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MARIN COUNTY'S NEWS
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June, 2007
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ProHunt Coming to West Marin
The May 6th edition of the San Francisco Chronicle featured an article by Zachary Slobig regarding the National Park Service's decision to hire the New Zealand-based corporation, ProHunt, to exterminate our Fallow and Axis Deer. ProHunt has been hiring out its mercenary gunmen for over a decade, and their most recent U.S. activities involved the extermination of 5000 pigs at Santa Cruz Island at a cost of $2000 each. They live trapped 70-80% of the pigs and then shot them with shotguns from a helicopter. Remaining animals were caught with dogs and stabbed to death. Some sows were re-released with tracking collars after having been roughed up in 'the field surgery' which removed their ovaries and any piglets. This left the animals in habitual estrus. These pigs were then followed up on every few days with the helicopter and any pig joining up with them was killed. Several of the pigs died from strangulation from the collars.
Slobig's article gave ample opportunity for Norm MacDonald, chief executive of ProHunt, to describe the mindset of his corporation and his intentions toward our deer:
"Basically, every time you attempt to kill one, they have got to die. You're not trying to educate them. You're trying to kill them." "All you need is one surviving pregnant doe and you're buggered." "You've got to be committed to killing everything. You can't have guys with their fingers on the trigger thinking about whether to have a go or let her go." "My guys are like machines out there. If you've got one unwanted animal in 1,000 acres, they'll track it down."
Dr. Jane Goodall, In Defense of Animals, the Marin Humane Society, WildCare, and the Concerned Citizens of West Marin have pleaded, and continue to plead, with the NPS to spend the time required to study the deer. The NPS' position can be summed up in the statement from Park biologist, Natalie Gates:"I hope we can just get rid of the non-natives before we have to study them anymore."
M. Ellis
Sonoma County
