Portal latinoamericano de toxicología
The poison is killing target animals such as eagles, fishers, coyotes, wolverines and grizzly bears
29 February, 2012
Trappers urge halt to poisoning of wolves. By Ed Struzik. edmontonjournal.com. February 28, 2012. One of the province’s largest trap-ping associations has joined a growing chorus of individuals and organizations calling on the province to stop poisoning wolves in an attempt to save caribou in the Little Smoky region. "While we believe that wolf populations need to be controlled when … too high, it can be done in a much more humane way than poisoning them," says Rick Stelter, president of the Edson Trappers’ Association.
"It’s especially wrong when the poison is killing target animals such as eagles, fishers, coyotes, wolverines and grizzly bears."
Stelter said that although he is only speaking on behalf of his association, which includes 70 trappers, he is confident that most, if not all, of the 2,100 trappers in the province are becoming increasingly fed up with the cull that has killed hundreds of wolves over the past five years, as well as eagles, dogs and other animals which have inadvertently consumed the poisoned bait.
Grizzly bears
Government officials insist that no grizzly bears have been killed by the poison, but Stelter said there is no way they can verify that is the case.
"An eagle or small animal will die in five minutes after eating strychnine-laced bait, but a big animal like a grizzly bear will wander far off into the bush where no one can find it if it dies," he says.
Stelter says there aren’t enough wolves left in the target region to warrant a cull such as this one, which includes shooting wolves from a helicopter.
A Sustainable Development Re-sources official recently confirmed that wolves will continue to be culled in the Little Smoky region to save caribou that are on the decline in that region.
Dave Ealey said that since the cull was initiated, the Little Smoky herd has stabilized.
All but one of the 13 caribou herds in Alberta is in decline. A recent study found nine of those will end up with fewer than 10 animals in the next 35 years if conservation measures aren’t soon taken.
Stelter said that although he is only speaking on behalf of his association, which includes 70 trappers, he is confident that most, if not all, of the 2,100 trappers in the province are becoming increasingly fed up with the cull that has killed hundreds of wolves over the past five years, as well as eagles, dogs and other animals which have inadvertently consumed the poisoned bait.
Grizzly bears
Government officials insist that no grizzly bears have been killed by the poison, but Stelter said there is no way they can verify that is the case.
"An eagle or small animal will die in five minutes after eating strychnine-laced bait, but a big animal like a grizzly bear will wander far off into the bush where no one can find it if it dies," he says.
Stelter says there aren’t enough wolves left in the target region to warrant a cull such as this one, which includes shooting wolves from a helicopter.
A Sustainable Development Re-sources official recently confirmed that wolves will continue to be culled in the Little Smoky region to save caribou that are on the decline in that region.
Dave Ealey said that since the cull was initiated, the Little Smoky herd has stabilized.
All but one of the 13 caribou herds in Alberta is in decline. A recent study found nine of those will end up with fewer than 10 animals in the next 35 years if conservation measures aren’t soon taken.