with anything including the word “meal”, this is a poor food. Good foods will always start the ingredients with a real meat like chicken, lamb or beef.

Many people like to feed their dogs people food. If you know what is good and bad, then it’s ok. But where does that hazy gray line come in? The second rule about dog food; if you shouldn’t eat it, neither should your dog. Giving your dog the scraps at the end of the meal is not good. These scraps are pieces of fat, bone and unedible material, your dog doesn’t know that, but relies on you to feed him appropriately. Some of these scrap foods can make your dog overweight, cause intestinal blockage, or gastroenteritis.

So what can you feed your dog off the table that won’t raise your vet bill? Start with some vegetables. Third rule about dog food, always feed your dog raw or frozen plain vegetables. This means no canned vegetables and no vegetables marinated in butter or other tasty sauces. Good foods are broccoli, carrots, green beans and cauliflower. The downside to the tasty goodness, the gas. Broccoli and cauliflower are known to cause caustic gas. When it comes to meat, feed them steak, chicken or pork, as long as it is not covered in seasonings.

Foods for dogs that are absolute no-nos; well there’s a few and they have serious consequences. Chocolate is poisonous; it causes gastroenteritis and can lead to death if not dealt with quickly. Garlic, onions and shallots are all poisonous. If you season your meats or vegetables, make sure they don’t contain these ingredients. Here is a link to foods poisonous to your pets.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1659&aid=1030

Proper food makes for a healthier dog. Feed your dog well, treat often, but make sure it’s doggie safe.

If you notice that your pet got into something they shouldn’t have, call your vet immediately.  Let your vet know if you notice any changes in bowel movements, eating and drinking habits, playfulness, lethargy; these symptoms will help your vet pin point your pet’s problem and help to solve it sooner.

For more animal related information please visit this link as well.

Have a happy holiday season and remember to animal proof your house for the holidays.

The oil disaster in the Gulf is far from over.  Even though it’s no longer in the news, there are a lot of environmentalists and experts in engineering, science, commerce, culture, socio-economic studies and research wanting to educate the public about solutions to sustainability issues.

Deltas and estuaries are among the most productive and the most threatened ecosystems on earth. As such, there is an unprecedented urgency for collaboration across deltaic regions of the world to share technology, develop intellectual capital and build knowledge about sustainable deltaic systems.

“The greatest tragedy that we face is not the oil spill itself, but our own willingness to believe that our wildlife and way of life is back to normal. This is a great disservice to our country, our people, and those who will be here long after we are gone”.  Roger Ivens  Defenders of the Coast

I want to bring more information to the pubic so people can feel empowered to do things in their own lives that will have a positive impact.  Education and awareness is the key to opening these doors.  On November 18th there will be an event in New Orleans.  It is called, “Celebrating Critters and the Coast”.  It will benefit two non-profit organizations on the front lines. They help the wildlife and companion animals affected from this situation.

Even if you can’t attend this very special event in New Orleans, you CAN be part of it.  Go to our website homepage and click on “Celebrating Critters and the Coast” If you buy a ticket to the event, you will be entered into the contest to win a 1 week stay in Costa Rica or Steamboat Springs.  You pick the one you want.  They sleep 6-8 people and valued at $3500.

Steamboat Chalet

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, also known as ascorbic acid.   The vast majority of animals and plants are able to synthesize their own vitamin C.   Among the animals that have lost the ability to synthesize vitamin C are: humans, primitive primates, small rodents including guinea pigs and capybaras, as well as flying mammals like bats.

In 1753 Captain Lind of the British Navy showed that the disease scurvy, which was common in sailors, could be cured by giving them lemons, limes and oranges.  Ascorbic acid is readily absorbed from the intestine and stored in the liver, adrenals, pituitary and corpus luteum.  Foods that contain Vitamin C include, but are not limited to: fresh fruits, mainly citrus, like lemons, limes, oranges, tomato, pineapple and papaya.  It is also found in fresh vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce and beans.  Amla is one of the richest sources of Vitamin C, either fresh or dried.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps the metabolic process in the body, which includes: tissue growth and repair, adrenal gland function, healthy gums and wound repair.

It is NOT manufactured by our bodies so it must be obtained by diet or supplements. Most Vitamin C is lost through urine.

