Tidbits#45

~~~WORDS OF WISDOM~~~

Our ancestors viewed the Earth as rich and bountiful, which it is. Many people in the past also saw nature as inexhaustibly sustainable, which we now know is the case only if we care for it. It is not difficult to forgive destruction in the past which resulted from ignorance. Today, however, we have access to more information, and it is essential that we re-examine ethically what we have inherited, what we are responsible for, and what we will pass on to coming generations. Our marvels of science and technology are matched if not outweighed by many current tragedies, including human starvation in some parts of the world, and the extinction of other life-forms. The exploration of space takes place at the same time as the Earth's own oceans, seas, and fresh water areas grow increasingly polluted. Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even micro-organisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late.

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Wildlife Points to Ponder

Many years ago my husband and I used to be avid hunters. Back then we came right out of the military and were low on the rungs of a career ladder, so filling the larder ‘off the land’ was a God sent. We had plenty of dove and grouse, deer and wild pig as well as plenty of fish from local stream and pond.

As we pursued our hobby as naturalists, we gave up hunting altogether, though we still fish every now and again. It was such a thrill to get out in the wild blue yonder and study the wild critters in their own habitat. I had been a people and news photographer in the past, Phil, my husband was new to the field, but what started as a hobby turned into a profession for both of us and we created ‘Tracks of Alaska’, our own business, selling our wildlife, scenic and floral images.

Friends of ours encouraged us to do something with our photos and even let us sell the first prototypes right out of their Anchorage store. Now, www.tracksofalaska.com is becoming a landmark and our ‘wild side’ greetings are sought after and collected.

How do we get our images?

It helps to having studied our wildlife, habitat, behavior, favorite foods, etc., and has a running understanding of where one is most likely to see the creature. And what a thrill it is. Face to face with the wolf! Seeing a cute little cub or two, or a moose calf, a grizzly bear, a Dall sheep.

Equipped with just an 80-300 variable lens, it is necessary to work hard for our critter shots. We have to make eye contact, make friends with our target. It is evident in our work, the animal is aware of us and considers us no threat, a very high compliment indeed and the animal’s awareness of us makes our images endearing to our customers, they see the creatures through the eyes of our cameras, the image raw and pure and wild, not studio touched up and made perfect, but wild and free.

It is a dangerous profession, if a rewarding one, as well. We strive not to get between Mama and baby animal, but wild babies are the most trusting and curious critters. They like to just keep coming and wanting to get real close to people, so this can be an accident waiting to happen, the best bet is to assess such a situation and back off, giving baby and mama enough space. This is especially true for the moose, our Alaska State mammal, a prehistoric ungulate and the largest of the deer family. Moose can be complacent and they usually are, if you give them their space, as with any critter including fellow humans. Don’t ever crowd a wild thing, especially a moose, which can be deadlier than a grizzly bear. Moose attacks and moose kills are more frequent than bear attacks and bear kills up here on the last frontier./

Hunting wildlife with the camera naturally sharpens one’s perspective. From the elusive beaver to the common ground squirrel, every animal presents a challenge when one wants the optimum image, a photo that speaks to the beholder, a portrait of the living creature, capturing the essence of that animal in it’s purest form. The mischief, the serenity, the ferociousness, whichever is prevalent in this particular creature. It will take patience, frustration, discomfort and hours of futile search and waiting, but the fleeting moments are rewarding.

Getting close enough to almost touch the creature is thrilling, a natural adrenaline high of sorts, to be face to face with a wild thing, no fence no protection, you and the creature of fang and claw and hoof. It teaches you respect, if nothing else. The animal accepting one’s presence without feeling threatened makes it worth the while.

A hunter of meat needs the same skills; in fact our hunting skills including the patience have aided us tremendously in our pursuit of Alaska’s creatures great and small. Our encounters are cherished and do not end in the death of the creature of our pursuit; many more people will enjoy this particular wild cousin roaming free.

As we grow and escalate the human population we manage to crowd out much animal habitat, destroying a way of life for many species and upsetting the delicate natural balances, leading to excess deer and fox and coyote in areas, it is the shame of Homo sapiens!

Many Sunday and Trophy hunters should go and exchange their rifles for a pair of

binoculars or a good camera and study the wild creatures out there instead of killing them. Making sure there will be wild cousins out there for our children and grandchildren to enjoy. I am pro hunting when all of the animal is utilized and serves as nourishment, but hunting for the sake of killing or the horn, antler, claw and tooth is shameful and should be prosecuted instead of lauded and recorded in record and trophy books. What it all boils down to is personal discipline and responsibility, we need to quit finding scapegoats and pointing fingers. We need to thoroughly sweep our own doorsteps and live up to our roles as the stewards of the animal kingdom, not the destroyers of it!

