World Wildlife News

PETA has received numerous calls from employees at the M&G Polymers Polyester Plant in Apple Grove, West Virginia, who report that administrators plan to poison hundreds of birds with either Avitrol or DRC-1339. PETA’s urgent appeals to the plant manager to halt the alleged poisoning program—and allow us to help the plant develop an effective, humane bird-control program—have been met with silence.

Making matters worse, nontarget species often become sick and die when they eat the tainted bait or prey upon poisoned birds. For example, birds of prey—such as red-tailed hawks and peregrine falcons—have been known to fatally ingest the remains of pigeons poisoned with Avitrol and DRC-1339. Directly or indirectly harming any protected bird is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and is punishable by a $15,000 fine per violation.

In addition to being cruel, poisons and other lethal methods do not control animal populations. The only long-term way to control bird populations is to modify habitats so that they become unattractive or inaccessible to animals. We have sent M&G Polymers detailed information on proven humane bird-exclusion methods, including PETA’s “Permanent and Humane Pigeon-Control Solutions” report and “Street Pigeons: War Heroes, Devoted Parents, Clever Learners” factsheet—all to no apparent avail. Now we desperately need your help.

Please urge M&G Polymers plant manager Robert Bowen to halt this reported bird-poisoning program at the plant and to accept PETA’s offer to work with M&G to develop an effective, humane bird-control program.

American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act reintroduced before Congress: on the heels of Reps. Whitfield and Rahall reintroducing H.R. 249 to repeal the 2004 Burns Amendment, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act was also
reintroduced, as H.R. 503 in the House of Representatives and as S. 311 in the Senate. Both H.R. 249 and H.R. 503/S.311 are critical to the protection of our wild horses.

Round-up Report: despite public protests, BLM went ahead with the Clark Mountain (CA), Spring Mountain (NV), and Adobe Town/Salt Wells (WY) round-ups, capturing a total of 1,100 horses and 704 burros. The Wyoming round-up took place despite serious concerns over the health of horses being run for miles in extreme weather conditions. For each round-up, the public and media were kept at a distance, unable to document the proceedings. In Nevada however, a film crew was able to capture footage of a baby burro being roped and dragged, and of another burro being kicked in the head by a wrangler. http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=5893446

Hundreds of sheep brought in after wild horses removed: a supporter contacted us to report that, after 200 horses were removed in December from the Dry Lake Complex in Nevada, he was shocked to see about 1,000 sheep trucked in to that very area, less than two weeks after the round-up. Questioned on the issue, BLM confirmed that the area includes a grazing allotment for 2,200 private sheep, whereas for horses the “appropriate management level” is set at only 128 head, or one horse per 5,500 acres! What BLM failed to address is why substantially more forage is consistently allocated to private livestock on the very areas that should be “devoted principally” to wild horses under the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act.

Livestock grazing fees lowered yet again: in January, BLM announced that fees to graze private livestock on public lands would be lowered to $1.35 per animal unit month (less than 6 cents per acre per year!). When BLM last eased public land grazing restrictions for private cattle in 2005, two retired government scientists denounced the decision as “whitewash,” saying that their conclusions that the proposed new rules might adversely affect water quality and wildlife, were replaced with language justifying less stringent regulations favored by cattle ranchers.