It’s that awful time again . . . & then, some lightening up

As with summer, when Memorial Day signals the season’s unofficial start nearly a month early, autumn for many of us begins with school opening, then fall clothes, cooler nights, leaves turning and Halloween paraphernalia everywhere.  

And, alas, hunting.  Here in Mercer county, it’s called a “deer management program” by the county park commission – a “program” that aims to “reduce the overabundant deer herd in the . . . region.”  

“Management” in this context means killing white-tailed deer, who are described as “one of the largest regional threats to biodiversity of flora and fauna in central NJ,” and whose “herbivory. . .jeopardizes “the native plant understory and overall forest health by degrading its habitat value for other wildlife.”

Bow hunting for deer began today in some area parks, and continues Monday-Saturday until Feb. 18, 2023.  Firearm hunting starts in two areas on Monday, Dec. 5 and continues through Feb. 11, during periods specified.  Parks and regions involved with firearm hunting will be closed to the public.

“There will be no hunting on Sunday,” according to the commission.  Make of that day-of-rest fact what you wish.  And do the same with the decision to hunt and kill deer, rather than using non-lethal means of (truly) “managing” the deer population.

So area residents will start seeing more deer on the run, away from parklands dedicated to “deer management.”  I’ve already startled two separate deer in my tiny back yard, where they were grazing (and hiding?) in a narrow length of bushes and fence.  Where did they go from here?  It’ll be a long five months of on and off hunting for them.  

Unique support animal   

                      WallyGator          Henney image

Even though deer need our support, we sometimes appreciate emotional support from animals.  How about an alligator?  That idea’s for real, btw, as a Pennsylvania man has proved with his certified support alligator, WallyGator, for more than 5 years. 

The two – Joie (pronounced “Joe”) Henney and his 70-pound, 5-1/2 foot pal -- sleep in the same bed; watch tv and go just about everywhere together (area tourist sites, farmers markets, area creeks . . .); occasionally swim in a friend’s pool; and go to the vet for WallyGator’s annual checkup.  

It all began when Henney helped a Florida friend by taking in 3 juvenile alligator rescues.  Two eventually went to reptile refuges, but Henney kept 14-month old WallyGator, with whom he’d already bonded.  When his pet later cheered him out of depression, he realized he had an emotional support animal, and has happily made the most of that ever since.        https://tinyurl.com/p7zzrjb5

My apologies to elephants

                                                                      Elephant Crisis Fund image

Elephants have long been very special animals to me – but my huge oversight last month could give the lie to that claim: I totally missed a very important new stamp to honor elephants.  Issued August 12, the US Postal Service “forever” stamp celebrates the love of an elephant mom with her calf.

The Postal Service's background story is way too upbeat about elephants – insufficiently reflecting their truly perilous position these days in the wild and in captivity.  But, I hope that as people buy the stamp, they’ll think more about elephants and look into the organizations committed to saving them -- “Save the Elephants” (SavetheElephants.org) being the main one I recommend.

Which leads to California’s Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWSweb.org), an admirable organizations that cares for elephants saved from circuses, zoos and other inhumane lives that elephants have long been forced to live.  A look at the PAWS’ website will tell the story far better than I can.  

There, I recently found out about an activity elephants love and PAWS contributors support: dusting.  No, they’re not house-cleaning, but protecting themselves from bugs and the sun.  Here’s a great link to a few PAWS videos showing elephants dusting: please take a look!     https://tinyurl.com/2ypxdpkx

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