Let’s pull together and just quietly do what we can, individually!

Phil and Jlona Richey
Any comments on this e-mail them to: traxak@alaska.com

Save Whales from Navy Sonar deployment

The U.S. Navy is planning on deploying Low Frequency Active (LFA) sonar across 80% of the Earth's oceans. LFA is proven to injure and destroy whales and dolphins. LFA noise is millions of times more intense than the Navy considers safe for human divers and billions of times more intense than levels known to disturb large whales. In March, 2000, during a LFA test in the Bahamas, four different species of whales and dolphins beached themselves suffering from hemorrhaging/bleeding in the ears. A National Marine Fisheries Service and Navy investigation determined the deaths were almost certainly caused by the LFA test. A follow-on study in February 2001, determined that at least one of those whale species no longer existed in the area. Even the Navy acknowledges the danger of LFA. An internal study briefly exposed a 32 year old Navy diver to LFA sonar at a level significantly below what it is designed to operate. The diver had to be hospitalized, and two years later was still being treated with anti-depressant and anti-seizure medications. Whales rely on their sensitive hearing for survival. A whale cannot survive without its hearing. The Navy's attempts to deploy LFA could result in the extermination of whales and dolphins world wide. We have fought long and hard to stop international whaling efforts. It is hypocritical and absolutely wrong for the U.S. government to sanction the LFA sonar system that could lead to massive extinctions of marine animals. We demand the immediate halt to the deployment of LFA sonar!

(CLICK)
(THEN CLICK ON SAVE WHALES FROM NAVY SONAR)
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I AM OFTEN ASKED WHY I DON'T PUT INFORMATION
ON WILDLIFE IN TID-BITS. WELL, HERE ARE THE MOST
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS THAT I AM ASKED.
I HOPE THEY WILL HELP.

Common questions and answers about young wildlife

Q. A very small baby bird has fallen from its nest in a tree in my backyard. I am afraid something might happen to it if I leave it there on the ground. Should I bring it into the house and feed it until it is able to fly?

A. No. The best thing to do is put the bird carefully back into the nest (or the nest itself back into the tree). But, do this ONLY IF YOU CAN DO IT SAFELY. Don't worry about getting your scent on the bird. Also, some birds that appear to have fallen from the nest are actually recently fledged and are learning to fly. They will not stay in the nest.

Q. A few minutes ago, I was walking through the woods behind our house and saw several young raccoons on the ground near a large hollow tree. I wonder if they fell out of the hole way up in the tree and the mother has abandoned them because she can't put them back in their nest. Should I bring them home and care for them?

A. No. Most likely, the young raccoons are merely exploring and their mother is nearby. They are probably old enough to be fully capable of climbing back up the tree to their den when they are ready to return. If they were too young to climb, the mother would carry them back. Also, you must remember that raccoons can carry rabies and can transmit it to humans, so do not attempt to handle them.

Q. There is a young blue jay in my backyard and it seems to be having difficulty flying. I am afraid that either my dog or cat will get it. Should I bring it inside and feed it until it is able to fly?

A. No. As a fledgling, it had enough feathers to leave the nest. This means it is old enough to learn to fly, which it will rapidly begin to do. Leave the bird alone, but you should keep your dog or cat in the house for a few hours so it won't disturb the bird.

Q. This morning I found an "abandoned" fawn near the edge of a field on my property. I brought the fawn into my house to save it, but I don't know how to care for it. What should I do?

A. In most cases, the fawn probably isn't abandoned. Immediately take the fawn back to the spot where you found it and leave it there. The mother should come back again looking for the fawn. Even one to two days after removal from the wild, fawns have been successfully reunited with their mothers by returning them to the place where they were found. When you picked up the fawn, the mother was probably not far away. Usually, young fawns are quite safe when left alone for the day by their mother.

Q. The cat just caught and killed a mother bird. The baby birds are now obviously orphaned. Shouldn't I take them to a wildlife rehabilitator?

TOM

A. Most songbird young are cared for by both parents. If one of the parent birds is killed, the surviving adult can successfully raise the chicks. Even if you think both parents are dead, call the rehabilitator for advice before taking any direct action with the young birds.

Q. A moment ago, I accidentally kicked open a nest of baby rabbits while walking in the thick grass at the far corner of my backyard. They seemed so helpless. I waited, but saw no sign of their mother. Should I rescue them?

A. They do not need to be rescued. The mother will not return as long as you remain at the nest. Just replace the top of the nest that you uncovered and leave. The mother will return and care for the young. Cottontail rabbits leave their young for many hours while eating, but return for a brief time to nurse the young. As with other young wildlife, it is best to LEAVE THEM ALONE!

READERS, I KNOW THIS IS NOT
ANIMAL RELATED BUT IT CARRIES A MESSAGE VERY DEAR TO MY HEART. I HOPE YOU DON'T GET UPSET ABOUT ME INSERTING IT.

She was such a pretty child, as pretty as could be.

The blondest hair and bluest eyes, this little girl of three.

She lived next door, and I would often see her play outside,

Putting all her dollies in a wagon, for a ride.

