A hearing of our own

By Mary Katherine Ray

Because of the injustice of the trapping decision, on Sept. 14, Sierra Club, WildEarth Guardians, Born Free USA and Animal Protection of NM held our own hearing, “The People’s Forum on Public Lands Trapping,” attended by over 130 participants. Though they were invited, no trappers, Game commissioners or representatives from N.M. Game and Fish attended.

An esteemed panel of community leaders listened to our stories and a presentation by Dr. Robert Harrison, a small-carnivore biologist at UNM. We learned about how unlimited trapping driven by market pressure has imperiled animals worldwide in the past and also how disruptive it is to the balance of nature since mid-level carnivores like bobcats and foxes keep rodents and rabbits in check. Without this balance, their quick generation time can ensure that these small herbivores can have a deleterious impact on available forage for larger animals. In essence, by saving a bobcat or fox, you can feed an elk.

We had examples of 3-legged dogs, and watching these animals hobble about gives new appreciation for the Middle Fork lobo pack. Both alpha animals have only three legs but have managed to bring down prey and raise litters of puppies. People told story after story of traumatic trap encounters, all of which reinforce how incompatible traps are with public use of wildlands. We will have audio of the event online soon.

Please sign up to be sure you are getting the latest information about our campaign to free our public lands from the grip of these brutal and indiscriminate devices: send your email address to Mary Katherine Ray at mkrscrim@kitcarson.net. For more, go to Wildlife.