Smoking and alcohol decrease Vitamin C in the body.  Canning and prolonged cooking destroys most of the Vitamin C in foods.  Certain medications as well as depression will decrease Vitamin C.

The animals that are similar to humans when it comes to inability to synthesize Vitamin C, are also prone to scurvy and other health issues if they don’t get it in their diet.

Many veterinarian’s say that cats, dogs and horses benefit from having Vitamin C.  There is also controversy as to whether dogs and cats should have Vitamin C.  Some say it can cause issues like kidney stones.  Please talk with your veterinarian before giving your animal any supplements.  It has been shown to help with stress in animals.

The makers of the vitamin supplement, Emergen C, have generously offered to donate hundreds of thousands of packages to animals. The packages are at their expiration date, so they are asking that they go to animals.  If you have a shelter, or organization, with animals that need Vitamin C, please let me know.  I can get the Vitamins to you.

There might also be other Vitamin C packets available that can be distributed to missionaries and people who need these Vitamins.

Please contact me if you have interest in knowing more and getting some of these Vitamins.

Here’s a shocker for everyone. When you continue to destroy an animal’s habitat and force them to constantly relocate it is highly possible they’ll wind up on your doorstep. The latest animal to start wandering the streets and roads outside of the forest are black bears and now the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has drafted a Bear Management Plan that could reopen bear hunting that has been banned since 1994. Scroll down where you can make a difference regarding this subject.

According to David Fleshler’s article in the Orlando Sentinel, instances of black bear sightings have been reported as they become more visible. One “. . . showed up in Weston, prowling gated communities and city streets before wildlife officials hit it with a dart at a busy intersection. Another visited Universal Orlando and hung out at the Hard Rock Hotel’s pool until it was captured. Road kills and complaints of bears in garbage have soared, particularly north of Orlando where a booming bear population is bursting out of the Ocala National Forest.”

Wherever you seem to go in this country, wildlife commissions of one sort or another are asked to address nuisance and even dangerous problems caused by deer, bears, wolves, coyotes and other animals that result because the human populace has encroached on the land where they live or altered the ecosystem that helps sustain them. A plan is often asked for and one of the options most likely to be considered will be hunting. Whenever the hunting option is proposed in a modern society we must consider how far we have regressed as a civilized people.

While the plan doesn’t immediately call for bear hunting to be reopened, it is the “most explosive” issued raised. According to the FWC, “The plan acknowledges the controversial nature of bear hunting and the need to incorporate a wider array of stakeholder involvement to explore hunting as part of Florida’s bear management program. Currently, black bears are protected in Florida and may not be harmed or killed.”

Already hunters are chomping at the bit to raise their guns and add another kill to their bloody bag. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance has reported, “Florida is currently seeking input on a draft framework that will guide the state’s future development of black bear management plans.” They are encouraging their members to leave comments on the proposed plan at an FWC dedicated webpage.

One of the comments posted reads, in part, “As a 52 year old hunter I will voice my input to keep hunting as a viable tool of management. I have hunted black bears for many years in Canada and believe it’s a very useful method of control and research. The harvested animals can be checked and monitored for health inputs and the hunters can contribute economic support to your states wildlife agencies. One time a non-hunter asked me if it was not inhumane to hunt? My reply was ‘have you ever thought about how all animals die in the wild’? All species basically have a poor choice . . . I can say that a well placed shot from a ethical hunter will be about as humane as it gets and has my vote.”

Another comment reads, in part, “I am a lifelong Florida resident aged 64 and have been an avid and active sportsman and hunter most of my life. Please use sustainable hunting as a key part of any long term conservation effort for Florida’s black bears. Sustainable hunting will help keep bear populations in check, reduce wasteful road kill, bring populations to the carrying capacity of the habitat, bring needed revenue via hunting license sales to bear conservation issues and increase the wariness of man to this top predator thus reducing the probability of negative or life threatening human/bear interaction. Sustainable hunting is a recognized tool in sound conservation plans world wide.”

In the Orlando Sentinel article, Newton Cook, executive director of the duck-hunting group United Waterfowlers of Florida, provides what he apparently thinks is the ultimate justification for hunting. “The meat’s good, the hide’s good. We’ve got more bears than we need in some areas, not in all areas, and they’re a nuisance. You don’t just open it up for everyone to go shoot one, you control it. Hunting is a legitimate sport, very important to maintaining the proper balance of both prey and predator in the wild.” Gee, controlled legitimate killing. Perhaps this is an overly sensitive response to this so-called “sport”, but is this really the hallmark of our society we want to pass onto the next generation of the human race?