~~~~

I often thought, how beautiful she would be when she's grown.

She was just the cutest thing, as she played there all alone.

I only knew her parents, from a passing wave or 'Hi.'

They did not want to socialize, each time that I would try.

~~~~

I sometimes heard them arguing, when I was in my yard.

I know the problems people have, can sometimes make life hard.

I thought they were just loners, because they kept to themselves.

They might think I am nosy, if I try to offer help.

~~~~

They never bother anyone, the other neighbors say,

And the little girl can only go out back to play.

You only see them come and go, they never stay outside.

You wonder when they act like that, have they something to hide?

~~~~

One day I heard them arguing, much louder than before.

As I looked out, the little girl was standing by her door.

Her little face was bruised, and tears were running down her cheek.

I wanted to go over there, but I was scared and meek.

~~~~

Finally, when the screaming stopped and everything was calm,

I saw the little girl was being held close to her Mom.

Her Mother rocked her back and forth, and she was crying too.

Just standing in the back yard, there was nothing I could do.

~~~~

There was nothing I could do, would be of any use.

This Mother and this little girl, were suffering abuse.

She had better call someone, and get this thing resolved,

But, it is not my business, and I cannot get involved.

~~~~

As I spoke with neighbors, about what went on next door,

They all agreed, that is was sad, it's something we abhor.

It's something we must overlook, we cannot interfere.

But, now we sing a different tune, as we are gathered here.

~~~~

The neighborhood feels guilty, for we looked the other way,

Are we all responsible for being here today?

We feel the anger and the shame, because we all stood by,

Knowing now, we could have helped, but didn't even try.

~~~~

And, now this little three year old, so beautiful to me,

Surrounded by her dollies, just the way she loved to be,

Is in a little casket, with her body limp and frail.

Her Mom is in intensive care, her Dad is now in jail.

~~~~

The funeral home is quiet, because we all realize,

The reason you must get involved, is right before our eyes.

Abuse, in any form, is something we must all resent.

And, fight with every tool we have, to save our innocent.

HELP STAMP OUT ABUSE OF ANY KIND.
GET INVOLVED!!

