http://www.statesman.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/National/Cat_Shooting_Trial.html
Daily Kitten Chat Forum » The Newsroom
Birdwatcher Who Killed Cat Flees Texas
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Posted 4 years ago by Dee from Tampa #
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Maybe he can go to Mexico and see how it goes for him there
Posted 4 years ago by AZDEBRA 5/27 & crew #
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http://www.galvestonbirders.org/jimstevenson.htm
and look! u cna make a fake ID and send him an email telling him what a mother...... he is!
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Folks, you're not getting the whole story. I live on the opposite side of Houston from where it happened and have followed the story since the beginning. The real villain in this story was the drawbridge keeper who had the chance to get the cat out of danger and adamantly refused to do it.
The birdwatcher had a legal responsibility to protect the nests of some shore birds that are an officially-threatened species. He saw the cat stalking and killing the fledglings. He would have been liable under the Endangered Species Act if he had done nothing. He discovered that the drawbridge keeper was feeding the cat and had developed a relationship with the cat that allowed the possibility of the keeper giving the cat a permanent home (the cat was feral, but allowed the keeper to handle it).
The birdwatcher spoke on several occasions about the need to keep the cat away from the nests. The drawbridge keeper could have adopted the cat or gotten it in the hands of a feral rescue, but not only did he NOT try to save the cat, he said that he would prosecute anyone who tried to remove the cat from the island.
As much as I love cats, I don't want a species of birds endangered because of one jerk's intransigence. I was glad that there was a hung jury. It's the drawbridge keeper who should be run out on a rail. He's the one who got away with murder.
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It's a shame the feral cat was not adopted or relocated. But in the bigger picture, had that happened, what then? It's not as though feral cat populations exist in a vacuum. You remove one, another moves in. TNR gets the population to stabilize and slowly decline, but it doesn't eliminate feline populations.
The bird species is threatened or endangered primarily because of habitat loss. Other threats, such as feral cats, are secondary at best. If you want to retain wild species, preserve habitat! Cluster and restrict development somewhat, and slow down the elimination of habitat.
NY Times Magazine has an interesting article, which seems to indicate this isn't the first cat killed by the birdwatcher.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/magazine/02cats-v--birds-t.html
I believe we, as a species, should take responsibility for helping preserve other species, first and foremost through habitat preservation. Then, secondary threats such as feral cat populations can be addressed. I think there's not much point to controlling secondary threats to the bird population, when primary threats such as habitat destruction loom much, much larger.
(Just my opinion, worth the electrons it's printed with.)
Posted 4 years ago by anncetera2 #
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I agree with you Anncetera. My only comment was on the birdwatcher claiming to be shot at and then not helping with the investigation. That particular situation makes me think he wasn't shot at in the first place and was saying he was to gather support/attention.
Ginny, a question my friend. Why didn't the birdwatcher contact a feral rescue or animal control, or did he and they didn't respond?
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Thank You Ginny...as much as I love cats, I love birds, dogs, whales, seals, etc...and I knew when I read this story that there had to be another side to the situation. It's a shame that the bridgekeeper didn't do more when he had the opportunity to do so. I hold him as much responsible as the man who pulled the trigger. Poor Kitty..only doing what came natural to him..perhaps we should also consider that if it is a natural influence in the threat to a species that it is not our business to interfere. When we photograph and observe wildlife conquering their pray for a meal...do we interfere in order to save the life of the hunted? No...nature is nature. Only when mankind comes into play at the threat of extinction should we influence the nature of the situation.
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