Cayman Net News - Friday, April 15 2005
Earth Week Supplement - by Lois Blumenthal

LIVING WITH WILDLIFE IN MODERN TIMES
National Trust Volunteers Help Homeowners Solve Problems

Submitted by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands Wildlife Rescue Centre

People have always lived around wildlife, but in the past, there was plenty of forested and open land for the birds and animals to move into as civilization advanced. Now, wild creatures are forced to exist in a radically changed landscape and the rule is “adapt or die”. To solve their severe housing crisis animals are adapting to modern conditions, finding homes inside or near human dwellings and businesses where they may or may not be welcomed.

Even people who love animals find their attitudes changing when those animals are sharing their living quarters! Woodpeckers knocking on the walls at dawn; green iguanas leaving droppings in the swimming pools; owls dropping dead rats on their decks; pigeons roosting on the roof; or bats filling their attics with guano are all intolerable nuisances for people with busy lives.

Fortunately, a body of information is emerging that enables people to deal with these problems in humane and environmentally friendly ways. There is always a way to outsmart these critters and it ISN’T always killing the animals! Wildlife can be discouraged from using human areas in a variety of ingenious ways and usually just a little patience and a dash of tolerance are needed to solve the dilemma.

The National Trust’s Wildlife Rescue Centre (WRC) has information available about wildlife nuisance problems and is willing to provide free advice and assistance.

The WRC was started to assist veterinarians with the care of injured or orphaned birds and other wildlife. It consists of a small and dedicated group of volunteers and provides the hands-on follow-up care for dozens of injured, ill or orphaned seabirds and other animals every year. Funds to pay for the food and veterinary care come from the National Trust, the Humane Society, the Bird Club and private individuals.

Each wildlife problem is a little bit different, so seek advice and keep trying. Answers are available and happy endings are possible! Extra efforts are rewarded by the enjoyment derived from observing interesting animals up close and from the environmental benefits associated with them.

Non-lethal means work in almost every case and probably only fail when people are unwilling to seek the best long-term solutions. The WRC has a limited volunteer base, so cannot do a hands-on exclusion in every case, but they will do their best to provide property owners with the information and resources needed to solve the problems.

Of course, protecting a bit of wild habitat for wild animals is the best solution of all. If wild birds and other animals have forests with natural roosting sites and supplies of their natural foods, they will not be forced to seek their necessities in developed areas.

The WRC has more specific information available, so call them through the National Trust at 949-0121 for help with your particular problem or look on the web for www.peopleandwildlife.org and other groups providing free information for conflict resolution between people and animals.

VOLUNTEER! Call 949-0121 if you can help care for injured animals.