sad wolf remix (and PSA)

Instructions

Read this, it's important. You might have heard stories about “predator control”, assuming that it was done right with actions based solely on science, not politics and the opinions of western ranchers (ranchers in the east don’t really complain, partly because they don’t graze on public land like the ranchers in the west.) But you most likely haven’t heard of the USDA’s APHIS Wildlife Services. They are lying, conniving sneaks who hurt and kill innocent animals like wolves, cougars, bears, and eagles (bald and golden, although that is very illegal), every day, courtesy of tax money. There has even been a related human death. This “predator control” is harmful to the environment in too many ways, from highly toxic poisons to trophic cascades (I’ll explain later.) Wildlife Services is an agency that is funded by tax money that is responsible for most (human-related) predator hunting and killing. They place M-44 cyanide ejectors and traps in places where they can and have hurt and even killed people, pets, livestock, and unintended targets like prairie dogs. Fall of 1993: A dog walking with its family triggered an M-44 that was placed without consent. The owner, not realizing what had happened, tried to help the dog, but only ended up with secondary cyanide poison. The dog stayed alive for 15 minutes before it finally died. August 27, 2011: A Border Collie named Maggie was killed by a Conibear quick-kill trap a few feet from her own backyard. There were no warning signs, no labels on the traps, and the trap used was too big (The Wildlife Services directives state that land sets can only be up to 8 inches; the one Maggie was caught in was 9 inches) to be used legally for land purposes. March 16, 2017: Canyon Mansfield was out walking with his dog Kasey, when he accidentally triggered an M-44 that he thought was just a metal tube. It poisoned him and killed his dog. He had to be hospitalized and closely observed. He says that he is alive by God’s gift. A bill nicknamed Canyon’s Law (after him) has been reintroduced after a previous failure to outlaw M-44s. May 4, 2003: Dennis Slaugh accidentally triggered an M-44 that he thought was a surveyor marker. He had several health issues and complications from the poisoning, and after 15 years of suffering, he died in 2018. His death certificate states the poisoning as a cause of death. Many more pets and people have been injured/killed by poisons and traps set by Wildlife Services. But you’re probably wondering just how and what they use to kill animals. Sodium Cyanide (NaCN) (M-44 Cyanide Capsules) (88.62%), used for coyotes, though also attracts wolves and other large predators. There are also many other types of poisons. Sodium Fluoroacetate (floor-o-ah(as in apple)-sih (ih as in in)-tate) (FCH2COONa; Compound 1080, 1.04%), used for coyotes and is probably the most toxic poison that Wildlife Services uses, since an animal who even licks the wool or fur of an exposed carcass could be killed by it. Leghold/foothold traps/snares, used to catch large predators by the leg or foot (or even toes) and hold them there. Animals will actually chew off their own legs to get out of them, but usually just stay trapped and die of hunger, thirst, and exposure to the elements, though the traps are really meant for restraint. In 1998, a dog got caught in one and couldn’t escape and died from overheating in the sun. Conibear traps, used mainly for aquatic animals, crush animals to death. Pets have been caught in them, sometimes still alive. In 2011, a dog was killed in one right outside her backyard after it was illegally placed by Wildlife Services. M-44’s, which are poison ejectors filled with Sodium Cyanide. They have carrion-scented wicks that attract animals. When an animal pulls on the wick, it activates the ejector, killing the animal in minutes. They are mostly used for coyotes, foxes, and wolves. Though anyone who places M-44’s are supposed to have amyl nitrate (the antidote), any humans, pets, and non-targeted animals who may come into contact with it can be and have been killed by the cyanide. Trophic Cascades Trophic cascades is almost like the food chain in reverse. It shows that predators are actually beneficial to the survival of ecosystems, rather than plants. If predators like wolves are taken away, then prey like deer can graze and reproduce freely, causing them to need more food, which leads to overgrazing. I am very opinionated when it comes to animals, especially animal cruelty and unnecessary killing. Innocent animals, whether predator, prey, pets, or livestock, shouldn’t die for no reason just because people think they “own” wildlife. Now, I’m not saying animals are citizens or anything. But I am saying that animals deserve respect, not M–44s and traps. Wildlife Services needs to go away. (Continued below.)