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Living in Harmony With Nature
On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 20:45:34 +0000, Derek Moody
wrote: Living in Harmony With Nature http://www.peta.org.uk/factsheet/fil...ID=189&pf=true We cause our wild animal neighbours far more trouble than they cause us, as each day, we invade thousands of acres of their territories, destroy their homes and kill those who inconvenience us in some way. Much of the damage we do is unintentional and can easily be rectified. Here are some ways to live in harmony with wild animals. Squirrels If you hear scurrying in your attic, it could be a trapped bird, or it could be a squirrel nesting in a warm, safe environment. Squirrels breed twice a year, between January and April and again between June and August. If you hear noises in your attic at these times, you may have to live with it for a few weeks. Driving parents away at these times would mean the death of their young. Instead, wait until the young are old enough to leave the nest, and ensure your attic is empty before blocking off any holes. Loud music and a dish of Jeyes fluid (squirrels apparently hate the smell) should encourage squirrels to leave. Then put up a squirrel nesting box in the garden as an alternative nesting site. Position it in a place where you can see it from your living room, and you’ll have a front-row seat for watching the squirrels’ antics. If you must evict squirrels with their young, provide them with a nesting box outside for them to move into, turn the music on loud and put a light on in the attic. Leave these things in place for a few days in order to give the mother time to find a new home and move her children. Check thoroughly before blocking holes in case the mum is out and the babies are still inside. If you still cannot get the animals out, call a wildlife sanctuary for help and advice. Never trust animals’ lives to anyone else, especially “pest-control services”, no matter what they tell you. Mice and Rats Mice often seek warmth and food inside our houses but can be encouraged to relocate. The most humane and effective way to evict rodents is to make your home inhospitable to them by locking away all food in glass, metal, ceramic or plastic containers (mice can climb, so don’t think bread is safe on a worktop). One PETA member drove mice out of her cupboards by putting cotton balls soaked in oil of peppermint in them. After the mice have left, seal up all holes and cracks you can find that are half a centimetre in diameter or larger. Live-trapping and releasing mice outdoors should be used as a last resort – doing so can endanger the lives of animals who are stressed as a result of being separated from their families and food and water sources. And the mice may simply find their way back inside. If you do opt to trap and release mice, remember they are nocturnal, and set humane traps before going to bed. There are a number of box traps available, but a homemade trap works just as well. Put some food in the bottom of a bucket and stack some books or bricks next to it so the mice can get to the top of the bucket. The mice will climb up, jump into the bucket after the food and be unable to climb out again. If you add a few sheets of kitchen paper, they will have something to hide under while they await your return. Make sure you check the trap first thing in the morning and relocate any mice caught to a safe environment away from the house. If you have a garden and can create a safe place for them under a shed or in an outbuilding, then you can make food and water available until they are able to source their own. People unintentionally raise mice and rat populations by leaving companion animal food on the floor or outside near the house and by keeping bird feeders. Make sure bins are secure and that compost heaps are covered. Rats and mice will not hang around if there is no food available. Birds Wild bird in your house? Close the door to the room the bird is in and keep it quiet and dark. Open the window and put a light outside it. The bird should fly out to the light. Be careful not to frighten trapped birds because they may fly into a closed window pane in confusion. Cap your chimney. When birds sit on top of chimneys for warmth, they can inhale toxic fumes, and when chimneys are uncapped, they can fall in and die. Remember that wild birds will need water during hot summers, and put bowls of water out that are large enough for them to bathe in. In winter, hang feeders up to ensure a supply of food if you do not have sufficient berry and seed-bearing bushes and trees. Bats When Britain was largely forested, bats would roost in holes in old trees. Now they choose other draught-free sites, including houses and garages. Bats are excellent navigators and won’t get tangled in your hair, contrary to myth! Nineteen years of research have shown just four cases of rabies in bats in Britain, and because infection can only be spread through a bite from an infected bat, the risk of catching rabies from bats is virtually nil. There are 16 species of bats in Britain, and most are classified as vulnerable, rare or endangered. Many people try to help and attract these insect-eating animals by providing bat boxes. Bats are protected, and it is illegal to intentionally disturb a bat or the shelter which he or she is using. If a bat is at rest, you may very gently catch him using a box and cardboard, but it is safest to simply turn off all lights and open outside doors and windows. Be sure to wear gloves if you attempt to handle bats, and always release them carefully outdoors. If you find a grounded or injured bat, call the Bat Conservation Trust on 0845 1300 228 during office hours for help and advice. Foxes and Badgers Foxes and badgers are symbols of the British countryside, although both can be found in towns and foxes can live