Riffing on brother Canuck's thoughts, it's not just the presence of the animals...it's the expansion of people into the animals' traditional habitat. Even here in Illinois it's like: look at the cute deer in the Forest Preserve and then it's the g*ddamm deer that jumped out in front of my car while I was driving down 159th Street! I can't tell you how many times I've overheard people on my commuter trains that are going on to those stops near the end of the line that used to be rural and are now suburban complain about the deer eating their precious plantings and the racoons going through their garbage. C'mon, people...wise up. My animal rehab friends get sucked into this all the time. We actually had a coyote find it's way into the soft drink cooler in a fast food shop in DOWNTOWN CHICAGO...the theory being that it came along either one of the riverbanks or along the commuter railway tracks. So many people want the "charm" of living out in the "country" but aren't prepared for it.

The theory that we can somehow restore the "balance of nature" at this point requires some serious re-thinking. Too many people, too much sprawl.

One of my favorite State Parks up in Minnesota has a turtle-watch going on to help get the turtles across the highway without their getting turned into road pizzas. The turtles were there before the highway so they don't understand that they're going to get squooshed if they try to cross it.

The give and take of this wildlife re-introduction business is incredible.

Best

AA