Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
looking for it many times, this was the i rst one I had ever seen in the l esh. I
thanked the arctic for producing a poor annual crop of voles, the owl's typical
prey, which was the reason this bird and many other snowy owls invaded the
United States in 2005. Similar invasions occur every four years throughout
the northern hemisphere, with owls showing up in Asia, Europe, North
America, and even on ships at sea.
I cannot imagine anyone who would not marvel at a gorgeous white owl
that wandered into his or her neighborhood. Indeed, our local papers were
full of reports about the owls and the birding fever they had ignited. Coexist-
ing with other predators is dicier.
Sugar and Marcia were i xtures in the neighborhood. Marcia rode her
scooter as Sugar, a plump rock star of a Jack Russell terrier, strained at the end
of the leash to snul e in the ditch or nap in a sunbreak. Occasionally, Sugar
would scoot out of the house and follow her terrier instinct into the wooded
ravine in Marcia's backyard. Such a breach of security nearly cost Sugar her
life in 2010, however. The wails coming from the wooded patch were not the
usual baying of a dog on an adventure. These were clearly the sounds of an
animal in distress. A neighbor, sensing trouble, got his gun, bolted toward the
screams, and shot the coyote that had pinned Sugar to the leafy soil. Sugar
somehow survived. The coyote did not.
I was glad for Sugar and Marcia, but I lamented the loss of the coyote. I
loved seeing and hearing coyotes in the neighborhood, and I felt they were
essential to the health of our ecosystem. Where coyotes roam, cats are rare
and bird populations are healthy. Conserving carnivores is challenging every-
where, because while they inspire some people, they horrify others. Both per-
spectives are valid and not easy to resolve, especially where we live or raise
livestock. But subirdia needs the natural checks and balances that predators
provide, as they cull the diseased or weak and reduce the overly abundant.
Let's consider a few ways we can limit the risks, however minor they may
be, that wild predators pose.