The draft Bear Management Plan was written by eight members of cross-divisional FWC staff. The team, formed in May 2007, wrote the plan in consultation with a twelve member group representing government and private stakeholder organizations. FWC states these five objectives of their draft plan:

1. Manage for a sustainable bear population statewide.
2. Conserve an adequate amount of functional bear habitat to support bear populations and promote connectivity between those populations.
3. Create Bear Smart Communities, where residents, local government, businesses and schools all take part in reducing bear conflicts.
4. Stabilize and maintain core bear complaint levels.
5. Secure adequate funding and staff to enable implementation of the bear conservation program.

David Telesco, bear management program coordinator for the FWC, stated to Mr. Fleshler that “. . . he thinks the state’s bear population could sustain a controlled hunt, with restrictions, although he said he couldn’t be sure without a formal study. Less clear, he said, is whether such a proposal would win public support.”

Mr. Telesco acknowledged, “There are strident supporters for and against. We have to test the waters. We don’t have a feel for what the general public would think.” Furthermore, he said, “The bear-human conflict issue has really taken off. We have a combination of a growing bear population and infringement on their habitat.”

Thankfully not everyone is sold on the bear hunting alternative. As noted in Mr. Fleshler’s article, “. . . any move to open up hunting would be certain to face opposition from environmental and animal rights groups.”

Said Laurie Macdonald, who oversees the work of the Defenders of Wildlife Florida program team in protecting and restoring Florida’s imperiled wildlife, their habitat and a statewide ecological network, “Bear protection goes beyond bears. If we protect enough areas for the bears, we’re really protecting natural systems that all of us love and depend on. I would think the outcry from the public would be hugely against bear hunting. This is still a threatened species, and we will not support hunting of a species whose future is still questionable.”

Others seek alternatives to hunting as well. In the comments, in part, posted to FWC is a strategy heavily endorsed by the animal community on the domestic front that the commenter suggests be applied to wildlife as “. . . a long term sustainable solution. The best way to manage these animals and avoid hunting and future overpopulation is to initiate a neuter spay program as follows. The strategy would be to maintain the wildlife instincts without the unwanted population increases. Thus I suggest vasectomy procedures on male bears and hysterectomies on female bears . . . This strategy would eliminate the need for hunting and would offer a controlled means of determining population quantity and density.”

Also writing on this issue for examiner.com, Samantha Sanders urges Floridians to tell the FWC “. . . that bear hunting should never resume!”

You have until October 1, 2010 to provide public comment to the FWC. To submit new public comments, click here (Under Chapter: select “5-Strategies & Actions.” Under Line, type “All” Then click “Save”). So far, the majority of comments received have been pro-hunting. However, your actions can help reverse that and allow bears to continue to be safe from the bullets of hunters.

Ms. Sanders suggests making these points when commenting to the FWC:

• Although bear populations have increased since hunting was stopped in 1994, there are less than 3,000 bears statewide. According to the FWC, “the long-term future of black bears in Florida is uncertain.” The Florida black bear is designated by the state as a Threatened species.
• Hunting will not reduce human-bear conflicts. The best way to prevent problems is to properly store and secure garbage, pet food and other human food sources that attract bears.

She also suggests writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to express your opinion about the option being considered to once again hunt Florida’s black bears.

Hunting is not a sport, but is nothing more than a killing frenzy. Surely we’ve evolved enough as a society to come up with better ways to live with wildlife than resorting to killing them when we as the human species created the problem in the first place.

I want to thank Stephen Dickstein for this article.

I just returned from a trip to New Orleans.  I attended the Gulf Coast Strategic Planning Conference, Assisting Animals in Need. I met a lot of wonderful people who care about animals and the world we live in. I realized, by the end of the weekend, just how connected we all are in the world.  This situation was manmade and will have consequences that are far reaching.  I see it as a wake-up call.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) had been invited to make a presentation at the conference. The Coordinator of NOAA’s “Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program” was going to attend.  The morning of the conference they pulled out and said they would not send a replacement. They would not say why the pulled out.

