Visit the web site of one of New Hampshire’s many “pest” control companies, and you may get the impression that we are at war with every other living creature — except, of course, our pets.
Pest control web sites tend to include fear-provoking descriptions of generally harmless animals accompanied by photos of them baring their teeth or otherwise looking threatening. In truth, these animals are likely petrified. Looking fierce is their best defense against a much larger would-be attacker.
Scary animal images promote the “us vs. them” mentality that helps sell pest control services and products to consumers.
Sometimes people decide that there are “too many” of a particular animal. Perhaps it’s too many deer eating their ornamental plantings or too many Canada geese on the golf course. A decision is made to fix the problem by “culling” the population. Culling is the organized, systematic elimination of unwanted birds or other wildlife.
Fortunately, many people oppose the organized killing of animals when it’s done simply because some people consider them a nuisance. NH Animal Rights League has joined with others in standing up against many attempts to cull geese, deer, and other animals.
See our Living with Wild Neighbors page for tips on how to co-exist with wildlife.
Learn More
- Wild Neighbors: The Humane Approach to Living with Wildlife by John Hadidian
- Humane Wildlife Conflict Resolution by the Humane Society of the United States
- New Castle neighborhood blocks plan for deer kill