Wildlife Watch

By Taffy Lee Williams, NY4Whales.org

In an area halfway between California and Hawaii, ocean currents and winds drive marine debris into a swirling dynamic area that has become known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). It is the largest of five oceanic garbage patches, or gyres, weighing in at 80,000 metric tons with some 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, everything from derelict fishing gear to plastic bottles, straws, construction debris,  toys and more. The Ocean Cleanup Foundation is reporting that the GPGP is now a shocking 600,000 square miles in size. A 2015 study found 16 times more plastics and debris than earlier estimates, while scientists believe an “exponential growth” is occurring as debris from Asian nations as well as North and South America continues to accumulate.

Where does all this trash come from? Shipping and cargo vessels contribute by dumping cargo (either deliberately or by accident), cruise and recreational ships directly offload waste while fishing vessels drop unwanted, non-functioning items overboard, including fishing gear, traps and ropes. Meanwhile, careless beachgoers leave litter and food packaging on the sandy shores, while the outflow of rivers carries the throw-away refuse of human society into the oceans. In one of the most mindless littering activities, millions of balloons are released in any number of sporting, memorial, entertainment or celebratory events, often traveling hundreds, if not thousands of miles until they fall, 72% of the time, into a body of water. Plastics and other synthetic materials have become ubiquitous, and their effects on the environment and wildlife have become catastrophic.

Synthetic materials, aka “plastics” began their conquest of the human experience in the early 20th century. Products made of nylon, styrene and more were viewed as the height of progress and luxury. They provided convenient wraps for food and other products, and were easily molded into containers, eating utensils, automobile parts, even medical devices. Now ubiquitous, we can’t shed our dependence or find solutions for the massive amount of waste that these eventually broken and unusable products generate. We are used to our “throw away” products, our pens, cigarette butts, plastic shopping bags, and the easily forgotten litter they generate.

MARINE ANIMALS SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES

What does all this mess mean to marine life? While fish populations have been crashing around the world with amounts of biomass in decline, the infusion of plastic and debris has been growing non-stop. Meanwhile, in a never-ending search for food, hungry marine animals, everything from whales to snails and all those in between, are consuming the trash.

Just consider latex balloons, which may take 6 months to several years to decompose, plenty of time to kill marine organisms. Partygoers witness the 20 second “thrill” of seeing them rise and disappear; then balloons will burst and fall, usually with ribbons and strings attached. To a sea turtle, the flexible floating balloon pieces and trailing threads resemble plankton, a preferred food. How many floating deflated balloons or plastic bags have killed sea turtles, all species of which are endangered, we will never know.

Just last week we learned of the sperm whale that washed up on an Indonesian beach. A necropsy showed the whale had died with over 13 pounds of non-food items, aka, trash, in its gut:

A dead sperm whale [was] aground on a shore in central Indonesia had digested over 1,000 pieces of plastics or nearly six kg, Wakatobi district national park chief Heri Santoso said on Wednesday.

The park chief said that the items found in the stomach of the 9.5-meter long mammal included 115 drinking cups, 4 plastic bottles, 2 flip-flops, 25 plastic bags and over 1,000 assorted pieces of plastic, reports Efe news.

https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/science-environment/262221-indonesia-sperm-whale-found-dead-with-6-kg-of-plastic-in-stomach

In another shocking “killer-trash” report, a pilot whale died in Thailand waters after consuming 17 pounds of plastic bags (80 bags in all).

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2018/06/03/plastic-bags-whale-death-thailand.cnn

Like turtles who consume synthetic materials, whales and dolphins will fill their stomachs with trash while looking for food. If the particles don’t become lodged in internal organs, which can cause blockages and death, the animals may actually starve to death with a stomach full of indigestible debris.

A seal is trapped in a deadly tangled nest of discarded fishing gear and nets.

(Photo: NOAA)

Shock, combined with a little wonder at the unnatural. That’s how I feel as I watch the knife slice through the sternum of a dead Laysan albatross. Inside its ribcage: a sickening array of plastic. A red bottle top from a well-known soft drink brand. A cigarette lighter. Or two. Long thin items I couldn’t begin to identify. It looked like the bird had swallowed the contents of an entire trash can whole.

