>In the town of Valdez where bald eagles are common and quite fearless of
>people, one swooped down and nabbed a chihuahua as it froliced around it's
>owner's (a tourist) feet.  The poor distraught woman was quoted as asking if
>that was normal behavior for the bird!
 
I have heard of this happening in back yards!  Coyotes and mountain lions
are known for this also!
 
"Normal behavior" for an eagle is, in a natural sense, scavenging for salmon
carcasses (after a breeding run of the fish) on riverbanks.  But, since
human habitation has encrouched on nature so severely, wildlife is adapting,
and thus this may soon become normal behavior after all!  Personally, I
believe that mountain lions attack and kill humans in Southern California
(where I grew up) because like I said, homes are being built in the
mountains, and secondly, because joggers are about the same size as an adult
deer, and we all know how cats LOVE to chase and catch running critters!!!
But as far as ferrets, I would never leave a ferret unattended in my
backyard, for in a matter of minutes a hawk or owl (they are active in the
day also!) could be staking out your house from high above, and they are
very good at detecting and taking prey in a matter of seconds!  Hawks and
eagles have binocular vision!  Owls, mostly at night when all is quiet, have
incredible hearing, and can capture prey in complete 100% darkness (as
studies have shown)!  Just some food for thought regarding taking one's pets
outdoors, whether hiking, camping, or just in the 'ol backyard in the city
(which is slowly becoming part of the wilderness)!  Personally, I am
fascinated by the behavior, etc. of wildlife, and thus I am making a career
out of it!  My ferrets provide a sense of "wildlife" in my house, since they
are unpredictable and quite adventurous!
 
Sincerely,
David Doyle
[Posted in FML issue 1691]