<sigh> I should've known it was too quiet. Should've guessed that *someone* would kick up an almighty stink. But nope, never even considered it. <bigger sigh> Page 2 of the 'local rag' with a lead-in picture on the *front page* - which has a readership which covers a large area of the Northern part of New Zealand, has a half page article (complete with pictures of a stuffed ferret with fangs bared and apparently 'attacking' - as well as diagrams of how to tell apart weasels, stoats and ferrets) on how evil ferrets are, and how they're decimating the wildlife, and how they should be banned totally. Part of the article goes on about how they're currently banned (legally they aren't, as 'banning' them goes against National law, which specifically states you can own three ferrets - more if you have a permit) they're talking about how they are currently listed in the lower section of feral animals in regards to impact - the section which means the council can't routinely go out and kill them on sight. They're looking at making them listed as one of the worst feral animals in the country so that they can routinely trap, poison and otherwise find ways of killing the ferals *and* to make it legal to come into peoples homes and kill their pets! I'm ... well, shall we say, not impressed. Tomorrow is, unfortunately, a weekend - and this being a relatively small town attitude, the paper will be closed to enquiries until Monday. I'm planning on contacting the person who wrote the article to see if another article could possibly be published which points out that feral ferrets are NOT the pet variety, and to prove that they AREN'T (as the title of the article claims) "natural born killers" <grrrrr> Due to copyright restrictions I don't believe I can release the article publicly, anyone interested in reading this fiasco, please email me direct at [log in to unmask] Thanks. Sam [Posted in FML issue 3036]