Wildlife Rescue

Last week our outdoor barn cat discovered a nest in a tree near our house. While I had hoped this cat would keep itself occupied with the field rodents, I guess as long as it is outside it will follow it's instincts. (though our other cats really don't bother).

Anyway, my efforts to wrap wire around the trunk did no good as the cat could actually jump from the roof of the house to the tree itself. Short of removing all the branches, I could not reach or protect the nest as I had wanted to. The birds in the nest almost ready to fly, but not quite. The cat carried the first bird into the house, and I grabbed it and put it in a soft nest in a box hoping it could survive the attack. A short while later I heard a commotion outside and the mother bird was raising heck and the cat was again at the nest. The next bird fell out of the nest to the ground. I grabbed it and it seemed alright. I know the fall hadn't been good for it though. While most of us are not savvy to helping wildlife, and trips to the vet often prove fruitless, there are places that can assist. Fortunately, we have a wonderful wildlife rescue center within driving distance. I was able to take both birds to them in hopes they might survive this attack. This agency cares for many lost, injured, and abandoned wild animals and birds. They are a blessing to our area. They are Sarvey Wildlife Center is in Arlington, Washington. Please visit their site for more information, and if you would, please consider them for donations. They certainly need them and put them to very good use.

Revisitng Tony the Tiger court Case: In an update: May 16, 2012 it seems Tony will have a chance to move to a hand picked humane sanctuary if the case is settled against the owner. Now that more of the information about the case on both sides is being revealed, I too, would agree that Tony deserves a chance to be free of his cement habitat, and the owner, if he really cares, will let Tony go. He would probably be free to visit him, and that should be good enough for him and the best for Tony.

With contributions on a continued decline, the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau is asking several governmental bodies to ratchet up their level of funding to the organization that took in nearly 4,000 animals last year. In the past few months, board members have made appeals to city leaders in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Chaffee and the Cape Girardeau County Commission. Their message was straightforward -- the organization is struggling with its bottom line. "We are stable, but money has never been easy," board member Charlotte Craig said. "We've always had to work hard to keep the doors open, as does every shelter." Now, the local Humane Society is proposing what it describes as a "Fair Share" program, which calls on the communities that have contracts with it to pay half of the actual cost that is spent on housing, food, medical care, vaccinations, cleaning, manpower and, in some cases, euthanization. Craig, who is also the director of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, said the actual cost per animal is $90.25. Actual costs for the local Humane Society in 2011 were $360,000 in a year that saw 3,989 animal intakes. That number includes runaways, strays and abandoned pets.

for more information: http://www.semissourian.com/story/1848991.html

Target: Division of Policy and Directives - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Sponsored by: Center for Biological Diversity Please speak up to protect chimpanzees who can't defend themselves.

The worldwide population of wild chimpanzees has fallen by nearly 70 percent in the past 30 years -- take action now to save these animals. Wild chimpanzees have been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1976, but a special rule exempts captive chimpanzees from protection. This loophole in the Act is preventing the recovery of the species in the wild by encouraging their illegal trade. Chimpanzees are endangered due to habitat loss, poaching and illegal trafficking -- wild chimpanzees are captured and sold for use as entertainment, as pets and as test subjects. We have a critical moment right now to help captive and wild chimpanzees: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering whether to protect captive chimpanzees under the Endangered Species Act. Send your comments today in support of protecting every chimpanzee as endangered. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/330/325/298/