In Defense of Nature

 

Where’s the Tolerance for Wildlife?

People openly express tolerance for other people, but rarely for the wildlife that keeps the environment running properly for their benefit. The “Welcome Your Neighbors” sign pictured here grew out of an idea at Immanuel Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, VA. The church wanted to reach out to neighbors and neighborhoods to welcome those who come from different backgrounds and places. It would be wonderful if folks would reach out to their wildlife neighbors as well to make them feel more welcomed.

ALL TEXT AND PHOTOS © Marlene A. Condon

 

Hoo-boy. If you care about our natural world, the last thing you should do is to read your neighborhood blog. It’s terribly disturbing to see how intolerant of wildlife people tend to be.

 

Recently, one man asked about advice for ridding his yard of an “invasion of chipmunks”. The replies brought me great consternation.

 

I fully expected someone would immediately tell him to get a cat, and it was, indeed, at the top of the list. Despite years of public service announcements by the American Bird Conservancy to inform people that cats kill huge numbers of birds (and many other kinds of animals) every year, a great many folks still believe cats are “natural” predators and useful for controlling “vermin”.

 

People don’t seem to understand that cats are nonselective when it comes to killing prey. “Now numbering well over 100 million in the United States, cats kill approximately 2.4 billion birds every year in the U.S. alone, making cat predation by far the largest source of direct, human-caused mortality to birds.”

 

https://abcbirds.org/program/cats-indoors/

 

People also don’t recognize that “vermin” is a derogatory term that serves to implant a negative opinion in the public psyche, which encourages the wanton killing of animals described as such. It suggests that an animal is generally known as a “pest” (another derogatory term) that is dangerous in some way to humans and has no redeeming values. It’s a terrible way to view the organisms that, in fact, all exist to make the Earth habitable for mankind.

 

In the case of chipmunks, these mammals disperse seeds and thus help to replant forests and fields. They also serve as food for a variety of other animals, such as foxes and hawks. The best way to limit their numbers is by way of snakes, another kind of animal people kill needlessly, as evidenced by remarks from social media:

 

“I hate snakes.” “Ugly beast”.

 

Regarding copperheads:

 

· “See y’all don’t get it. For us city slickers the first sight of this snake is not oh cool. It’s more like of F}+{#k.”

 

·    “Copperheads are vicious.”

 

·    “I’m a big gardener and am in the woods daily. It’s one of my fears.”

 

·    “[W]e killed one last summer.”

 

·    “I smashed the copperheads [sic] head with the blunt end of my rake to keep others safe. These copperheads are aggressive as far as I know, no other snake has hissed at me aside from a copperhead.”

 

·    “Very nasty snakes! They bite for any reason at all. We have lost two small dogs to copperhead bites.”

 

·    “[Th]e shovel has been accurate. They have 6 acres of woods in my yard to do their thing. They don’t need to be by my pool to bite my dog (happened) or my grandkids.”

 

·    “Think we all got the point. Be safe and observe your surroundings. Got to do what you have to do. Called survival.”

 

·    “I killed them when I saw them. With dogs, and kids and a wife, I did it for the safety of my family.”

 

Are copperheads venomous? Yes. Are they “vicious”, “aggressive”, or “very nasty”? Absolutely not. They do NOT “bite for any reason at all”. They try to protect themselves (by biting) only when seriously threatened and frightened, as any animal (including dogs and cats) or person would do.

Must you kill venomous snakes for the sake of your dogs, kids, and wife? Not necessarily. If you have decided to move to an area with such snakes, it’s smart to learn to be on the lookout for them around your home. Children and adults alike should never walk around without watching where they are stepping, and they need to remember to never, ever stick their hands or feet where they cannot see if something is there that could harm them.

Don’t think that’s a realistic expectation? Surely you teach your children not to stick their fingers into sockets (death by electrocution) and to look both ways before crossing the road (death by vehicular impact)—both of which are far more likely occurrences when kids are on their own than being injured or killed by a copperhead, especially if brought to the hospital immediately for treatment. Of course, common sense should dictate that very young children should never be outside all by themselves.

 

When it comes to snakes (or wild animals of any kind), you simply need to keep your distance to avoid being injured, and this important truism should be taught to children. Pets, on the other hand, cannot be taught to stay away from snakes; therefore, it’s your responsibility to accompany them outside instead of letting them roam freely.

 

Snakes don’t chase after people or pets; they prefer to be left alone to go on their merry way and strike only when feeling threatened. So, be smart! Stay away from these reptiles and keep your pets and small children away, too.

 

 NATURE ADVICE:

 

Never take advice from neighbors unless you know for a fact they are experts in the subject.

 

For example, regarding chipmunks, a person wrote that they “are very damaging. Many big holes all over the Yard [sic]”. Chipmunks do not make holes all over the yard. This person was probably seeing vole or shrew burrows. Chipmunks hide their burrows.

 

Another person suggested people should call “Critter Control. They will catch and relocate them with Have-a-Heart traps.” Not true. It’s illegal to relocate wildlife. If an animal control service says it will relocate wildlife, the company is being dishonest. Any animals trapped on your property are going to be killed, and perhaps not humanely.

Lastly, the original poster who asked about chipmunks said, “I can shoot them, right?” This person lives in a suburban area and his only concern was that the animal was eating his flowers. Imagine wanting to discharge a gun in a neighborhood where houses are not that far apart and killing animals that are simply trying to survive. Perhaps most disturbing of all, though, is that this man was undoubtedly blaming the wrong critter for his woes. Chipmunks are not herbivorous; they do not eat the greenery of growing plants or their blooms.