[NatureNS] Relocating Wildlife??

From: David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
References: <CAMOKTg0Q61wypgz5DomJjxG12QL+mqDdPcusmUZdZ1cFFjxA-Q@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:42:02 -0300
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Hi Jeff & All,                            Nov 2, 2011
    Dealing with nuisance wildlife no doubt involves difficult choices, =
if they are relatively sparse. But with particular reference of Raccoons =
I would, for several reasons, kill them.=20

    Thanks to readily available garbage, which in earlier days would =
have fed pigs or been guarded from Racoons by free-range dogs, Raccoons =
have become abundant with numbers limited only by highway traffic and =
plagues like the current distemper outbreak.=20

     They are death to turtles, being expert at locating eggs, and no =
doubt impact other wildlife.=20

    The old saying 'those whom the Gods love die young' applies =
especially to wildlife who with few exceptions will either die violently =
or hungry, cold,  injured or weakened by disease or parasites.=20

Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville

   =20

----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Jeff Hiltz=20
  To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 10:29 AM
  Subject: [NatureNS] Relocating Wildlife??


  I'm just curious on the good, the bad and the ugly of relocating =
wildlife.


  Last year we were having issues with Raccoon's around our residence =
here in Springhill, a family of Raccoon's had taken up residence in our =
neighbor's garage. They had dug a tunnel and ripped a part of the garage =
wall down and where living in my neighbor's old car that he has plans =
for restoration in the future. Then in the evening the raccoon's were =
stealing our suet's, suet baskets and knocking our feeders down and =
being an overall nuisance.


  Frustrated with the damage that they had done to his garage and old =
car, my neighbor told me that he had plans to kill the Raccoon's. After =
hearing this and my wife and I being compassionate nature and wildlife =
lovers, I told my neighbor that I will get a live trap from DNR and =
relocate them to the banks of a river about 5 km outside of town.


  I waited until the raccoon's were grown enough that they were out and =
fending for themselves, then set the trap up in the backyard and was =
catching and relocating one raccoon a night. I did this for two weeks =
relocating nine raccoon's until I wasn't finding any more in the trap =
and not seeing anymore raccoon's around our yards.=20


  My neighbor was happy and filled the hole and mended his garage and =
hasn't had a problem since.


  On a message board that I frequent often I told my story of the =
raccoon's and my relocating them. Then just recently another member of =
the forum was telling us how he was dealing with a couple raccoon's =
which got one of the other members thinking about reason's raccoon's =
should not be relocated, he seems to have some very valid points but =
even so, I would not have the heart to allow my neighbor to kill them or =
to take them somewhere that will euthanize them.


  I know this forum has some very well educated nature and wildlife =
persons and I would love to hear what the experts think.


  Here is the message that the other message board member wrote:


  Why is it sometimes necessary to euthanize a nuisance animal that has =
been trapped rather than releasing back to the =93wild?=94

  There are several biological reasons why it=92s generally not a good =
idea to move wildlife to new areas. It is difficult to find rural areas =
without any humans nearby. And moving wildlife only puts it into another =
animal=92s territory, which can create stress, injury and even death. =
Other reasons include the following:
  1) Relocation can be stressful to wild animals. They may experience =
elevated heart rates and breathing rates, high blood pressure, acute =
changes in blood chemistry and depressed appetites. These factors, in =
turn, may make them more vulnerable to disease or predation.
  2) Relocated animals have no prior experience with their new homes, =
which immediately puts them at a disadvantage for finding food and =
shelter. Many wildlife species, such as bobcats, foxes, opossums and =
raccoons, are common and widespread. That means when they become =
nuisance animals there is no place to relocate them that doesn=92t =
already have established populations of those animals.
  3) Animals released in a new territory are often out-competed for food =
and shelter by resident animals.
  4) Relocating nuisance animals can increase the spread of disease. In =
some cases, animals become nuisances when they get sick because they =
look for easy sources of food and may become less fearful of people. =
Just as we humans spread disease among our populations by traveling, =
animals can bring diseases into new areas when they are relocated, thus =
affecting the resident animal populations.
  5) Animals that are relocated often leave the area where they are =
released. Relocated animals may wander for miles, leading to further =
interactions with wildlife and people.=20

  I'm not saying we should just randomly go about trapping and killing =
everything. But in situations where there are problem wildlife I'd =
prefer to have them euthanized than released to a likely slow painful =
death of starvation, disease or wounds from fights.

  That's my take on it.=20


  Kristian

  Thank you!!


  Sincerely!
  Jeff in Springhill

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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hi Jeff &amp; All,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Nov 2, 2011</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dealing with nuisance wildlife no =
doubt=20
involves difficult choices, if they are relatively sparse. But with =
particular=20
reference of Raccoons I would, for several reasons,&nbsp;kill them.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Thanks to readily available =
garbage, which=20
in earlier days would have fed pigs or been guarded from Racoons by =
free-range=20
dogs,&nbsp;Raccoons have&n