We did get to hear presentations from:

1.  Paul Berry, former CEO of Best Friends Animal Society.

2.  Beau Gast, LA Wildlife Rehabilitation Association and Clearwater Wildlife Sanctuary

3.  David Vitter, Louisiana Senator

4.  John Young, Chairman of Jefferson Parish Council   (He was awarded the “Pioneer Spirit Award”)

5. Billy Nungesser, President of Plaquemines Parish (He was awarded the “Pioneer Spirit Award”)

Donna Paige & Billy Nungesser

Billy Nungesser is a very generous man and cares about the public! I told him that I wanted to go out in the marshes and see what is going on, with my own eyes.  Billy called P.J. Hahn ( Director, Coastal Zone Management Dept.) who arranged for me to go out on the boat.  Billy told me that anyone else who attended the conference could join me.  We had about 15 people go out on Billy’s boats.

Two weeks ago Billy took Philippe Cousteau out on his boat so he could show Philippe the impact the oil has had. That trip will was taped and will be seen on National Geographic in October.   Jean-Michel Cousteau had interviewed Billy back in May. This issue is very important to Billy.  You can hear some of his thoughts by watching the video below.

I want to thank Joshua Lee for coming on the boat and being my photographer for the day.(www.Joshualeestudio.com)

The Crew on Billy's Boats

The Louisiana Crew

PJ Hahn & Jeff Dorson

Jeff Dorson, Executive Director for The Humane Society of Louisiana, said he was glad he was able to go out and see what is happening in the Gulf.  The very first thing we saw when we arrived at the dock was shocking! There was a very large area of land that was fenced in with a sign saying: “Warning, Do Not Enter, Hazardous Material”. PJ said that was the area where booms and equipment were housed.  He said it was so full that you could barely walk in there.  Had I arrived 6 days earlier I would have seen it myself.  Unfortunately, BP is taking everything out of the region and nothing was left, except a few booms.  (See below).

I did see tar balls floating in the water.  They are NOT gone.  I also saw oil slicks on top of that water.

Land for Housing booms and equipment

Once we pulled out of the dock we saw, immediately, how slack the care for this oil situation had become. Booms were not in place.  Many of the booms that were in place were covered in oil.  We also saw a number of BP workers on their boats but they were not doing any work. Here are a few pictures from the first canal we went down, the first 5 minutes of our day.

Dirty Booms

Missing Booms

Small Wake from Boat causes Water to go Above and Below Dirty Booms

Workers on Boats, NOT Working!

More Workers

Pelicans

Pelicans on Cat Island, A National Wildlife Refuge

Pelicans on Cat Island

More Birds on Cat Island

There are reports that the oil has gone as far as 5,000 Ft. under the water. The concern, how this oil will impact the whole food chain. The seafood, (Ex: shrimp, crawfish, crabs)  live on the floor of the sea and eat plants/ dead creatures.  This seafood is the perfect meal for small fish.  The small fish are eaten by larger fish which can be eaten by whales, sharks, seals, etc.  Humans eat most of these creatures.  If the creatures at the bottom of the chain are impacted, everything and everyone can also be impacted.  The water all over the world is connected.  It’s the land that is not connected.  Once the water in Gulf begins to move, so will the oil that is still there.

Marsh Land affected by the Boats

One of Several Boats in the Marsh

Gini Hyman donated to our wildlife fund and won a weekend at Clear Creek Ranch in the beautiful North Carolina Mountains.  Thank you so much Gini!

I also want to thank all of the other wonderful people who donated to this cause. Even though the oil may have stopped spilling in the Gulf, the problem is far from over.  The chemicals used to get rid of the oil is having an impact on the wildlife, seafood, etc.  There is still a lot of oil in the swamps where these creatures live.  I am headed to New Orleans to see for myself.  I will do a special report when I return.  I will also post the pictures.

If you would like to help this cause, like Gini, please go to our homepage or click here.

You could WIN 1 WEEKEND at Clear Creek Ranch in the North Carolina Mountains & HELP WILDLIFE.  There are so many creatures that are still dying from the oil that has been dispersed into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.  There are so many political issues involved and it is impacting the lives of so much wildlife.

I am raising money for the wildlife.  Go to my HOMEPAGE and you will see the link “Wildlife Donations”.  If you donate, you have the potential to win a weekend at Clear Creek Ranch in the beautiful North Carolina Mountains. Please pass this on to the people in your database and social sites.

