To Debbie, and another..
    The question are they in danger or not...
I talked at length to the wildlife director at Badlands National park,
where the elder release is supposed to happen.  He confirmed two dates,
June 5th, and June 19th.  According to Carolyn the June 19th date wasn't
supposed to happen until August.  It seems like they are accelerating the
schedual to "beat the opposition" type tactic.  His numbers don't agree
with other "official" publicised figures, however.  They are lower, saying
a total of 35 but they will be radio coller tracked.  He said that 12
females released in April, that no one else knew about in Colorado, were
not tracked as it involves anesthetising them.  Very strange, they are not
400lb wildebeast...???  It's guessed they were probably pregnant is why
they did not do so.  Not the best candidates for wild release.
    To specifically address the question, YES, there are hundreds of elders
at risk of 90% kill rate by the National Park services' own estimate.  The
position taken by the international ferret rescue is that they are
taxpayers' property that should be used for education and public viewing,
not slaughtered as they are not "productive".  These are not machines you
recycle after a "productive period"..  I agree and have faxed a letter of
that tone to a list of Senators and the FWS.  Of course this is preaching
to the chior here in this group.
    The entire race is not going to be killed off in one month, if that
was the question, but the captive breeding program is is deep trouble.
The only source of the bff's that were released last year was the Pueblo
site.  This has now no medical staff or equipment, and the only other
experienced staff has left.
    An interesting note I passed to the Badlands person: The Badlands site
was and is preferred over the Montana site used last year as the prarie dog
population is much denser and well established.  The weather is less
severe, also.  No one seems to know why it was not used last year.  Curious
how one hand doesn't know what the other is doing.  Typical government.
    The press release about the female that needed hand feeding since
birth that was taken from Carolyn's house by force & threat, then died
during transport by an army truck to a University hospital that same
evening, is still in preparation.  I'll post it verbatim when I get it.
        Respectfully, Gary
[Posted in FML issue 1206]