April 23, 2024 |
Photo – Ravens at a landfill – Courtesy Wikipedia
Some Rawlins residents are upset about the raven kill-off at the city’s landfill. Council members state that the culling is out of their hands and preventing the birds from taking residence at the dump is too expensive.
Earlier this month, Wyoming Game and Fish and the United States Department of Agriculture undertook a program to remove the large flocks of ravens that roost at the landfill and transfer station. The ravens are considered a danger to other wildlife, such as sage grouse. Their feces contain toxins that are harmful to humans. The federal agency uses bait containing a bird-specific toxin, known as DRC-1339, to kill the ravens. Some citizens questioned if less lethal methods could have been used.
During the April 16th Rawlins city council meeting, resident Christine Ford acknowledged that the birds are harmful to both humans and other animals. However, Ford disagreed with the use of the avicide to kill the birds. Ford said ravens may store poisoned food in locations accessible to other wildlife. Ford also said the government uses flawed data in its computer models.
In a written statement to Bigfoot99, USDA Wildlife Services District Supervisor Brady Smith wrote that DRC-1339 does not pose a secondary risk to other animals, including pets and scavengers. Smith wrote that the chemical is metabolized within two hours after consumption, leaving no residual trace in the bird carcasses.
At the Rawlins city council meeting last week, Ford said the government overlooks the toxin remaining in the birds’ stomachs. Ford said she is worried that her pet dog could die if it consumes a dead bird.
At last Tuesday’s Rawlins city council meeting, Ford said the avicide is not a humane way to kill the ravens. She said the main ingredient in the bird toxin, Acetylcholine, is also used to treat multiple sclerosis. Patients have reported painful negative side effects from accidentally taking too much of the drug, which, Ford said, the birds must also experience.
Ford said other communities have used non-lethal methods to keep raven populations down. The Rawlins resident said the problem will not be solved until the city installs doors at the solid waste transfer station.
Ford asked the council who is responsible for requesting a raven take permit from the USDA. Mayor Terry Weickum said the city has no say in when the raven cull occurs. Major Weickum said the USDA decides when a raven kill-off needs to happen.
Councilman Darril Garner asked City Manager Tom Sarvey who institutes the raven cull. City Manager Sarvey said the USDA begins the cull once non-lethal methods prove unsuccessful at keeping the birds away.
Ford said installing doors at the solid waste station would solve the city’s raven problem. Mayor Weickum said it would cost approximately $100,000 for new transfer station doors. The mayor said the city can’t afford such a large expense at this time.
Instead of expensive metal doors, Ford asked the city council if they considered installing cheaper vinyl drapes across the transfer station entrance. Mayor Weickum said vinyl drapes are expensive and ineffective at keeping out wildlife.
Councilman Chris Weisenburg said the lack of doors at the city’s transfer station isn’t solely responsible for the high numbers of ravens at the dump. Councilman Weisenburg said local raven populations have increased significantly over the past decade. The councilman said Rawlins isn’t the only municipality experiencing dangerous concentrations of the birds.
Ford asked the council to look into alternative methods for keeping the raven population down at the landfill.
After Ford finished speaking, Rawlins resident Mike Goff said hostile seagulls have taken the place of ravens at the city dump. Goff asked the council what they intend to do about the belligerent birds. Mayor Weickum said the USDA does not consider seagulls a danger to people or wildlife.
Goff said having doors at the solid waste transfer station will force nuisance animals out of the city by removing their food source.
Vice Mayor Steve Sanger said the council will discuss the possibility of purchasing a covering for the transfer station entrance, using either doors or some sort of covering, during upcoming budget talks.
In a written statement to Bigfoot99, USDA Wildlife Services District Supervisor Smith said birds treated with DRC-1339 do not appear to suffer in any way.
