Monday, August 9, 2010

Rabbits and Black-Footed Ferrets

We discussed in a recent article the proposed rabbit cull at the University of Victoria, BC. Recently, the provincial Supreme Court granted an injunction preventing it. In unrelated news, an insanely cute and crazy threatened species, the black-footed ferrets, show signs of having gained a foothold in a national park.

Here’s how Canadian Press covers the news:

The University says it has been served with a B.C. Supreme Court injunction preventing it from killing the bunnies. Trapping has been suspended while the university deals with the court action. A statement from the university also says it continues to work with community groups trying to find new homes for the rabbits. A spokesman for the groups says the injunction provides some breathing room, because members believe the university planned to cull the rabbits before arrangements could be made to move them. Gino Schifrin says a farm in Coombs, north of Nanaimo, has offered to take some of the bunnies and a rescue organization in Texas is prepared to take 1,000 of the critters. But he says red tape has stalled efforts to obtain the necessary permits to ship the rabbits to their new homes.

If a new home for the rabbits can be found, that is indeed great news. The danger here is that this will drag on forever. Which is why we are extremely happy to hear that ferrets are taking hold of a Saskatchewan National Park, again:

Black-footed-ferretsVAL MARIE, Sask. - The reintroduction of black-footed ferrets in Grasslands National Park is being called a success story after the discovery of a litter of young animals — the first wild-born in the species in Canada in over 70 years. Last October, 34 ferrets — many of them born at the Toronto Zoo — were released in the park in southwestern Saskatchewan. After a spring survey, it was found that at least 12 had survived the winter. Now, Parks Canada says, observers have spotted a litter of three kits and their mother on a black-tailed prairie dog colony. Ferrets, about the size of domestic cats, prey on prairie dogs, and use the prairie dogs' burrows for their own shelters. The discovery was filmed by a documentary crew for "Nature of Things With David Suzuki" and is to air in the coming months. "This species was on the brink of extinction and now we have caught a glimpse of a new generation of wild-born animals," said documentary director Kenton Vaughan. The black-footed ferret once occupied a huge range — from the mixed grass prairie in southern Saskatchewan and Alberta all the way to Mexico — but populations fell in the early 20th century after the arrival of European settlers. The last wild specimen in Canada was seen in 1937. Wildlife officials thought the species was extinct until a small number of animals were found in Wyoming in 1981. "The observation of wild-born ferrets is a tremendous cause for celebration and a significant benchmark in the reintroduction effort of this species," said federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for these guys..

Sources / More info: flickr, wfp-bff, vs-fur-flies, ctv-uvic, yt-bff

2 comments:

  1. Women Against Ferrets    ( WAF ? ) 

    It seems that poisoning prairie dogs was so wrong  it killed off
    the black footed ferrets . . but some people are slow on the take . .

    In Victoria, BC and Richmond Auto Mall, it seems that RABBITS
    have become the problem.

    This is where females had added to the problem by claiming that
    using ferrets would be as cruel as pouring boiling water on Bugs Bunny.

    Yes folks, the damage women do seems unstoppable, well, look 
    at the deaths of Bob and Bonnie Dageanis, two retired Ottawa school teachers, shot to death by armed home invading hooligans.

    How did women cause this?
    Wasn't it several females who screamed that guns were dangerous?
    Didn't they conspire to get a law passed at billions of dollars to bring in
    gun control?

    Didn't  the Dagenais fall for this . . that guns weren't necessary ?
    All you had to do was call the police?
    The police would come and save them?

    Well, in the words of Richard Stevens' ( Dial 911 and Die ) Bonnie did just
    that, she dialled local police when armed thugs were home invading, and
    the cops heard the SHOTGUN  blasts which killed them both . .

    NOT A PEEP out of any women's groups . on the killing of women . .
    NO parades, no supreme court decisions against killing people . .
    Actually, IF you do kill people you get legal aid, and reduced charges,
    second degree of even manslaughter .  instead of capital murder . .

    But, mention bunnies and you instantly rouse the protective instincts
    of females . .
    Yes, women will fight you tooth and nail to protect bunnies . . not people . 

    Ah, me
    Len Miller . .
    Det retired
    Vancouver Police Department

    ReplyDelete
  2. While I do agree with you on some points, more specifically the necessity of guns and the waste of gun control (as stated elsewhere on this site) I find blaming women for everything reprobate.

    Women do tend to be more compassionate and "collective-minded" in general, but that is a good thing, because we men are more individualistic and action-oriented. If we manage to communicate better, there's no stopping us as a species.

    We could reminisce about the old, patriarchal ways, but they're not coming back. Shouldn't we get used to this idea?

    ReplyDelete

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