#Middlebury #Wildlife
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I am relocating soon to rural Tennessee, in an area that the real estate agent said is filled with critters like raccoons, opossums, woodchucks, foxes, coyotes, muskrats, mink, snapping turtles, venomous snakes, crows, free roaming hogs, and stray dogs and cats. My question is, What are the regulations for dealing with nuisance critters? Are there any restrictions I need to be aware of? I’m not computer literate and don’t know how to look these up online. – Karl B., via email
DEAR KARL: I’m more of a pet-care specialist than a wildlife specialist, but I looked up some information for you. Tennessee allows landowners to capture nuisance wildlife and either release or euthanize the animal – unless it’s a protected species. You must use a box trap or other live trap. You can hire a professional to do the trapping for you. And you can call a state wildlife management official for advice, especially if you aren’t sure whether an animal is protected. To learn more, perhaps someone who is computer savvy can access the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency website for you and search for “wildlife damage control.”
I do hope you’ll relocate rather than eliminate most of the species that you trap. Opossums are becoming endangered, and they’re not ferocious at all; they eat ticks and are immune to Lyme disease. Bats are a threatened species that love to roost in dark, quiet attics. But they also eat tons of mosquitos. We really need these little natural vacuum cleaners around. Snakes keep the rodent population down. Coyotes and bears play their role in balancing the natural environment, even though they are quite scary to discover near your house.
Send your questions to ask@pawscorner.com.
© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
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