![]() ![]() What does The Wild Times think of all this? We think that if an animal is not causing damage or harm they should be left alone. Always presume that young are present and make sure that families are reunited before releasing the animals (this is the 3R approach: Removal, Reunion, Release ). ![]() Professional wildlife controllers can help humanely catch the animal and any babies, so that wildlife families are kept together. Repairs on the entire serviced area (not just the entry holes) should be guaranteed. A good nuisance animal controller should also offer preventative long-term solutions that solve wildlife problems at their source: blocking the entry sites into your home, working out ways to deter re-entry (such as the use of biodegradable deodorizers), and preventing animal damage (via animal proofing and habitat modification). You want to find someone who uses humane animal removal strategies involving one-way doors or “hands-on” removal, and companies should not trap and relocate animals as a rule. Ask about their methods of catching a nuisance animal. Find a company or individual dedicated to wildlife removal (i.e., who don’t just do it “part time” or as an “add on service”) with at least 3 years experience. Qualified individuals know how to handle the animals. If an animal must be removed, make sure you call a qualified nuisance wildlife controller. Handling wildlife may also put you at risk for disease. Relocating an animal may not only give someone else a nuisance problem, but spreads diseases, such as rabies and distemper, Lyme disease and West Nile virus. Trapping wildlife, transporting it off your property, and releasing it elsewhere is also illegal in many states, New York included. There may also be problems if animal families are relocated together, the stress of being trapped and moved may cause the mother to kill her young. Many animals, such as raccoons, will stay with their mothers for up to a year, after they are fully grown, before they are ready to strike out on their own. The same will happen to them if their parents are relocated and they are left behind with no one to look after them. If young animals are relocated without their parents, their deaths are even more likely as they do not know how to find food, hunt, or protect themselves. Resident animals will see the new animal as a threat and attack. Newly introduced animals do not know the land, where to get water, food, and what predators are out there. More than 70% of relocated animals die soon after relocation due to stress, starvation, dehydration and aggression of resident animals. ![]() While many people think that live-trapping animals and taking them “to the woods” where they will live happily ever after is an ideal solution for all involved, this isn’t actually what happens. The vacated niche left empty by trapping an animal is quickly filled by another animal, or the original resident may return as many animals have strong homing instincts: a male raccoon can travel as much as 5–10 miles each night, and bats routinely travel hundreds of miles to their hibernacula. Trapping wildlife does not address the problem of the availability of food and shelter, and therefore trapping is not an effective method of wildlife control. As mentioned previously, animals are looking for food and shelter, a safe place to live and to raise their young. To begin with, it is important to know that wildlife will not willingly threaten or try to harm people or their property. But will trapping and relocating solve the problem? In fact, trapping and relocating is rarely a long-term solution and can actually cause the spread of wildlife diseases and certainly cause a lot of animal suffering. With a little education there are much better solutions available if you are having conflicts with wild animals in and around your home. Though home repairs/modifications and tolerance are often the best solutions for both humans and animals, most humans’ initial reaction is to trap the wild animals, sometimes inhumanely, and kill them or relocate them miles away humans label wildlife pests and worry about disease and damage to their property. ![]()
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