Subject: Wildlife habituation
Date: Nov 2 06:56:09 2000
From: MBlanchrd at aol.com - MBlanchrd at aol.com


Hi, Tweeters,

In many ways, I agree with Kelly. I've seen the same thing.....what appears
to be wildlife """encroaching""" on suburbia are really animals who are
becoming habituated to human beings and their activities. I see far more Bald
Eagles then I used to. I am certain the Endangered Species Act played the
major role in this, however, I think the eagles that couldn't or wouldn't
nest near human habitations died off. What we have left are the magnificent
birds living in our backyards.

Of course, there are tradeoffs.That same eagle is more than willing to snatch
Aunt Nancy's yappy little Yorkie (yaaaaaaaaaaaaay eagle).The guy down the
road has a decorative pond full of koi, which are gratefully eaten by Great
Blue Herons.
The smell of skunk wafts over my neighborhood on a weekly basis. The crows
are tearing open trashbags put out for the garbage pickup.

I WISH a coyote or a bobcat would come and clean out my neighbor's
constantly multiplying gang of cats. As it is, they're in MY yard, hunkered
down underneath my bird feeders like so many panhandlers. And defecating in
my garden, and spraying on my hay, and tearing up my screens, and yowling
like banshees under my windows..........(MY cat stays indoors)
(This is not an attempt to start up the Dreaded Cat Thread).

I'm happy to see the wildlife returning. However,
I do wish deer and porcupines would learn to NOT step out in front of a car
when it's doing 60 miles on hour.

Michelle
MBlanchrd at aol.com
Oly, WA