Yet this wasn’t because it dined on a refuse site. I was on Midway Island, in the remote Pacific Ocean, at least 1,500 miles from the nearest one of those. This disgusting and otherworldly sight exists because we’re throwing the equivalent of one garbage truck of plastic into the oceans every minute. By 2050, a number of researchers expect the world’s oceans to contain more plastic than fish, by weight.

https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/11/world/vanishing-walsh-plastic-albatross/index.html

Research at the Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics in Switzerland found microplastic ingestion even by base of the food chain plankton:

Each year, millions of metric tons of the plastic produced for food packaging, personal care products, fishing gear, and other human activities end up in lakes, rivers, and the ocean. The breakdown of these primary plastics in the environment results in microplastics, small fragments of plastic typically less than 1-5 mm in size. These synthetic particles have been detected in all of the world’s oceans and also in many freshwater systems, accumulating in sediment, on shorelines, suspended in surface waters, and being ingested by plankton, fish, birds, and marine mammals.
(Research Highlights: Impacts of microplastics on plankton. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26829584)

Scientists are confirming that now microplastics are being unavoidably swallowed by tomorrow’s “seafood”. That means if you consume fish, your body is most likely harboring microplastics, too. Microplastics can be as small as any length of thread, an ant, a sesame or poppy seed and are often too small to see with the naked eye. At this size they may easily lodge undetected in the tissue of seafood products like lobster and salmon headed for market.

The amount of trash being dumped into our oceans is staggering, and the problem continues to get worse.

In a more direct route, boaters may dump their trash right into the sea. In the past, this has been the main cause of plastics in the ocean. In 1975, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that 14 billion pounds of garbage was being dumped into the ocean every year. That’s more than 1.5 million pounds per hour. More than 85% of this trash was estimated to come from the world’s merchant shipping fleet in the form of cargo-associated wastes. According to the Academy, the United States could be the source of approximately one third of this ocean pollution.

By 2016, the World Economic Forum found the tonnage of marine debris had increased to ~25 million tons per year, a number still expected to rise:

A full 32% of the 78 million tons of plastic packaging produced annually is left to flow into our oceans; the equivalent of pouring one garbage truck of plastic into the ocean every minute.

If we carry on as usual, this is expected to increase to two per minute by 2030 and four per minute by 2050. By 2050, this could mean there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/every-minute-one-garbage-truck-of-plastic-is-dumped-into-our-oceans/

ADDRESSING THE SCOURGE

As part of an international treaty, in 1988 the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act (MARPOL) was established, making it illegal to dump plastics into the oceans. But the law is almost impossible to enforce and doesn’t address the thousands of miles of driftnets, ropes and fishing gear “which can ensnare and kill birds diving for the fish below, or come loose, only to be discovered later by an unfortunate humpback whale.” (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

https://www.whoi.edu/science/B/people/kamaral/plasticsarticle.html

Today, researchers estimate up to 480,000 particles of microplastics in one square kilometer of ocean water.

https://www.aquarium.co.za/blog/entry/The-plastic-problem-How-much-plastic-pollution-is-in-our-ocean

This green sea turtle was weighed down by a masssive fishing net.

(Photo: NOAA)

How is anything supposed to avoid ingestion?

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Although the slogan may seem cliché, “Reduce-Reuse-Recycle” is good advice. Simply using and buying less, fixing, repurposing and reusing what is already in hand, and recycling what is allowed can do a lot to address the problem. Avoid those single-use products like straws, plastic bags and utensils. Encourage officials to invest in enforcing those neglected anti-ocean dumping laws. If we all did our part, we would have less of a “plastic ocean catastrophe” on our hands.

Plastics? Throw away trash? “We need it,” the makers of plastics say. “We can’t live without it!” Well, if I were a fish, I would beg to differ.

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To learn about NY4Whales’ efforts to stop mass balloon releases visit https://ny4whales.org/no-balloons-campaign.

By M.R. Guercio

For the past seven years Augie has had a very important job to do; to humanely remove Canada geese from the campus of the State University of New York at New Paltz. You may have read about the wonderful Augie previously, in a summer 2011 issue of the Binocular. We checked in with Augie’s parent, Mike Malloy, to see how Augie is doing and how his job has evolved over these last seven years. It seems that Augie has taken on some new and interesting responsibilities.

It is still Augie’s primary job to herd geese away from campus ponds and fields, but his introduction to the campus has been so successful that his work load has lessened. Mr. Malloy has said that the geese mostly avoid the campus, and no longer nest there, ever since Augie started working. Augie’s other important roles on campus include welcoming incoming students at orientation, being the face of the school’s winter clothing drive, and visiting students at residence halls to relieve stress during finals. Outside of the college campus, Augie is part of a nation-wide program at public libraries. These programs use dogs to help children read aloud by being there to listen and encourage them. For his work with children, Augie has become a certified therapy dog.

