Random, plus noticing the year

[urbpan]

As the owner of a German shepherd/yorkie/Boston terrier mix, I wouldn't know much about this subject, but it is nice to see a positive pit bull story in the news: Pit bull saves owner from attack by two dogs

In other dog news, a proposed bill would allow Pennsylvania towns to make their own dog laws, unshackling them from the tyranny of the state, I suppose. Pit bull advocates see this as the first step toward Breed Specific Legislation that would target their dogs. However, one online commenter sees it as an even greater first step:
This is a step in the right direction to eventually outlaw dogs completely. Dogs should be restricted to farms or released back into the wild. They are far too unpredictable and dangerous to be part of the community fabric in residential areas. It is sad that it has become so commonplace to own dogs. People have the mind set that this is normal practice and that certainly needs to be changed.
I can't see this catching on right away, what with there being 75 million pet dogs in America at the moment, but hey, a looney can dream.

If exotic animals are more your thing, why not go to the zoo? Perhaps you don't know where the nearest one is. Well, I was planning to make an interactive map showing them all (inspired by the discovery that there's a zoo in Utica for some reason) but naturally someone has already made one. In fact, two someones. Here's a global one http://www.zoos-worldwide.de/zoos.html and here's a little better one, unfortunately with an American bias http://www.americanzoos.info/Files/Webpages/USA/States/States.html

Hey I forgot to mention that I noticed something earlier this week! I saw two different common grackles rummaging through the clogged gutters on the zoo hospital. They were flinging out clumps of oak flowers, which are everywhere in obscene quantities, putting invisible pollen in my eyes and gathering on the ground into huge sausage shaped tumbleweeds. I thought maybe the grackles were collecting nesting material, but then I saw one pick a caterpillar out of the duff and eat it. I've seen birds drink from gutters, but this was the first time I've seen them eat from them.

Baby starlings and robins are also everywhere in obscene quantities. That's one reason I'm happy not to be working at the Audubon society right now. Every weekend until July dozens of people with the best of intentions will be bringing apparent orphans to Drumlin Farm and to various wildlife rehabs, only to be told they should have left it be. Nature is heartless, folks, let it run its evil course--it's part of God's plan to kill 3/4 of baby songbirds before they reach adulthood. If it wasn't they'd only lay two eggs.

That'll wrap up this depressing, but all-animal post. Hopefully I'll be finishing up last weekends pictures before I take too many this weekend.

Comments

[mandy-moon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, releasing 75 million dogs into back into the wild is a FANTASTIC idea. The skunks and raccoons wandering around the city streets and eating the garbage will have a natural predator and our garbage cans will once again be safe. No one will ever be attacked or injured by an uncontrolled dog again. The thousands and thousands of years that canines have been enslaved by humans were horribly misguided and both species have suffered horribly all this time because of it.

[harrietbrown.livejournal.com]

... and we have in the politically incorrect department: "but a loony can dream." Having said that, all I can respond with is: Bwahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!! Sure, release the dogs! See how long you last! Feral dogs are very unpleasant creatures, having once had the pleasure of playing hostess to a backyard full of them.

[hai-kah-uhk.livejournal.com]

At CWC, we write "kidnapped" on the info tags of all baby animals that are brought to us by those well-meaning people.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

That's excellent! I think about half the animals on exhibit at Drumlin were kidnapped.

[frith]

While many of the fawns I've rehabbed were kidnapped, many others weren't. For instance, the triplets that were ripped out of their mother upon impact with a motor vehicle. Those were orphans.

[hai-kah-uhk.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we get a lot of confirmed orphans too. In fact, when there's doubt, an animal usually gets marked 'orphan'. But there are plenty that aren't likely to be orphans at all.

Adolescent robins and rabbits are some of the most common kidnapped animals because their mothers leave them hiding in the grass where dogs and kids can easily find them. Every time someone comes in carrying a box and announces, "My dog/kid found him!" we collectively cringe. Squirrels more commonly fall out of trees when the homeowner tries to do DIY landscaping. We got hammered with fallen baby squirrels this spring.

[frith]

When I got calls from people with a freshly kidnapped fawn I would tell them to put it back and to check back the next day to make sure it wasn't still where they'd left it. If it isn't an orphan the doe will coax the fawn into hiding somewhere else. Just in case it is an orphan (a silent orphan) the best option is that the fawn get fed electrolytes prior to being returned to ensure survival until the morrow. Whatever the outcome, it is best that the public's concern for wildlife be rewarded, one way or another. We are the environment's worst enemy. It is we who are in the most desperate need of rehabbing.

[aemiis-zoo.livejournal.com]

The 1st site you have listed doesn't have Lubee, and the 2nd has out dated information. =/