PRESS RELEASE; GENERAL DISTRIBUTION: 5/26/95
CRISIS UPDATE: IMPENDING RELEASE OF OLDER, DEBILITATED BLACK FOOTED FERRETS IN
BADLANDS OF SOUTH DAKOTA......
The enormous response from the American people to the US. Fish and
Wildlife Service intention to release upwards of 100 aging and debilitated,
cage-reared endangered black-footed ferrets is having a damaging effect on the
intended slaughter. Do not let up! A new list of people and agencies to be
called is enclosed.
Latest news: the only two professional animal care people at the Pueblo,
Colorado, BFF facility where 27 (now 24) of the older animals await their fate,
(the other 50-70 are at the Sybille, Wyoming, facility), have left the project.
The veterinary technician, a full time, year-long volunteer, was ordered out.
The wildlife biologist/animal behaviorist has resigned in protest, leaving more
than 200 animals, some near parturition, some with large litters of neonates,
many sick and injured, in the hands of rank amateurs. This was a forced
expulsion, backed by law enforcement officers.
A third black-footed ferret has died. This one was killed by the National
Biological Service due to their defiance of professional veterinary
recommendations regarding a critically ill animal. Detailed summary of the
episode will follow.
Six black-footed ferrets diagnosed with disease level occidiosis by the
Colorado State University Diagnostic Laboratory at Rocky Ford, Colorado, and
prescribed treatment by a licensed veterinarian, have been denied treatment.
This disease is life-threatening in older ferrets.
Diseased animals are being mixed with healthy animals in an enclosure
where a behavior experiment is being conducted. Sick, injured and pregnant
animals are being subjected to the experiment.
Two animals, one charted as "weak and thin", and one as "prominent
swelling on face", were neither removed for examination nor treated.
Medical personnel on site were refused access to the animals.
Caretakers for the older animals were absent from the facility for 20
hours, taking with them the keys for the padlocks which had been placed on
the pens to prevent examination and medical care by professional staff.
A forceful demonstration has been scheduled and if you are in the Denver
area we appeal to you to participate. Call 719-391-2627 for
information/transportation.
There has been some misinformation regarding the qualifications of
veterinary technician Carolyn Kinsey's ability to establish a facility such as
the proposed BFF Living Care Center, to provide proper care for the animals. In
response we offer the following summary. A complete resume is available on
request.
-B.A., U of California; CVT (veterinary technician); GFS, U of Madrid.
-Five years as veterinary technician for the black-footed ferret captive
breeding program, employed by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. CO.
in their BFF captive breeding program, the US. Fish and Wildlife Service and the
National biological Service at the Pueblo, C0, Pre-Release Conditioning and
Reintroduction- Project. Author of BFF care protocol.
-Veterinary technician, Colorado Springs multi-vet practice.
-Veterinary technician, Los Angeles vet hospital.
-Veterinary technician, Beverly Hills vet practice.
-Veterinary technician, Monterey, Ca, wildlife center.
-Veterinary technician, intensive care ward, 24 hr. emergency 17 doctor
practice/teaching hospital.
-Consultant to local veterinarians on ferret medical cases.
-Owner/manager Ferret rescue of the Western States, information hotline and
placement service for domestic ferrets, no fee.
HIT' THE PHONE AND FAX--HERE IS THE NEXT LIST:
(Free Call), Dept. of the Interior Fraud and Abuse hotline; 1-800-424-5081.
(Noncommittal but responsive)
Dean Biggins, Director of Pueblo Project, National Biological
Service, 4512 McMurray Ave., Ft. Collins, CO 80525; (970) 226-9467; FAX (303)
226-9230 (Responsible for death of Sabrina, dismissal of Pueblo project staff
members).
Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior, Dept. of the Interior, 1849 C Street.
NW., Rm. 615I, Washington, DC. 20240; (202) 208-7351: FAX (202) 208-5048;
(Oversees both Fish and Wildlife Service and Nat National Biological Service).
F. Eugene Hester, Deputy director, National Biological Service, l849 C St., NW.,
Washington, DC. 20240; (202) 208-3733: FAX: (202) 273-3279 (Head of National
Biological Service).
Dr. Peter Gober, National Black-footed Ferret Program Coordinator, US. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 335 S. Pierre, Pierre SD 57101; (605) 224- 8693; FAX; 605)
224-9974 (answers to Ralph Morgenweck).
Allen Rutberg, Humane Society of the United States, 700 Professional Drive,
Gaithesburg, MD 20879; (301 ) 258-3000 (no need to FAX, but write to thank him
for his support of our position).
BFF Recovery program, Eileen Dowd Stukel, 523 E. Capitol, Pierre, SD 57501; FAX
(605 224-9974 (South Dakota BFF implementation team, co-authors of the old
ferret release plan--let these people know you do not approve of their killing
our ferrets).
Fund for Animals, (301) 585-2591. These people are just getting involved.
Encourage them to support non-release of older ferrets.
Badlands National Park, Box 6, Interior, SD 57750; (605) 433-5361; FAX: (605)
433-5404 (Ask these people to not make a black-footed graveyard out of this
national park.)
Thank you sincerely for your aid.
[Posted in FML issue 1207]
Date: Sun, 28 May 1995 10:00:44 -0700
From: Bruce Williams <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Ear cleaning
To Joe and Erica:
Concerning ear cleaning:
I agree wholeheartedly with this. The best way to cause an ear
infection is with water, and that's exactly what peroxide turns into
when it hits the ear canal. I only advocate alcohol-based products for
ear cleaning and treatment because they are drying agents, and don't
leave a lot of water in the ear canal. I also don't like ointments,
becasue they have a tendency to creat a moist environment, which is
better for bacterial growth.
Keep the ears clean and dry and you'll never have to worry about
infections.
Bruce Williams
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1208]
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