As if Augie wasn’t famous enough, he now has two children’s book written about him by SUNY New Paltz English Professor Rachel Rigolino.  One titled “Augie Goes to College” chronicles his travels from the rescue farm he lived on to his job at SUNY New Paltz. Another titled “Augie Goes to the Library” tells the story of his job helping children learn to read aloud. Augie even had a role in the college’s theater production Fat Ram, where Augie barked at a villain on stage. Mr. Malloy has confirmed what we could all assume, the campus community at SUNY New Paltz loves Augie!

In July 2019 Augie will turn 12 years old. Soon he will be retired and enjoying a relaxing life with his dad, but the message of his important work will live on. Augie and Mr. Malloy are real life examples of how humans can find ethical solutions to human/animal conflicts. There are plenty of beautiful geese, ducks and other waterfowl that grace the SUNY New Paltz campus, and with Augie now on the job, these birds can visit, but avoid taking up permanent residence. This allows the college to save money by avoiding the cost of cleaning up the waste the geese would leave behind. Augie is very well trained, and knows to leave certain kinds of birds, like ducks, alone and never hurts any of the geese he herds away. We thank Augie and Mr. Malloy for the wonderful, inspiring work that they do and the amazing example that they set.

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Marissa Guercio is a recent biology graduate, naturalist and all around animal lover. She is interested in animal behavior, conservation, philosophy, and how humans can better interact with the natural world. It is her belief that the ability to live in harmony with nature and wildlife exists in all of us, we need only the proper tools and knowledge.

In April, a terrible incident happened in Central Delhi.  The initial report was that a 12-day old baby was grabbed from his mother by a monkey.  That the monkey ran off with the baby was the only account that didn’t have conflicting reports.  Several stated that the baby was severely bitten in the face.  Another report said that the police came and threw rocks at the monkey to get him or her to drop the baby.  But other reports said that people in the town were throwing rocks immediately.  It’s hard to know what was happening in the chaos that ensued, but the story that was popularly reported was that the baby was severely bitten in the face by the monkey.  Even early reports of the place where the baby was found were different: one said the baby was found in a well, another report said the baby was found on a rooftop.

In the throes of a violent event among humans only, there are two sides to the story, or mitigating reports of what may have occurred that could lessen a sentence for a human. In no way would anyone condone violent behavior just because an animal has committed the offense, but knowing the truth should be a goal. Animals have the cards stacked against them as they’ve no way to communicate a contradiction of false or confused accusations. It was reported in one article that the mother felt the monkey intentionally dropped the baby in the well, in another the father thought the monkey dropped the baby while fleeing.

What would have happened to the monkey, even all of the monkeys, if such an event had occurred in another country, but in Hinduism, monkeys are considered deities.  The government’s response was to use immunocontraception to reduce the population of monkeys, and to find the one monkey who snatched, and allegedly killed the baby. Wildlife Watch is in awe that the government had the good sense to not blame the other peace-loving monkeys. Taking a broad brush to paint an entire population, and not seeing the individuality of animals, happens all too often elsewhere.

We were further struck by the sympathy for all that was expressed by the government in pointing out that the environmental degradation of forest lands, where monkeys would normally live, have forced monkeys to find food and shelter in more populated areas. As we researched reports about this terribly sad and disturbing incident, we found that reports of monkey attacks on humans varied from being called “a rare occurrence” to being called “second only to dog attacks.”

In the monkeys’ defense, one report said that “While monkeys attacking humans or entering houses in search of food are fairly common, this is the first case in which one has run away with a baby.” [This indicates that attacks of this nature are rare.]  In that same report, it quoted a doctor who had examined the baby’s body and said, “there were no serious injury marks.” [This finding indicates that the baby was not attacked as had been described.]

The doctor said it appeared to be “a case of asphyxia due to drowning…” 

None of the above can ever bring the baby back or dampen the shock and pain of the parents and the community.  The question is what should be done to prevent such an occurrence in the future, and for that we need the truth.

From the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/04/02/a-monkey-snatched-and-killed-a-newborn-family-claims/?utm_term=.70420bd4bd09

From the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-43615812

By Jim Robertson

The species Homo sapiens woke up this morning to a sudden collective realization that they are plant eating primates, not some Tyrannosaurus-like super predators. Instantly, as if waking with a start from a bad dream, it came to each and every human at exactly 8:00 a.m. that all their problems would be solved if they changed their carnivorous ways.

By day’s end, with the whole of humanity now born again vegan, people begin to feel better than ever—revitalized—with a glow of guilt-free contentment. World hunger eases and peace seems actually attainable since folks have moved beyond their longing for animal flesh. And the once hunted and farmed animals rejoice, knowing that two-leggers are now treating them with fairness and respect.