~~~EDITORIAL~~~

"KITTY PORN"

The problem is growing. Each day it is estimated that as many as twenty pictures of young cats go up on the Internet without their knowledge or consent. With a computer and phone line, anyone, even children, can easily find and view these pictures.

In fact, in a frightening new trend children themselves are increasingly responsible for taking and distributing these startling pictures. What is to be done? Where does free speech end and compassion begin?

In a recent study conducted by Richard Little it is estimated that there are over a million billion pictures of cats on the Internet. That number is expected to rise by some 30000000% over the next year.

Projections for the year 2,010 show that there will be more cat pictures on the internet than molecules of oxygen in the atmosphere. Of course some critics have questioned Richard's study pointing to the fact that Richard is only ten and a half and call the study "dangerous, unfounded fiction" Supporters claim it's not dangerous at all. Both sides agree however that it would be impossible to come up with accurate numbers... so we'll use these.

All over the world there are increasing reports of kitty porn. China, Japan and the Netherlands have all become hot spots on the kitty porn circuit. Several organizations track these phenomena such as the "WWW Cat Map" recently awarded POINT'S prestigious "Top 5% of the Web" award. It chronicles some of the world's most notorious cat pages. Pages like these can be a boon to those concerned with kitty porn, but they can also be misused by those seeking cat pictures for prurient purposes.

Kitty porn spans economic lines as well as national borders. The kitty porn scene is no longer characterized by poorly lit amateur photographs of underprivileged cats, but reaches all the way to the top as this picture of the First Kitty "Socks", photographed by the Smithsonian, shows. No cat is safe no matter what their upbringing or how powerful their family is.

Though humans are responsible for most of the startling pornography on the internet, a growing number of cases are being attributed to the Feline Mafia Organization (FMO). Who are they and what has been their effect in the kitty porn controversy? Is anything being done?

We talked to Special Agent Punner about the problem. "Well, the problem has paw-satively become cat-astrophic in its pro-paw-tions. Just last week I was helping track down a flea-ing fur-getive who was making a feline for neuter-al territory be-claws of crimes against a young fur-gin named Fuzzy Love. The fur-ious women who spayed at home surfing the Internet wasn't lion when she called in the crime. To say it stroked us the wrong way around here, barely scratches the surface. The purr-petrator litter-aly came within a whisker of getting away, but it was the cat's meow, interestingly enough, that lead to our apprehending of the hair-ied fat cat responsible. Now he's praying not to get collared and either tossed in the kennel or thrown to the wolves."

We tried to contact Fuzzy Love, but she had no comment. This was partly due to shame and unwillingness to endure further exposure, and partly because, like most cats... Fuzzy Love can't talk.

This is the true tragedy. While we labor to protect our freedom of speech, who will protect those that cannot speak. Such spokescreatures for the feline community such as Puddy, who writes the very successful column "Ask Puddy" have been strangely silent on the subject. Of course many people feel that animal pundits such as Puddy are mere pawns themselves and are being controlled by other interests. We asked Puddy for his comment, but so far we have received no reply.

Part of the problem lies in the availability and design of computers. Not enough effort is being made to empower the feline community. They have no voice, they are shut off and isolated. They are part of something they do not understand and cannot participate in. They have no power to change the Net. Of course there are more cats with access to computers than women, minorities, and economically depressed people... but that's not really saying much is it? Until the Web embraces everyone equally, the problems of exploitation will continue.

Although legislation against posting cat pictures is an option, a more intriguing option has been suggested in a report published by the Coalition of Those Attempting to Think Clearly and Probably Failing.

"Society should spend a lot more time trying to educate and help people stay mentally and physically healthy instead of making them sick and then trying to stop them from hurting each other. If we must pass laws about pornography on the Internet, we advise a law that requires EVERYONE on the internet to post a pornographic picture of themselves. We don't know if that would solve the problem, but it would sure be interesting."

For more information, smell the third step outside your house.

This page was last updated on 07/27/01.
Please contact Thomas Rudge with questions and comments about this site.
You can reach me in ICQ my number is 2709551

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