happily in city centres. Foxes are adept at getting into bins, and badgers are opportunistic enough to make off with tasty scraps left lying around. If you want to deter these animals from your garden, store your bin in a garage or make a wooden rack to hold it securely. If you are happy to have these visitors to your home but would prefer they didn’t make a mess, do as one homeowner did and leave a small bag of “goodies” beside the bin each night. Satisfied, the midnight raider left the rubbish alone. Hungry foxes have been known to prey on small companion animals, so make sure these animals are kept indoors at night. Hedgehogs These much-loved nocturnal animals are known as the gardener’s friend because they eat slugs, snails and moth larvae. Hedgehogs can live as long as 10 years with our help, but they often only live to be 2 or 3. Make sure they can get out of ponds if they fall in. Never use slug pellets because they also poison hedgehogs, and provide a comfortable and dry box for hibernation. Do not disturb this box unless you think it has become damp; then you can gently add dry straw and cover it in waterproof material. A late litter of hoglets may not put on enough weight for winter hibernation and may rely on kind humans taking them in until spring. Check with your local wildlife-rescue centre about volunteer opportunities. Moles Moles can also be beneficial to gardeners. They eat the white grubs which damage grass and flowers. If you really want to encourage them to leave, set a dish of Jeyes fluid along their runs in the garden – like squirrels, they hate the smell of it. Chilli powder, moth balls and garlic can also be tried. Electronic devices which emit a sound that drives moles away are available for purchase. Snakes Snakes are timid, and in Britain, only one type of snake – the adder – is poisonous; adders’ bites are rarely fatal to humans. Snakes control rodent populations and should be left alone. To keep snakes away from the house, make sure wood or junk piles are kept at a distance, as snakes prefer this type of cover. Keeping Wild Animals Safe Uncovered ponds, pools and wells trap many animals, including hedgehogs, frogs and kittens. To help animals climb out, lean escape planks of rough lumber (to allow for footholds) from the bottom to the top of each uncovered well, and place rocks in the shallow ends of ponds and pools in order to give animals who fall in a way to climb out. Also, a stick in the birdbath gives drowning insects a leg up. Many animals die tragically when they push their faces into discarded food containers to lick them clean and get their heads stuck inside. Rinse out jars and tin cans before recycling or discarding them. Put the tin-can lid inside – so tongues won’t get cut – and crush the open end of the can as flat as possible. Cut open one side of empty cardboard cup-like containers. Also, cut apart all sections of plastic six-pack rings, including the inner diamonds. Orphaned or Sick Animals Wild youngsters are appealing, but never try to make one your pet. It’s unfair; they need to be with others of their kind. If you tame one, when the time comes for release, the animal will not know how to forage for food or be safe. If you find a youngster who appears to be orphaned, wait quietly at a distance for a while to be certain the animal’s parents are nowhere nearby. If the animal is safe from cats or other predators, then leave for several hours. If they are not, take the little one to a professional wildlife sanctuary for care and eventual release into a protected wild area. If you are unsure where your nearest wildlife sanctuary is located, call a local vet and ask for a reference. An injured bird can easily be carried in a cardboard box. Keep the top closed, because the bird will be less stressed in a dark environment. Often, fully grown but fledgling seagulls can be found on the ground, with their parents clearly watching from above. This is because the youngsters thought they could fly sooner than they were actually able to! Gently catch such babies and lift them to safety on a roof, where parents can continue to feed them until they are able to fly. Some wild rabbits suffer from the viral disease myxomatosis. If you see a rabbit with swollen, pus-filled eyes out in daylight, then it’s almost certain that the animal has myxomatosis and will die a slow and painful death. Catch the rabbit, making sure you handle him or her carefully, and put the animal in a box to transport him or her a local vet. Euthanasia is the only humane option at this stage. To avoid spreading the disease, wash your clothes immediately and de-flea anywhere that the sick rabbit has been. On very hot days, some animals come out of hiding. Foxes have been known to stretch out on patios. Normally nocturnal adult animals seen in daytime should be observed – if they run away from you, chances are they are healthy. If sick, they may walk slowly, stagger or be lethargic. Call a wildlife expert and keep a list of wildlife-rescue centres and services at home and in your car in case of emergencies. Create a Wildlife-Friendly Garden Don’t use pesticides in your garden, and leave part of it natural and unmanicured. Dead wood is ecological gold, so simply top off – rather than chop down – dead trees which are 12 inches or more in diameter. Save dead logs. Leave plenty of bushes for wildlife cover. Keep a birdbath filled with water and a pan for small mammals. Add bird, bat and squirrel boxes, and enjoy sharing your space with our wonderful, wild neighbours. Absolutely right! Angus Macmillan www.roots-of-blood.org.uk www.killhunting.org www.con-servation.org.uk All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; Second, it is violently opposed; and Third, it is accepted as self-evident. -- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) |
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