EDITOR,
I was disappointed with Helmut Manzl's column, "Big cats, bigger opportunity" (Chief, Sept. 23) in which he chastised the group Big Wildlife for not speaking out about recent cougar encounters. In referencing Big Wildlife, Mr. Manzl wrote: "So far, aside from a few Letters to the Editor, we have heard very little from local environmental watchdogs about solving our cougar conundrum. It's time to speak up, folks."
Had Mr. Manzl bothered to check he would have discovered the U.S.-based organization no longer operates in Canada. More than a year ago, I left my position here with Big Wildlife to launch Stop UBC Animal Research, a campaign dedicated to ending the University of British Columbia's brutal experiments on animals.
I resigned from Big Wildlife because I wanted to shift my focus to exposing UBC's animal research program. Most B.C. residents are unaware that every year UBC conducts thousands of experiments involving animals, including pigs, mice, cats, monkeys, and others. Much of that research employs cruel, lethal procedures.
As Stop UBC Animal Research's director, I have little free time to work on other issues, though I have tried to stay engaged in local wildlife matters. (See my Sept. 9 letter, "Cougar conflict avoidance tips.").
I remain troubled by residents' complaints about cougars while ignoring their own role in creating conflicts. Encroaching into wildlife habitat and permitting domestic cats to stray into cougar country puts companion animals and communities at risk by enticing predators into neighbourhoods. I am also outraged by the District's aggressive response to those complaints because such a response ignores the cause of these clashes - namely, irresponsible humans. Rather than killing cougars, the District should help our community avoid problems with the animals by:
Prohibiting development in wildlife habitat. Development should be concentrated in downtown brown spaces, not in places important to animals.
Educating residents how to live with wildlife. Squamish's Bear Aware Program has done a remarkable job of educating the public about bears. Similar efforts should be undertaken for cougars.
Penalizing those who create conditions that lure cougars into neighbourhoods. Rather than blaming cougars, residents should be fined for essentially serving up companion animals as bait. Domestic cats - who decimate bird populations - should be kept indoors or placed in outdoor enclosures.
Replacing habitat with sprawl and letting Fluffy play where predators roam are recipes for disaster. One might as well put out a T-bone and ring a dinner bell for cougars. For those wanting a community sanitized of wild animals, may I suggest you move to Kitsilano.Brian VincentSquamish
