Friday, January 4, 2013

Coyote Bites Jogger; Edward the Elk

Reports have been growing about the number and tameness of the coyotes who live along the eastern part of the Boulder Creek Path - about a mile east of my apartment.  Last week there were several reports of coyotes chasing joggers and bikers along the Path, two days ago, one coyote bit a jogger in the calf of his leg.  The coyote has not been caught, and the jogger will undergo rabies shots as a precautionary measure.  I think maybe the Boulder Police Department should send officer Sam Carter over that way, since he was such a wonderful shot in killing Edward the elk on Mapleton Hill.  The coyote that bit the jogger on the leg is more of a danger to people and society than Edward, a neighborhood mascot, was.  I don't really like to see any animal killed unless there's a really good reason.  If the creature is a livestock killer in fields and pastures, it should be destroyed.  If it's a bear or mountain lion that has lost it's fear of people, it's better that the wild thing is "put down", for it is no longer truly wild.  If a coyote along a heavily used paved pathway is chasing and biting humans that are passing by, it, too, should be destroyed. (I have personally seen small children playing on roll-along bikes and trikes on that area of the BCP.)  If a wild animal is damaged irreparably, and cannot survive in the wild on it's own, it should be (considering the circumstances) put out of its misery, or taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center.  If a wild animal has lost its fear of man and is causing havoc by eating livestock and pets, or chasing people, or attacking a person without provocation, it should be put down. I would support whomever put that animal cleanly and neatly.
   The people who live on Mapleton Hill are, very rightly, upset about the killing of Edward the elk, or "Big Boy", as he was frequently called.  According to the home-owners where he was killed, he was acting normally, and was grazing in the front yard as usual, when officer Sam Carter knocked on their door s little before midnight and told them not to panic if they heard a gunshot.  The home-owners had no idea the officer was referring to killing the elk, who was 50 feet away, grazing in a corner.  This police officer did not tell his commanding officer, supervisor, or dispatch anything about the elk, or about firing his service shotgun, until the home-owners had provided the local newspaper and two TV stations with photos. It also seems highly suspicious that within 30 minutes of the shooting, an off-duty sheriff's deputy and two other men showed up with a pick-up that had a camper shell on the back, and they placed the carcass of the elk inside and drove off to butcher it. Sounds like it was planned to me.   In any event, the local Police, Sheriff, and the Department of Wildlife are each making their own investigation.  Then there's the fact that a shotgun was fired within Boulder city limits to bring down an apparently uninjured trophy elk....  Naughty, naughty!

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