National Parks Have Wild Animals In Them
Almost all week we've been watching the documentary by Ken Burns about The National Parks. For all the years since their inception, the men and women who have tried to preserve them this has included the wildlife within the parks. During all those years they fought special interests who were more intent on squeezing the last sheckle out of those pristine areas as well as killing off all the wild animals that got "in their way".
Let's Kill Two Cougars As A Solution!
Today, in our local paper the Kitsap Sun I noticed there was an article entitled Selective Cougar Hunt OK'd in Jefferson County. For those who don't know, Jefferson county cuts right through the heart of Olympic National Park. You know, a park where animals are protected. Stray outside its boundaries though and you are dead meat, literally. The article goes on to say "Such small-scale hunts occur annually around Washington state in places where cougars have posed problems, killing domestic animals or livestock. This is the first allowed in the Port Townsend area since 2003."
Did They Decimate Any Herds?
First of all, I would like to see some report as proof of how much livestock has been killed [three goats and two alpacas it seems]. Is it a significant amount? Are they decimating herds? And, as far as domestic animals, I have no sympathy for the people who live in Washington that don't understand they coexist with wild animals. They have been told since this area was settled that they need to keep their pets indoors, no pet food outdoors and/or keep their pets in protected enclosures.
We Live In A Natural World, Deal With It
We live with large predators who have a natural instinct to kill. Humans have no business "baiting" them with their pets!! We need to learn to live within our environment, not try to re-educate the natural instincts of wild animals. You want to have livestock when you live next to a National Park? Then expect to lose some to predators. And, I really hate the term "selective harvest" as a description of killing cougars to placate ranchers and pet owners. Humans need to stop trying to remake the natural world.













