Fire Island News
Cats, Deer, and Stupid PeopleBy Beene Fitzpatrick
Thursday, June 8th, 2006
If you have traveled to Fire Island, you have noticed there are many beautiful deer living on the island. You may have also noticed they have zero fear of humans, and you can easily approach them.
When I think of deer, three things come to mind: Fire Island, jerky, and car wrecks. The deer are a huge part of the beauty of this island life, but they are also a huge problem. The deer have become overpopulated on Fire Island, to the point that the park service is forced to inject 200 deer every year with a vaccine to prevent pregnancy. Why has the population problem gone out of control? Well, basically, it’s more than just animal adaptation. It’s the stupid humans who insist on feeding what they see as Bambi.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I love wildlife and love the deer, but I understand the need for a manageable balance and can’t understand why so many people just can’t comprehend this. Some important questions remain. Can the immuno-contraception vaccine efficiently stabilize or reduce the Fire Island deer population for the long term? And, if so, can it provide a humane solution for the many other communities experiencing human-deer conflicts? We are still uncertain what the outcome will be, but I can tell you, continuing to feed the deer is not helping.
Please understand that, in accordance with the Parks Department:
All wildlife within the boundaries of Fire Island National Seashore is protected under the code of Federal Regulations: 36 cfr 2.2 (2): "Feeding, touching, teasing, frightening or intentionally disturbing of wildlife nesting, breeding, or other activities" is Prohibited and Subject to Fine.
So, you noticed it said "wildlife," right? Not, just deer. This brings me to my next point: the Feral Cats of Fire Island. Sounds kind of like a lesbian, death-metal band. But, I can assure you; they’re not near that pleasant. It’s not certain when this became such a serious problem, but it is known that the cause of the out-of-control cat population is, once again, Homo Sapiens Stupidus, other wise known as stupid people.
Just the other day, I counted 20 feral cats outside a home adjacent to the Ocean Beach School. And, as I suspected, some idiot had left out food in cute little cat dishes. Other than the fact that the introduction of any non-native species can be devastating to the environment, they are also downright nasty.
These cats take shelter under the homes on Fire Island, getting into and even destroying some homes. The males’ scent is almost impossible to get out of your home, and they have been known to completely tear apart cabinetry and furniture. So, yes. They are very disturbing to humans. But how do they affect other, more-sensitive creatures? Have you heard of the Piping Plovers? Well, probably not, because they are now on the Federal "Endangered and Threatened Species" list.
A Piping Plover is an incredible bird that nests on open, sandy-cobble beaches with no-to-sparse vegetation - beaches like the Fire Island National Seashore. They face numerous threats from predators, the environment, and human contact, however - what are two of their growing threats? You guessed it: feral cats and the over-population of deer. There is a solution to the cat problem, similar to that of the deer dilemma.
Send a letter to the editor
