It’s almost autumn, and that means hunters and trappers are stirring, abetted
as usual by the state’s Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), a New Jersey agency
that often comes off as an ally of would-be animal killers instead of animal
protectors.
Fall means that once again, our black bears are in jeopardy. Remember, NJ’s bear hunt is still a reality, so
this year we need to win the battle with Gov. Murphy. As a candidate, he vowed
to stop the hunt, but then his half-baked attempt
to please both hunters and animal advocates didn’t help anyone, starting with the
bears.
This year, Murphy should give a fair hearing to animal advocates who
don’t speak DFW’s party line (which isn’t good for bears, among other innocent NJ
wild animals). If he could be an unbiased
active listener, he just might do the right thing and live up to his pledge to
stop the bear hunt.
But it’s not only bears needing protection and humane treatment. Our deer are also at risk from hunters of
all stripes -- including the yellow stripe down the back of anyone who would
bait a wild animal, then kill it at close range.
Same with those who use torturous traps that mercilessly kill beavers and
other fur-bearing animals, as well as unrelated animals who are caught by
them. Then there are those who favor
gassing Canada geese as a means of getting rid of them, instead of opting for
humane, non-lethal means of population control.
New Jersey’s wild animals are in trouble and need our help! Next Saturday, Sept. 21, we can show our
resolve and jump-start action on their behalf -- while raising citizen awareness
about this great need -- by rallying for all wildlife. We must speak up against the cruel policies driving
the murder of our state’s wildlife.
Sponsored by the Animal Protection League of NJ (APLNJ), the rally will
run 11am-12:30 pm along Route 17, in front of the Paramus Municipal Building (1
Carlough Drive), Paramus. APLNJ will
provide signs and banners; please just bring yourself and all the like-minded friends
you can muster.
On insects (often on us!)
Sad but true: I can’t read all the books about animals that I’d like to,
so sometimes book reviews must suffice.
They in turn often contain amazing nuggets of info. Like the following:
Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on earth, and the competition isn’t even close. Since 2000, they’ve killed an average of almost two million people yearly, vastly more than snakes (50,000) dogs (25,000), crocodiles (1,000), lions (100) and sharks (10) combined. In fact, mosquito-borne diseases, especially malaria, have killed nearly half of all 108 billion human beings who’ve ever lived.
and this “thought experiment” for next time you’re at the beach:
Scoop up some sand and try to count the grains. Then look left and look right and try to estimate all the trillions of grains around you. And when you finish that, chew on this fact: By some estimate, there are more insects on earth than there are grains of sand on all the world’s beaches combined.
Both great info chunks came
from this book review:
Hidden predator
Concealed only till I trimmed a leafy vine outside, the grayish praying
mantis with its large triangular head, “stereo vision” and “raptorial forelegs”
had probably caught numerous unsuspecting insects stopping by to admire the
flowers or seed pods.
An “ambush
predator,” this variety is named for its common folded-forearm posture,
although “preying” might be more accurate. It’s sometimes kept as a pet, and although unusual,
it wouldn’t “bark, shed, [or] need shots or a
litter box.”
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