It’s been a long time coming and not a moment too soon. This day will be known as Happy Vegan Day, a time when all people exchange cruelty-free gifts in honor of the glorious occasion.

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Jim Robertson is author of Exposing the Big Game: Living Targets of a Dying Sport.

https://www.amazon.com/Exposing-Big-Game-Living-Targets/dp/1846948088

For a great vegan holiday recipe: Whole Roasted Cauliflower, visit:

https://www.karissasvegankitchen.com/whole-roasted-cauliflower/

https://yourspca.org/what-we-do/wildlife/

The Erie County SPCA in Seneca Falls, NY is a unique SPCA in that it actually has a wildlife division that’s extremely active all year. With veterinarians and medical facilities at their fingertips, they are able to do a lot of good for the wildlife.

It should serve as a model for SPCAs everywhere.  We hope that in the next issue of the Binocular, we will have an article addressing that goal.

You can visit them here:

https://yourspca.org/what-we-do/wildlife/

and check out their Instagram page and read the story of Cypress the turtle, her rescue, and love of strawberries here:

https://www.instagram.com/spcaec_wildlife/

A photo of a little opossum patient from their gallery taken prior to the fire.

After the horrific fires devastated large swaths of forested land in California, Wildlife Watch called numerous wildlife rehabilitators and facilities in the areas that were in or close to the extreme fires.  We wanted to see how we could help in some way to direct contributions to them for needs.

The reality of the destruction hit home when we did not hear back from anyone for days.  The rehabbers also needed to evacuate to keep from being consumed by the flames and overcome by the smoke.   Even the California Department of Fish and Wildlife couldn’t provide any information about the wildlife or who was in a position to take in wild animals affected by the fire.  They provided one name, and when we called, the man said that he wasn’t able to continue his work and didn’t know of anyone who was.

Then on November 27th, we got a call from the California Wildlife Center http://cawildlife.org/ in the Malibu area.  They explained more about what it was like in the front lines.  She said that because people were fleeing the area, there was no one there to report injured wildlife, so they actually hadn’t received calls.  She said that as people begin to return, they are sure that calls will come pouring in. 

If you would like to help them for that inevitable time in the near future, please contact California Wildlife Center http://cawildlife.org/

We will report anything more that we find out. If you are in a fire-ravaged area, and you know of rehabbers who are helping there, please let us know so we can inform our readers about how to help.

By Cyndi Hacker 

Here in the Hudson Valley, we are a little spoiled. We are used to beauty and color, and lots of it. Tourists come here in droves just to see our autumn leaves, and our bright, summer season isn’t too shabby, either. However, 2018 has been a little, shall we say, “on the grey side.” An elongated winter turned into a bright sunny, summer filled with promise. Then, something happened. After a gorgeous July 4th, we fell into a deep spell of grey—little bits of scattered sunshine overshadowed by rain, rain, more rain, and well, grey. Fall hasn’t been much different. The rain has essentially pulled the leaves off the trees early, leaving them to land in pools of water and mud, barely colored.  If you’re like me, this prolonged weather pattern has left you feeling a little grey. The rain has kept me indoors more and the lack of sun has me browsing Amazon for a Happy Lite. As weekend after weekend brings cold, wet weather, I’m even missing the tourists, a little.

Last Saturday I had enough. I needed outside. I didn’t care that it was cold, dark, rainy, and windy, I needed to be walked as badly as a restless labrador. I set out on my section of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, donned in my raincoat, rainboots, and scarf-hat-and-gloves combo, and tried to ignore the rain pelting my eyes. Then something happened. I began to notice the beauty in the grey. First, I was lured by the sound of water, as what was normally a small tributary of the Wallkill River now became a raging chorus of whitecaps and rapids. Trees lining the trail were a little bare, but on the ground was a carpet of leaves the color of a rainbow, and it seemed to glow against the backdrop of the foggy grey sky. It was mesmerizing! And what made it even more special was that I was alone. Who would be out here on a rainy, cold day? But it was beautiful. All the rain has made for lush green grass and I had never seen that creek so high and mighty. The water looked almost inviting, so clear and deep. I knew the small waterfall up a ways on the left of the trail would now be an impressive site to behold. I couldn’t wait to see.

I whipped out my cell phone and began taking pictures of the water, the trees, even the ground. I always wondered how people could take photos of leaves on ground and make them look good, but then my eyes caught how the leaves seemed to sparkle in the water, and the drops of rain created rings in between them in the most fascinating way. I found myself stopping, staring at the ground, waddling around taking photos of the ground, on a path I walked nearly every day. What had changed?