There will also be a conference in New Orleans Aug. 7th & 8th.  Details can be found on their website at www.humanela.org under their BP oil spill link.

Animal Connection will be hosting an event on August 1, 2010 to help the wildlife affected by the oil disaster.  It will be at the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota Florida from 5-9pm.  The fee to get in will be $20 donation.  Kristy and Lindsey Landers will provide their band for entertainment.  They play at all of the big parties for Hugh Hefner, PETA and other well know venues.  People who attend the event will have their name placed on the “wildlife” page of my website specifically for this event.  Even if you send in your donation, your name will be placed on the site.

Yesterday someone said my event is not only for the wildlife but everything and everyone.  They told me that the oil disaster affects the wildlife, impacts the seafood, the life of the fishermen and our economy as a whole.  I NEVER thought of it that way.  It is so true.  That is the exact reason for my show, Animal Connection…we are all connected in many ways.

We have had a number of celebrities and professional athletes express interest in attending the event or helping to promote the event.  I will have the names of the attendees in the next week.

This will be a wonderful event.  Please check back next week for more specific information.  We will also have a Paypal account set up so you can contribute if you would like.

I want to thank you again for your continued support of Animal Connection and the animals that don’t have a voice in this world.

I have been very discouraged watching the news and reading articles about the oil disaster.  Every time I turn around I see, or hear, more negative.  My goal is to empower people, not bring them down. I have been making calls and doing research to find ways that people can help with the oil disaster. The information I get varies from source to source.  I got a call from Jeff Dorson today.  He is the Executive Director for the Humane Society of Louisiana.  He told me about a couple of groups that are actually qualified to help the wildlife in the Gulf.  Even though we have a long way to go, there are people who are able to make positive changes, if we help them.

I found out that there is so much red tape when it comes to helping these creatures. You need the proper training, an organization has been approved and the list goes on. Otherwise, you are not allowed to do anything with the animals.   In many ways that could be good.  We want to be sure the people dealing with these animals know what they are doing.  After all, this needs to improve the quality of life for the wildlife, not make it worse.  There are people who have had experience but don’t have the specific training needed to be approved for this mission.  Then there are those who are doing it for other reasons and it’s a good thing they are not allowed to be close to the wildlife.

Below are some wonderful organizations that could use your help.  You can give your time as a volunteer, send money or make calls/ send emails to officials that have the authority to make the changes needed.

1.  Operation Here to Help, is a joint effort launched by the Humane Society of Louisiana and Clearwater Wildlife Sanctuary to help wildlife adversely affected by the oil spill. Clearwater’s staff and volunteers are trained and certified wildlife rehabilitators who are working at the triage sites and administering direct aid to captured birds. They are providing logistical support by utilizing dozens of their volunteers who are transferring oiled birds directly from wildlife agents to the recovery centers. They’re also providing real-time information to state and federal agents by providing them with photos, notes, and coordinates. They are taking volunteers out on boats, contacting legislators, and more.

Operation Here to Help has staff and volunteers that have been out to the barrier islands in Barataria Bay, near Grand Isle, twice during the past several days. In the six total hours they spent surveying the area on boats, they spotted a mere three agents with nets with two large plastic dog carriers in the back of their boat. Meanwhile, they witnessed hundreds of oiled birds in distress. These trips made it clear to them that more aid is necessary to account for the significant number of birds currently in need of assistance.

That’s why they set up “Operation Here to Help”, a program of the Humane Society of Louisiana, with the goal of surveying the affected areas and providing coordinates to state and federal agencies. Although red tape still prevents them from handling oiled wildlife ourselves, They can provide critical information to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries so that they can most effectively mobilize their extremely limited manpower.

The facts are sobering. They were told by a wildlife agent that, for the entire Louisiana coastal area, there are a mere 100-150 officers licensed to rescue oiled wildlife, on shifts from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM and they do not work at night. These are incredibly inadequate numbers. Additionally, most of the barrier islands, including Cat and Four Pass Bayou, which are rookeries and home to tens of thousands of water birds, have already been contaminated with oil.  The utilization of booms as buffers is extremely ineffective and dates back to the 1960’s. That is why their team wants to be “here to help” direct officers to areas where their work will have the most impact.

