When ground squirrels attack

Spokane seems to have a knack for getting in the national spotlight for some reason or another.

Today on MSNBC I saw a report that went back to KHQ in Spokane about ground squirrels in the Finch Arboretum.

The report stated that due to the increasing population of the ground squirrels at the Arboretum, the City Council has hired a rodenator. Here's what the device does:

A City spokeswoman said the device pumps propane and oxygen into tunnels, then ignites, sending a shockwave through the area that kills the animals and collapses the tunnel.

Needless to say it didn't take long for the Spokane Humane Society to jump on this device. Here's the statement that was published on KHQ's Web site:

President Shogan and City Council; President Lawton and Park Board members:

A large part of Spokane's appeal is the many parks and recreation areas scattered with flourishing plants and wildlife. The city's founding fathers, John Finch included, made sure that our community had many open spaces to protect and preserve wildlife.

Killing native wildlife is a temporary, unethical solution. It is at best an ineffective, short- term, reactionary response. We need our community government to invest resources into more humane, long-lasting solutions that preserve native habitats.

Ground squirrels have the natural ability to control their own reproduction. They will only produce offspring if there is sufficient food, water and shelter. If their food supply is limited, they will produce fewer offspring. Controlling the food supply is the least expensive and most effective way to control the population. The Spokane Humane Society urges the public not to feed wildlife in Finch Arboretum or other city parks.

As a humane organization, the Spokane Humane Society urges the Spokane Parks Department and City Council to reconsider how they address the welfare of wildlife in all city parks and to consider the use of non-lethal methods of control.

Humans continue to change the ecological balance and our clumsy attempts to manipulate the environment often produce catastrophic results for wildlife. We can resolve this issue with ground squirrels humanely. Is it our attempt to make this natural space void of wildlife?

The Spokane Parks officials course of action is cruel and short-sighted. As citizens of Spokane, we expect our elected officials to find a more humane solution.

The Spokane Humane Society urges the City Council to activate an Animal Welfare Advisory Council so that representatives from the community can help our leaders create humane responses to animal issues.

Respectfully on behalf of the membership of the Spokane Humane Society,

Dave Richardson-Executive Director
Spokane Humane Society

Now I can see both sides of this issue. The Arboretum people want the ground squirrels gone because they damage the roots of the trees and can even kill them. And what's an arboretum without trees? Just a field.

And I can understand that the Humane Society wants the animals alive. Because, well, they are cute little animals.

But here is a third thought: Bring in badgers. Badgers are the next enemy to ground squirrels. I think this plan would work great. That is until the badger population got out of hand. Then the city could bring in coyotes. And that would work, until the coyotes overran the park, started eating people and the elders started to tell tales of the coyotes that roam the area where the "ol' arboretum" used to be.

After second thought, let's just go with one of the first two plans.

What are your thoughts on this? What way do you think would be the best for everyone? Let us know with a comment.