Monthly Archives: June 2012

Rattlesnakes and Grizzlies: Endangered?

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Face to face with an eastern rattlesnake or a grizzly bear, you might not feel that it was the animal that was endangered. However, the eastern rattlesnake came closer to a possible Endangered Species Act listing earlier this month when the US Fish and Wildlife Service began a 12-month review of the species’ status.

Read more in the Chicago Tribune.

Meanwhile, in Canada, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada found no solid evidence of decline in the nation’s grizzly bear population overall, so it denied the species endangered species status, instead designating the western population a species of “special concern.”

Read all about it in the Ottawa Citizen.

Op-Ed Asks for Fewer Deer

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Even if it runs on a Saturday, the least-read newspaper of the week, an op-ed in The New York Times can raise awareness and spur debate. For that reason, you should know about an op-ed that ran last week that makes the case for white-tailed deer overpopulation in the Northeast.

The solution, says the author, Daniel Cristol, a professor of biology at the College of William and Mary, is to stop managing forests for deer.

The focus of the piece is mostly on making the case for deer overpopulation, there is absolutely no information in the piece of the many things that we, as a society, and as state wildlife departments do to manage for the benefit of deer. But the piece is worth knowing about.

Read “Why Bambi Must Go,” NY Times op-ed, here.

Fashion and Art Shows for Bats

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Bats in Vermont are not wearing haute couture gowns, and they are not perusing fine art in Philly, but they are still benefiting from a fashion show and an art show in those locations.

In Vermont, the state Fish and Wildlife Department is the beneficiary of a bat-themed fashion show featuring six local designers. Scott Darling, Vermont’s bat biologist, will be on hand to explain the impact of white nose syndrome on the state’s bats.

Read this Associated Press article in the Bennington Banner. You have to scroll to the bottom of a bunch of jumbled-together stories.

In Philadelphia, a show of bat-themed art is benefiting Bat Conservation International. The show, called “Empty Night Skies,” has already raised thousands of dollars for the organization, according to Philadelphia Weekly, and runs through June 13.

Read the article in Philadelphia Weekly for the details, but be prepared to hold your nose through the first few paragraphs. (Does this guy even know any kids? Today’s generation was brought up with Stellaluna, and in general, thinks bats are cool even — or especially — if they think bats are creepy.)

Photo: Our own bat art, made from a photo of a gray bat from the US Fish and Wildlife Service