March 25/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner 

Feature: 

Bear Witness at Khutzeymateen Park

“…Gathering in Khutzeymateen are 1,000- pound grizzly bears.

           No human is permitted to set foot in Khutzeymateen.

           …It’s home to about 55 grizzly bears.

           The 44,300-hectare park, 45 kilometres north of Prince Rupert in northern British Columbia, is North America’s only grizzly bear sanctuary.

           Although nobody is allowed in the park, thousands of visitors venture up here in late spring to view the magnificent beasts in their natural environment. They usually encounter Ursus arctos horribilis by drifting in small tour boats along a fiord at the edge of the park.

           …The grizzlies are in hibernation until April, deep in the coastal mountains, but in May they wander down to the shore of the fiord to eat the new spring grasses…

           Another good time to spot them is when the salmon show up in August & September…

           Males can weigh in at 455 kilograms…with claws 9 centimetres long & canine teeth of 5 centimetres.

            A grizzly can break a deer’s back with one swipe of its arm…The bears will eat pretty well anything, but their main diet in Khutzeymateen involves sedges, the long grasslike plants growing at the water’s edge as well as sea barnacles & mussels. And of course gorging on fresh salmon that fight their way up stream to spawn, fattens the bears up for hibernation…

           Khutzeymateen was created in 1994 jointly by the B.C. government & the Tsimshian First Peoples Nation. Two Tsimshian park rangers live on a floating cabin beside the park for 14-da stretches & visitors are required to check in with them.”

Pat Brennan

POSTMEDIA NEWS

The Montreal Gazette

July 19/2014

                                                         

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March 18/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner 

Feature:

Exhibition Showcases Beauty & Fragility

           “Their journey begins thousands of kilometers from Montreal, on fair-trade farms in Costa Rica, the Philippines & Tanzania.

           Packed in Styrofoam boxes, covered with a protective layer of cotton, tiny butterfly chrysalises have been arriving at Pierre Elliott International Airport…in preparation for the Butterflies Go Free exhibition at Montreal’s Botanical Garden…

           The chrysalis- a butterfly in the stage between caterpillar & butterfly- is in the spotlight at this year’s exhibit, said Sonya Charest, educational programs coordinator at the Insectarium.

           Exactly what happens inside their fragile shells remains a mystery…Some aspects are known- hormones cause & control the development of the butterfly. Its flight muscles, digestive system, heart, & reproductive system reorganize & develop within the chrysalis…

           Once at the Insectarium, each chrysalis is attached to a cedar plank with a drop of hot glue. The planks, each holding several hanging chrysalises, are then put inside one of 8 cages in a greenhouse at the Insectarium, where they eventually emerge as butterflies.

           By the time the exhibition closes…Insectarium employees will have cared for between 18,000 & 20,000 chrysalises…

           Once the butterflies emerge, they are put into warmed containers & driven a few hundred metres through the winter air to the large greenhouse where the exhibition is located.

           By mid-March, there will be between 75 & 80 species of butterflies in the Butterflies Go Free exhibit. At any given time, visitors will be able to see- 1,500 & 2,000 butterflies in the greenhouse…

           It’s a popular exhibition- since 1998, more than 1.8 million people have visited Butterflies Go free…”

Monique Beaudin

The Montreal Gazette

Feb. 22/2014    

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March 11/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner 

 

Feature:

Don’t forget about furry family members when vacationing

           “Traveling with pets, or leaving them behind, can cause anxiety for both the owner & the pet. Regina –based veterinarian Dr. Steve Kruzeniski offers the following tips:

- Check into diseases common in the destination region…If you’re going overseas, you may need to prepare months in advance for vaccines & diagnostic tests necessary to enter a foreign country.

- Go to the vet in advance of your trip. Boarding kennels often want proof of vaccination.

- Leave emergency contact information & authorization for veterinary care with specific instructions for various scenarios.

- Leave a list of instructions for your pet, so caretakers are aware of medications, dietary indiscretions or special needs.

- Travel can be stressful for pets. Your vet can prescribe a mild, natural sedative, or something stronger for severe anxiety…

- Crate train your pet in advance. A lot of animals that feel nervous in a vehicle do better in crates…

- Do short trial runs to see how your pet reacts to travel.

- Never leave your pets alone in an enclosed vehicle, because they can overheat easily.

- Traveling with pets is much like traveling with small children. You should have a break every 4 to 6 hours to allow them to stretch their legs & get a drink of water & perhaps have a snack.

- If you’re staying at a hotel, make sure beforehand that it accepts pets…

- Try to acquaint pets staying behind with their caretaker in advance…

- If you have someone coming in to check on your pet, gear frequency to individual needs…

     The general rule of thumb: Cats should be checked on at least once a day, but ideally twice daily- in the morning & the evening. Dogs need to be taken out 3 to 4 times a day, depending on size…

- Be aware of airline restrictions…

- having proper documentation for your pet is crucial. If going over the border, have your vaccine certificates or rabies tags with you, & make sure if your pet requires medication, it’s clearly & properly documented.

- Have familiar pet food & enough water for your pet. Changing food can be stressful & may cause gastrointestinal issues.

- If you’re taking your pet camping with you, take along a pet first aid kit. Flea & tick medications are also a good idea.

- Always have good identification for your pet. Microchips can be traced all over North America.”

 

Irene Seiberling

POSTMEDIA NEWS

The Montreal Gazette

August 2/2014

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Memorial:

 

 

March 4/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

 

Feature:

Great whites making comeback

           “PORTLAND, MAINE- A report that scientists are calling one of the most comprehensive studies of great white sharks finds their numbers are surging in the ocean off the Eastern U.S. & Canada after decades of decline.

           The study by National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration scientists, published…in the journal PLOS ONE, says the population of the notoriously elusive fish has climbed since about 2000 in the western North Atlantic.

           The scientists behind the study attribute the resurgence to conservation efforts…& greater availability of prey. The species is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature…

           Great whites owe much of their fearsome reputation to the movie JAWS…But confrontations are rare, with only 106 unprovoked white shark attacks- 13 of them fatal- in U.S. waters since 1916, according to data provided by the University of Florida…

             A separate study published in PLOS ONE…suggested that great whites- also known just as white sharks- are also returning to abundance in the eastern north Pacific Ocean.”

Patrick Whittle

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Montreal Gazette

June 21/2014

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