They have identified several ways that each of you can help them save more marine life and wildlife, whose lives hang in the balance. Their goal is to complement state and federal agencies in order to achieve the results they want. As one of Louisiana’s most dedicated humane organizations, they cannot sit back and let a handful of government workers and BP contractors respond with disgraceful inadequacy to the worst disaster in modern history to hit our precious wetlands. Here are their plans; they need your help to implement them:

Advocacy:

Call Robert Barham, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife, and ask that he assign more agents to the capture of wildlife and ask him to ask for reinforcements from other states or other agencies if needed. Please use their reports from the front lines as evidence that much more help is needed. Call 1-225-765-2800.  Remember that there are between 100-150 agents out in the entire Gulf Coast assigned to wildlife capture. These numbers are not sufficient for the task at hand.  In the six hours they have spent surveying the areas on boats, they have only seen three agents with nets on one occasion. They had two large plastic dog carriers in the back of their boat, both empty.  At the same time, they also saw hundreds of birds in distress.

Information Gathering:

They will be going out in chartered boats during the next several months to obtain first-hand information and photographic evidence of the mistreatment of marine life.  If you would like to join them, please write an email to contact us at stopcruetly11@gmail.com.  Cost of trip per person: $60.00 for a three-hour trip. They are currently scheduling one to two trips a week, out of Venice and Grand Isle.

Information Sharing:

They will be hosting a two-day conference in New Orleans at the end of July. They intend to invite representatives from BP, the Coast Guard, the White House, members of Congress or their staff, social justice groups, animal protection and environmental groups to attend, speak, and listen to one another with the intention of developing and implementing short- and long-term goals. They will send out additional announcements during the next several weeks. They plan on visiting the coastline on the second day as a group.

Fund-raising

Funds are needed to keep their chartered boats in the water, to underwrite their upcoming conference, and to help mobilize volunteers from around the country. Please be as generous as possible. Each of you can help by donating through their PayPal account at: http://www.humanela.org/bpoilspill.htm.

65% of those proceeds from their website link will go to Clearwater Wildlife Sanctuary, whose staff and volunteers are caring for the wildlife. They have pledged to support them. The remaining 35% will go to the logistical support their group is providing. You can also send them a donation by mail to: The Humane Society of Louisiana at P.O. Box 740321, New Orleans, LA 7017

2. Nature Conservancy

We can’t afford to wait. The damage done by this spill demands that we ramp up our efforts as rapidly as possible.

They know we could be building 20 to 30 miles of reef a year, and promote hundreds of acres of seagrass and marsh recovery in the process. Within 3 to 5 years, they could complete 100 miles of oyster reef and at least 1,000 acres of seagrass and marsh habitat. That’s conservative — it’s possible, perhaps even likely, that a properly designed restoration could support 10,000 acres of seagrass and marsh.

Rebuilding such a system will have huge benefits beyond kick-starting the oil spill recovery:

• If designed properly, oyster reefs will slow, and in many cases, halt the massive erosion that continues to carve into Alabama shorelines.
• Reefs will help to filter the loose sediment that turns Mobile Bay a dark chocolate every time the wind blows.
• Light-loving seagrasses return, tying down still more mud.
• And in the quit eddies created by the reef, marshes will get a toe-hold and spread rapidly.

Best of all, re-creation of these reefs, seagrasses and marshes will result in an explosion of life. It won’t just be old timers who remember what it was like to go floundering in the seagrasses along the shores of Mobile Bay:

• Harvest of white shrimp, once Mobile’s prized catch, will almost certainly rebound.
• Crab habitat will increase dramatically.
• Tens of thousands of young speckled trout, redfish, sheepshead and other Gulf game and food fish will once again find a place to grow and thrive.

To learn more about this endeavor, and how you can help, click here.

3. The National Wildlife Federation has been on the front lines responding to the wildlife crisis unfolding in the Gulf since the BP Oil Spill started on April 20.

Their Louisiana-based staff–already working on existing Coastal Louisiana restoration efforts before the spill–was deployed to help with the initial response. They have been joined by national staff, affiliates in the region and a growing network of volunteers.

They believe strongly they have an obligation to find out what is happening, share this information with the public and do everything they can to help wildlife survive this tragedy.

You can learn more about their “Search and Rescue”, how they are raising awareness and what they are saying on behalf of wildlife.  Click here.