The slaughter of cougars, wolves, coyotes, and other carnivores, has been common in North America since colonists arrived nearly four centuries ago. Today, the war on carnivores continues. The U.S government alone kills over three million animals, including 100,000 carnivores. Animals are poisoned, trapped, snared, beheaded, clubbed, shot from the air, and gassed in their dens.
State agencies, including the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and private interests are in the extermination business too. In Oregon, entire bear families are wiped out simply because the animals peel bark off a few trees on corporate timberland. Most recently, Oregon launched its Cougar Management Plan, which calls for expansive, indiscriminate killing of the big cats, and reinstated the barbaric practice of chasing cougars with hounds. Soon nearly 2,000 cougars may be killed across the state.
THE ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF CARNIVORES
Carnivores play an integral role maintaining healthy ecosystems by regulating deer and elk, as well as smaller mammal, populations. Most of these species need large areas of land to meet their food and habitat requirements. For this reason, carnivores, especially wide-ranging species such as grizzly bears, are considered "umbrella" species. By protecting large wild areas for predators to live and roam, we are, in effect, saving a place for many more animal and plant species.
Sustained lethal control, along with trophy hunting of some of these species, has had a devastating impact on the environmental health of the planet. Biologists have found many large native carnivores are "keystone species," and play a pivotal role in maintaining ecological integrity and preserving biological diversity. The disappearance of these species triggers the loss of other local species, and the intricate connections among the remaining residents begin to unravel. Species losses cascade and multiply throughout the ecosystem in a "domino effect." And, as noted in a recent front page Seattle Times article (http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/d...), aggressive predator "control" of a species like cougars can cause chaos for the animals by dramatically altering a species' social structure and behavior, as well as create more conflicts with humans.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Big Wildlife, a non-profit wildlife protection organization formed in 2006, is leading the charge to save mid and top-level carnivores such as wolves, cougars, wolverine, and coyotes. We are dedicated to halting these inhumane and horrific government lethal "control" programs. To help educate the public about threats facing carnivores, Big Wildlife is launching a "War on Carnivores" lecture series throughout the Northwest. Our presentation features stunning visuals of wildlife, as well as shocking images of carnivore "control" programs. If you would like us to speak in your community at your church, community organization, business, and even house parties, email us at: big_wildlife@shaw.ca
We will be launching our lecture series at Lewis and Clark Law School on April 2. See details about the Lewis and Clark event below. For more information go to www.bigwildlife.org
BIG WILDLIFE TO GIVE "THE WAR ON CARNIVORES" PRESENTATION AT LEWIS AND CLARK
Presentation includes stunning visuals of wildlife, shocking images of carnivore "control" programs, disturbing video of hound hunting
WHAT: "The War on Carnivores" presentation by Brian Vincent, Communications Director, Big Wildlife. Mr. Vincent will discuss government programs aimed at killing carnivores. In addition, he will talk at length about Oregon's Cougar Management Plan (CMP), which calls for aggressive, indiscriminate killing of the state's big cats. His lecture will include stunning visuals of wildlife, as well as shocking images of carnivore "control" programs. A representative from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has been invited to offer the Department's views. The event is open to the public.
WHEN: Noon, Wednesday, April 2
WHERE: Lewis and Clark Law School Room 5, 10015 SW Terwilliger Blvd., Portland
WHY: The slaughter of cougars, wolves, coyotes, and other carnivores, has been common in North America since colonists arrived. Today, the war on carnivores continues. The U.S government alone kills over three million animals, including 100,000 carnivores. Animals are poisoned, trapped, beheaded, clubbed, shot from the air, and gassed in their dens. State agencies, including the ODFW, and private interests are in the extermination business too. In Oregon, entire bear families are wiped out simply because the animals peel bark off a few trees on corporate timberland. Most recently, Oregon launched its CMP and reinstated the barbaric practice of chasing cougars with hounds. Soon nearly 2,000 cougars may be killed across the state. Mr. Vincent will educate the public about these horrific programs and empower audience members to help stop these practices.
WHO: Brian Vincent is Communications Director of Big Wildlife, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring carnivores throughout North America. Mr. Vincent has done media coordination, outreach, and mobilizing for animal rights and conservation groups including the National Audubon Society, Northwest Ecosystem Alliance, American Lands Alliance, and Animal Protection Institute. In addition, Mr. Vincent is a frequent lecturer at universities, conferences, and public forums and has been quoted extensively in the media. He has also organized some of the most successful and creative non-violent direct actions in the U.S.
CONTACTS: Liz Crosson at crosson@lclark.edu
SPONSORS: Northwest Environmental Defense Center, Student Animal Legal Defense Fund
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