 |
We’re in the midst of a killer pandemic, an
economic crisis and a school crisis, while also at the start of the (“regular”) flu
season. Do we really need a bear hunt
next month in New Jersey? Sure, we never
“need” a bear hunt here, but having one this year is even more misguided than
any “usual” year for it.
And yet, right now, the bowhunt portion of
the 2020 bear slaughter is scheduled to begin October 12, about three weeks
from now.
What to do?
The Bear Group, a program of the Animal
Protection League of NJ (aplnj.org), offers a number of steps.
First, By next Thursday, Sept. 24, phone 609-292-6000
and ask the governor to do two things:
(1) issue an
executive order to cancel the bear hunt immediately on all public and private lands
in New Jersey;
(2) cancel future
hunts by granting the rule-making petition filed by APLNJ/Bear Group and a
coalition of like-minded groups. If
granted by the governor, this petition would repeal DEP’s current rule (the
Black Bear Management Policy), which makes it legal for bears to be hunted.
(If you can’t get through on the phone,
please use this webform: https://www.nj.gov/governor/contact/all/
Twitter: @GovMurphy #SaveNJBears
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/governorphilmurphy)
Second,
sign and share Senator Ray Lesniak’s bear protection petition:
https://www.lesniakinstitute.org/bears/#section1
Third,
to keep up with what’s happening, join Monday’s Bear Group Town Hall Zoom Webinar
at 7 pm (EDT) Sept. 21. Register in advance, after which you’ll receive a confirmation
email with info about joining the webinar.
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bEn9R7HVSmyTdiSZGeNjbw
Time is quickly running out for our bears — please
take action now!
A sign of the times (seen at an area veterinary hospital)
Returning
pet favors
“When we were
lonely and afraid and didn’t know where else to turn, our dogs stepped up and
gave us the emotional support we so badly needed. So in our new normal, we must pay them back at
least some of what they gave us.”
That couldn’t be better said, could
it? We may clutch our animals (cats
included!) for comfort, but do we give thought to giving back to our pets once
we feel better and they may need support? Those early pandemic “shelter at
home” days have loosened, and some of us now venture out beyond the
supermarket. Or we’re deep in Zoom
meetings at home or even back to work (at work!).
 |
| Sampa |
But what about the animals who were there
for us when we needed them?
Able to form strong emotional bonds across
species, dogs give unconditional affection.
But “separation anxiety” could set in as the pandemic wanes and people
get out more, sentencing their faithful dogs to solitary confinement: not at
all a fair return on their love investment!
(You’ll
enjoy the many dog-people photos with this story.)
A
dog to remember
Speaking
of dogs – always easy to do – I came upon a wonderful tribute to a dog, Zuzu,
who played a big part in her owner’s life and Washington Post illustrations. “A wonderful ambassador for
her breed,” Zuzu “so effortlessly filled my world and unleashed in me a bottomless supply
of love,” Nick Galifianakis wrote.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/19/AR2010081906354.html?tid=lk_inline_manual_55
True flight of fancy
When the trumpet vine covering our backyard
arbor came to blooming life this summer, I learned its red-orange flowers are
trumpet-shaped (silent) standouts that attract hummingbirds. In that case, I hope
recent visitors to the flower bunches spread the word and come back next
year.
No wonder I could barely see these birds:
they beat their wings up to 80 times per second, I’ve read – an exhausting
lifestyle! To insert their long thin
bills into flowers to extract the nectar, hummers hover in midair.
They also enjoy bee balm, salvia, coral
bells, columbine and hostas before flying south for the winter. (And given our recent cold snap, I hope
they’re already en route.)
And finally, lest we forget:
#