MOST AMERICANS HAVE NO IDEA
Tom Knudson's investigative series in The Sacramento Bee this week is highly recommended reading.
Knudson writes about the little known Wildlife Services
branch of the Department of Agriculture. The Wildlife Services branch is a killing service funded with an annual budget of $72.5 Million.
As Knudson writes
"Sometimes wild animals must be destroyed-from bears that ransack mountain cabins to geese swirling over an airport runway. But because lethal control stirs strong emotions, Wildlife services prefers to operate in the shadows."
In my view, it is the information about the manner in which they "operate in the shadows" that is, in the least, troubling if not damning. Animals that should not be destroyed, are. Policies and operating procedures are violated, information is hidden or often covered up and humans have been injured as well. Link above for an eye opening and well done journalistic effort. As one of the sources in the piece is quoted "99% of Americans don't have a clue about this agency."
Those of you who have followed this blog may recall one of our areas of interest since moving to the far west is watching this area of human and wildlife interaction.
DAY BOOK
CAPTURED MOMENTS
See you down the trail.
