this is a post about nature. and whether or not people should interfere with nature. for about a week, i've been taking diva dog on her usual walk over the bridge and through the echo echo tunnel and down around the Other pond and past the monkey tree. well, just across the path from the Other pond, we met Bondi. a huge handsome snapping turtle. hanging out by the trunk of a tree. it's egging time for most of nature and i was excited and grateful that i was being allowed to share in the cycle of life. a few naturewatchers would stroll by from time to time, all just blown away by Bondi's size (about 50 lbs) and also, in the miracle of Nature. after a few days, though, it seemed to me that the process was taking an awful long time, and Bondi was not raising her head to greet me. threateningly or otherwise. so this morning, husband and i went to check on her. she was not moving. but such is the sneaky nature of snapping turtles. when you least expect it...expect it. but we knocked on her shell, and my husband finally (in tears) picked her up to move her closer to the pond. maybe she was weak from egging and couldn't get there. meanwhile i worked the cell phone trying to reach anyone who could examine her. finally an answer from an angel...an animal rehabber who lives about 10 minutes from us. to meet this woman...you just feel so insignificant in light of the work she does at no charge. we have brought her pidgeons kicked by horses, and all manner of un-domestic beings. no charge. so we put Bondi in the car and off we went. our fears were realized when she put a stethascope to his main artery in his tail. (well she quickly determined that Bindi was a Bondi....a "he" not a "she.") Bondi was gone. that amazing, huge, and very very old turtle was gone. i felt crushed with guilt. all week watching as he grew weaker. i know i know...i thought differently. and i know the Nature is Nature argument. but i just felt like i should have done something sooner. my husband was unashamed in his tears. we left Bondi with the rehabber, glad at least that he would be given rest with the dignity that he deserved. while we were there, we learned that the Community Association were we live has set "live" traps to "trap" the few beavers that have found their way into the large pond where Bondi lived. now i say that in quotations because the traps are set underwater. and only checked on fridays by the DEC. against their own law, by the way, that says traps be checked every 24 hours, and what the hell kind of new species of beaver are they after that could hold it's breath 24 hours, let alone 7 days? you tell me. just tell me. and do not get me going about traps in the first place. these traps are meant to catch and drown. no more and no less. they were discovered when a neighbor by the pond heard a ruckus and when he looked out, a female Canada goose was tossing a fit by the shore. her mate was flapping in the water, but not going anywhere. the man feared some sort of net or underwater predator had grabbed the goose, so he set out 2x4's and attempted to reach the bird. that's when he discovered the goose had a leg and wing stuck in a trap. i am so far past disgusted and horrified...i cannot find the words here to tell you how enraged i am by this. i have contacted a friend who works at the local paper, and intend to call all my former reporter friends on monday. it may not seem like a huge story to them, but just maybe the senseless killing and maiming of wildlife will get as much attention as the senseless killing and maiming done downtown person-to-person. and this in an area that touts itself as a nature area, with a picture of a Great Blue Heron as their logo. i am pissed and people will know it by monday night. if you have a moment, please call or email the Radisson Community Association in Baldwinsville NY and tell them to stop the trapping. i will also be contacting the DEC (a GOVERNMENT agency) (it stands for Dept. of Environmental CONSERVATION for godssake) on monday to see why they are breaking their own law. perhaps they'd like to speak on the record with the media. not so much, though i think. i am just in a tornado over this. i need a walk. L.
2 comments:
I would definitely make a stink! First, I thought that trapping and moving beavers was illegal. Last year we had a beaver appear in our Marcellus pond. We didn't want him tunneling through the side and causing it to drain out, or worse, eating all of our vegetation surrounding it. We did some research and found out that they are *protected* and you can't do a THING. So we waited and watched, and a few weeks later, the poor thing died on his own - we found him, dead, in the woods. He must have been sick, or old. We'd never seen one in the pond before and he didn't seem "right" becuase he was sleeping out in the sun, on its banks, in broad daylight. But then he'd swim around and flap the water with his tail, and "take a bath" preening himself with his own oils which was neat to watch. So I am amazed that the DEC can trap them in traps that are not removed hourly. I didn't think they could hold their breath for more than about 30 min or so underwater and the poor Canada Goose who got caught, too! This isn't right. Keep us posted and thank you for being so alert. You also did not do anything wrong with the turtle. You thought he (she) was nesting and I know it's tough... I'm amazed you picked it up and took it somewhere considering they can take your fingers off!!
i'll have to look into the protection status...thanks for that! they aren't trapping to release. my neighbor is on the Board of the RCA and he hadn't heard anything about it. he was very upset when i just told him. L.
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