Budget cuts, infrastructure collapse, rising violence, and wildlife encroachment

[Psalm 51:17]

Legends of the fall: Budget cuts, infrastructure collapse, rising violence, and wildlife encroachment. Are cities doomed?

Coyotes may soon be hanging out in your backyard

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/08/coyotes-may-soon-be-living-in-your-backyard/

10/8/12

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!”
 
Those creatures  had Dorothy worried on the yellow brick road in "The Wizard of  Oz" – and now you may need to worry about seeing them and other large carnivores in your backyard, an Ohio State University researcher says.
 
OK, there shouldn’t be any tigers – they aren’t found in the wild in North America – but lions (mountain), bears, wolves and coyotes are finding urban areas to be just right for a comfortable existence, says Stan Gehrt, an associate professor of environment and natural resources.
 
Gehrt says coyotes are leading the urban invasion by formerly rural carnivores.
 
“The coyote is the test case for other animals. Raccoons, skunks, foxes – they’ve already been able to penetrate the urban landscape pretty well. The coyote is the most recent and largest,” Gehrt said in a university press release.
 
One pack of coyotes has established a territory and is thriving about five miles from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the third busiest airport in the country, according to Budget Travel.
 
“That’s an indication that they don’t have to go far to find food and water. They’re finding everything they need right there, in the suburbs of Chicago,” Gehrt said.
 
Coyotes spotted in New York City
 
And he said the urban environments may be even better than rural ones for the coyotes, with pups surviving in urban areas at five times the rate they do in rural settings.
 
“They’re so adaptable and so opportunistic,” Gehrt said. “In adjusting to urban life, they may change dietary items and habitat use, and become nocturnal, whereas in the country they’re active day and night. But with other things, they don’t change at all. Here, they’re able to maintain their social structure, territorialism, packs and mating system, even in the face of all these challenges of trying to live among 9 million people.”
 
In an earlier release, Gehrt said one trait that may be helping coyotes thrive in urban areas is their monogamy, which means dads are around to help raise the kids.
 
“If the female were to try to raise those large litters by herself, she wouldn’t be able to do it. But the male spends just as much time helping to raise those pups as the female does,” he said.
 
The urban coyotes pose little danger to humans, Gert said, and can be easily scared off by yelling at them or throwing a rock at them.
 
“You’re doing them a favor. They show a healthy respect and fear of people and that’s the way it should be,” he said.
 
Have you seen a large carnivore in the city? Tell us about it.
 
They also eat rodents and even bugs which can pose dangers to human health, he said. Of course, they may also eat your dog or cat.
 
The abundance of carnivore food may also bring larger carnivores into urban settings.
 
Gehrt said a mountain lion was recently killed in the Wrigleyville area of Chicago.
 
Sightings of mountain lions and bears in suburban areas are increasingly common. And they can pose a bigger danger to humans.
 
“They are going to be an even bigger challenge,” Gehrt said.

Gehrt’s coyote research has been going on for 12 years. His team has tracked about 680 coyotes by placing radio collars on them.
 
Gehrt spoke at the EcoSummit 2102 in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/10/05/frustrated-residents-raccoons-slowly-taking-over-new-york-city/

10/5/12

Frustrated Residents: Raccoons Slowly Taking Over New York City

Some Who Live In Brooklyn Are Literally Having Their Lives Altered By Critters

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A turf battle of sorts is taking place in some neighborhoods.
 
Raccoons are invading.
 
They’re getting into garbage cans, backyards and even breaking into homes. And what’s more, these resourceful raccoons are outsmarting the most determined of trappers, CBS 2’s Dave Carlin reported.
 
Clinton Hill, Brooklyn resident Susan DeBrango snapped pictures of the suspects, their faces masked, trying to get inside her home.
 
“They are adorable but not in your backyard when they impact your life,” DeBrango said. “When he saw at me he stood up on two legs and hissed at me.”
 
They are getting more brazen on Washington Avenue, rummaging through trash, and running right up to neighbors. One even went face-to-face with Barbara Mattocks on her own front stoop.
 
“I don’t want that feeling ever again. I was petrified,” Mattocks said.

more

[Psalm 51:17]

http://westmorelandtimes.com/news/2012/10/detroit-enter-at-your-own-risk/

Detroit: Enter at your own risk

10/8/12
Authorities in Detroit, Michigan have been posting signs and distributing flyers warning residents to be on alert because of the lack of police protection in the city. Due to the major rise of crime and violence, including homicides, authorities have designated the city of Detroit as a “War Zone.”
 
The Detroit Police Department has said the city is too dangerous to enter and is warning would-be-visitors to enter at their own risk.
 
The police department has lost more than 1,000 officers in the last 10 years. Amid the rise of violence within the city, more officers and fire fighters are leaving.
 
Detroit is the nation’s most violent city and the homicide rate is the highest in the country.

[Kilika]

Looks like Detroit is the first major US city to fall. More to come!

[Psalm 51:17]

Wolves and mountain lions 'poised to invade densely populated cities in the United States'
 Colonies of coyotes have already established themselves in the suburbs of Chicago
 Scientists believe other potentially dangerous wild animals, including wolves, lions and bears may soon adapt to urban living
 Mountain lions have been sighted on the fringes of American cities, with one shot near the Wrigleyville neighbourhood of Chicago



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2213440/Wolves-mountain-lions-poised-invade-densely-populated-cities-United-States.html#ixzz28k8l7wUo

[Psalm 51:17]

Bear cub enjoys eating binge after breaking into Arizona home
 

Published October 08, 2012
 
FoxNews.com

TUSCON, Arizona –  An Arizona couple got quite a surprise when they discovered a bear cub eating its way through their house.
 
Phil Volk heard rustling in the kitchen of his Sonoita home early Thursday morning and thought it was his grandchildren. He was shocked to find it was a bear cub who had helped itself to chocolate cake left on the counter, and the contents of the trash, The Arizona Daily Star reported.
 
Volk described the break-in as a "feeding frenzy," as the bear made its way into the pantry for chips and bread, and topped its meal off with some jelly beans.
 
The cub -- who apparently broke through a kitchen window -- was focused on food and didn't attempt to hurt anyone in the house during its binge. When Volk approached, the 30-pound cub hissed and ran into a bedroom.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/10/08/bear-cub-enjoys-eating-binge-after-breaking-in-to-arizona-home/?test=latestnews#ixzz28k9GpJVJ