Wildlife Services' Livestock Protection Program is Inhumane

Although Wildlife Services' written guidelines state that non-lethal "control" methods should be given priority, in practice, wildlife service field agents primarily use lethal methods of predator control rather than preventative measures. These include trapping, snaring, aerial hunting, denning (killing adults and pups in their dens), and poisoning with such compounds as strychnine, sodium cyanide, and sodium monofluoroacetate. Although Wildlife Services claims that it targets only problem individuals - those responsible for preying on domestic livestock - the majority of its control methods do not discriminate between target and non-target animals.

· Denning: is perhaps the most barbaric of the methods used to dispose of predators. Mothers are tracked back to their dens where their cubs are pulled out and either shot, gassed or clubbed. Sometimes denners use flamethrowers to burn the coyote den and the pups therein. In 1999, denning was used to kill 2,155 coyotes and 285 foxes.

· Trapping: Wildlife Services uses steel jaw traps that trap animals by the leg. These steel jaw traps have been declared "inhumane" by the American Veterinary Medical Association and are banned in nearly 88 countries. Animals caught in leghold traps can suffer excruciating pain, dehydration, hunger, exposure to the elements, and trauma and injuries such as broken bones and loss of circulation. Many animals will chew off their own paws in an effort to escape. Although many states have trapping regulations that require trappers to check their traps regularly, a 1994 survey conducted by the organization Wildlife Damage Review revealed that many states exempt Wildlife Services from these regulations. Legholds were used to kill 11,359 animals in 1999 - 12% of all predators killed.

· Snaring: Snaring is another method that kills indiscriminately and inhumanely. Animals can be caught by the neck, body or leg in these devices, which tighten as the animal struggles to free itself. Wildlife Services reports that neck snares were used to kill 15, 034 predators in 1999 - 16% of all predators killed. Leghold traps and neck snares pose the greatest risk to non-target species. In 1992, approximately 20% of animals captured in leghold traps and snares, respectively, were non-target animals.

· M-44s: are spring-loaded, baited devices that spray sodium cyanide into the nose and mouth of any animal that pulls on the bait. It can take up to 15 minutes for the poisoned animal to die. Like many other "control methods," M-44s kill indiscriminately and in several instances have killed family pets and poisoned humans. Sodium cyanide is a lethal toxin that was banned by executive order by President Nixon in 1972. The ban was subsequently lifted under President Reagan. Wildlife Services reports that M-44s killed 19,593 animals in 1999 - 20% of all predators killed.

· Aerial Gunning: is the method used to kill the largest number of predators - 31,499 in 1999. Wildlife Services personnel shoot predators - primarily coyotes - from helicopters. This practice frequently takes place on public land before livestock are brought into the area to graze.

Source: The above figures are calculated from Wildlife Services' Annual Tables "Number of Animals Taken and Methods Used by the Wildlife Services Program in FY 99" (Table 10).