Hepburn, almost frothing at the mouth, went on a rant about what a menace these creatures were, suggesting that the majority of Toronto's residents would agree with him.
So why don’t Toronto and the 905 municipalities launch programs to cull the pests? Are they waiting for raccoons to be officially declared a public health hazard?Then, in a breathtaking example of just bad journalism, he says:
Diehard animal lovers may oppose killing raccoons, but we permit the killing of rats and mice and allow the humane euthanizing of thousands of stray and unwanted cats and dogs every year.
In an email to Mr. Hepburn, I pointed out that he might have actually have utilized a few brain cells and done some cursory research; that in fact, Toronto had a scarcity of dogs for adoption and both Toronto Animal Services and the Toronto Humane Society go outside the City- and even the Province on a regular basis - to bring dogs back. Further, there are many very successful TNR groups (trap, neuter, release) that have been spectacularly successful in controlling and maintaining the feral cat population in Toronto in a humane manner.
He concludes with the suggestion that Toronto do a "cull" of the raccoon population - a euphemism for slaughtering hundreds of innocent animals simply trying to survive in an increasingly hostile urban landscape.
Likening the slaughter to Mississauga's decision to send a couple of hundred geese to New Brunswick-several years ago, Mr. Hepburn lack of journalistic integrity was again glaringly obvious. A quick google shows that several towns in New Brunswick have, over the past 15 years - been able to get permission from the Department of Wildlife to cull their own flocks, so the fate of the 200 Mississauga birds is probably a foregone conclusion.
The reality is that Mr. Hepburn's attitude is so clearly reflective of a City that is becoming increasingly polarized and meaner. From Ford's mythical "war on cars' crap to the methodical and obvious undermining of a cycling strategy that would make the City safer for cyclists and pedestrians, Toronto's populace is pulling up the bridges and huddling behind created moats. A UN report clearly shows that Canada is already failing the majority of its urban population by refusing to commit to a pedestrian and cycling friendly city.
The increasing hysteria being generated by media, perpetuated through social networks, bolstered by an ignorant public about Toronto's wildlife is ominous and bodes ill for the creatures with which we share this City. From the Beaches screaming about coyotes to the ire of ignorant columnists like Hepburn, an already precarious existence for our urban wildlife is being threatened.
The reality is that WE have encroached on their territory- they have not moved in from the surrounding countryside like a bad rendition of City Mouse and Country Mouse. A trend for people to move back from the suburbs, a preference for new citizens to want to settle in an urbanized area, cost of living increases that make commuting unviable and other factors have contributed to a huge demand for housing inner-city.
Likening the slaughter to Mississauga's decision to send a couple of hundred geese to New Brunswick-several years ago, Mr. Hepburn lack of journalistic integrity was again glaringly obvious. A quick google shows that several towns in New Brunswick have, over the past 15 years - been able to get permission from the Department of Wildlife to cull their own flocks, so the fate of the 200 Mississauga birds is probably a foregone conclusion.
The reality is that Mr. Hepburn's attitude is so clearly reflective of a City that is becoming increasingly polarized and meaner. From Ford's mythical "war on cars' crap to the methodical and obvious undermining of a cycling strategy that would make the City safer for cyclists and pedestrians, Toronto's populace is pulling up the bridges and huddling behind created moats. A UN report clearly shows that Canada is already failing the majority of its urban population by refusing to commit to a pedestrian and cycling friendly city.
The increasing hysteria being generated by media, perpetuated through social networks, bolstered by an ignorant public about Toronto's wildlife is ominous and bodes ill for the creatures with which we share this City. From the Beaches screaming about coyotes to the ire of ignorant columnists like Hepburn, an already precarious existence for our urban wildlife is being threatened.
The reality is that WE have encroached on their territory- they have not moved in from the surrounding countryside like a bad rendition of City Mouse and Country Mouse. A trend for people to move back from the suburbs, a preference for new citizens to want to settle in an urbanized area, cost of living increases that make commuting unviable and other factors have contributed to a huge demand for housing inner-city.
Condos and townhouses are proliferating and every day sees the slaughter of our urban forest . City Hall's lofty promises to protect our urban forest are a joke - I've watched with a heavy heart beautiful trees chopped down with impunity, depriving animals not just of shelter and safety, but contributing to the pollution and poor air quality affecting all of us.
We have a moral obligation to do our best to co-exist peacefully with the animals we have displaced. It really isn't rocket science. Keeping garbage securely fastened, NOT feeding wildlife, inspecting your home for possible issues on a regular basis, and maintaining vigilance with our domestic animals really doesn't take a great deal of effort.
We have a moral obligation to do our best to co-exist peacefully with the animals we have displaced. It really isn't rocket science. Keeping garbage securely fastened, NOT feeding wildlife, inspecting your home for possible issues on a regular basis, and maintaining vigilance with our domestic animals really doesn't take a great deal of effort.
As someone who bikes to work on a fairly regular basis (not in winter!)- there is something incredibly magical about my 4 a.m. rides. I have seen foxes, coyotes, skunks, raccoons and even opossums in my early morning forays... trotting down urban streets, streaking across parks, sauntering down sidewalks and simply going about the business of existing.
The arrogance of man to think that only he deserves a space in this world of ours is at best, contemptible, at worst a crime. For it is we who have fouled the rivers, and driven to extinction more species than we can count. Then, rather than understanding and accepting our peaceful co-existence with those hardy enough to survive, we again show our ignorance and tunnel vision by attacking that which makes our City more than glass and steel.
We too are creatures of flesh and blood with a connection to the natural world that is becoming increasingly tenuous .. and in the doing, diminishes us.
The arrogance of man to think that only he deserves a space in this world of ours is at best, contemptible, at worst a crime. For it is we who have fouled the rivers, and driven to extinction more species than we can count. Then, rather than understanding and accepting our peaceful co-existence with those hardy enough to survive, we again show our ignorance and tunnel vision by attacking that which makes our City more than glass and steel.
We too are creatures of flesh and blood with a connection to the natural world that is becoming increasingly tenuous .. and in the doing, diminishes us.