I invite you to check out the grey. Grey can be exciting. And there’s lots of it. Witness the joyful behavior of the grey squirrels, who are out there all day, in all kinds of weather, not only making their living, but, when one takes the time to notice, actually playing with one another. Then there are the grey and black chickadees that stay with us in the north, along with the mourning doves, who sing a beautiful song no matter what the sky brings. A dreary day can turn into a beautiful one if we just stop and look around a bit.

I’m glad I took the time to get out of the house that day. To look beyond my expectations of beauty. To change my perspective. To find beauty in the grey.
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Cynthia Hacker lives in New Paltz, NY. She spends her free time exploring the many wild places that grace the area. She is a writer and lover of nature, and an environmentalist.

I was so enraptured by my first trip to Myakka River State Park, that I felt a longing to return a few days later. I chose to visit at the 8 am opening.  There were only a few other people at that hour.  I drove 5 miles an hour through the park with the windows open so that, perhaps, I would be able to see or hear wild pig or deer walking through the forest.  Many trees are covered with the iconic Spanish moss, an air plant which receives nutrients and water through its surface.

Alligators can be seen basking on the banks of the Myakka River. From afar, they look like logs. It is really thrilling to see this prehistoric creature, not far from people in the park.

Alligators sometimes swim together, during mating times, as well as touching snouts.  Males can be observed putting their heads on the backs of females. At times of high-density congregations,  alligators sometimes engage in the cooperative feeding of fish, though they are usually solitary. They can live to be as old as 75 years.

Photo Credit: http://www.thenaturalistsnotebook.com/our-blog/roseate-spoonbills-in-south-carolina https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288808711_Nocturnal_behaviour_of_American_Alligator_Alligator_mississippiensis_in_the_wild_during_the_mating_season

At the end of the “bird walk,” reached by a short wooden bridge over a grassy area, there were usually 2 or 3 bird watchers with high-powered scopes,  focused on a specific area.  They are very generous about offering to let others see through the scopes,which are on tripods. I was able to observe Blue-winged Teal, Glossy Ibis, Short-billed Dowitcher,  Golden Eagles and Caspian Terns.  I would never have been able to see these birds without the help of a scope. I regretted not having my binoculars with me.  A mistake I will never make again.

Without the help of binoculars, I was able to watch Roseate Spoonbills, sifting below the surface of the water with their spoon-like beaks, in a back and forth motion, to feed on shrimp, small fish, snails, mollusks, as well as insects. Roseate Spoonbills are very rare in the park. I also saw Great Egrets, Ospreys, a pair of Sandhill Cranes, Great Blue Herons, Black Vultures, and Cormorants fishing underwater.

The only snag in my otherwise sublime visit was the incongruous presence of alligator meat on the menu in the park cafeteria. Especially since next door was a boat tour to see nature, including alligators.  I shared my opinion on this subject and  hope that in time public outcry will compel them to take these endearing reptiles off the menu.

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Chris Arenella has lived and travelled in more places than we can count.  She is also formally studying more about nature and wildlife at the wonderful courses offered by the New York Botanical Garden.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Wildlife Watch is changing its policy of not promoting places to visit where hunting is allowed.  We will instead be letting our members and readers know about these otherwise wonderful areas and encourage everyone to make their feelings known via letters to the editor, politicians, and the parks themselves that hunting and trapping and using the wildlife as food has no place in a civilized society, and can ruin the experience of people who are visiting te park.

Sadly, Myakka State Park allows hunting.

See their website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/myakka-river-state-park

Pilots to the Rescue’s mission is to save pets facing potential euthanasia using a specially equipped plane, enrolling a network of trained pilots, shelters, ground teams and veterinarians.   Top Dog, Michael Schneider says, “PTTR flies these little souls filled with unconditional love giving them a second chance for a furever home.”  Pilots to the Rescue is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit all volunteer organization.

Their first plane is a 6 passenger plane that can carry approximately 1,000 lbs and has great bay loading doors for larger cages and the seats can easily be removed.  It cruises close to 200mph and has a 5 hour endurance.  Perfect for sub 1,000 mile ranges (from NY).

They recently did a red wolf rescue: Please see:  https://tinyurl.com/dogrescueflights

Top Dog can be reached at michael@pilotstotherescue.org

www.animalsinthewild.com 

Jim Robertson, an outstanding wildlife photographer, “shoots” all of his subjects in their environment, living their lives without interference. Could this photo be a wildlife Mona Lisa, whose expression sparks debate for centuries? We’ll never know.

Wildlife Watch has a new section of the Binocular for engaging photographs of wild animals.  All submissions must be ethically obtained, without baiting or other lures. To participate, please email wildwatch@verizon.net