Officials have tried poison, gassing and euthanasia to control a breeding frenzy among squirrels in a city park. Now, they plan to give birth control a shot.
A new program that would start this summer calls for squirrels in Palisades Park to be injected with an immuno-contraceptive vaccine to stunt sexual development.
Santa Monica would be only the second city in California, besides Berkeley, to try the immunization program.
PHOTO: AFP
"We don't want to kill them if we don't have to," said Joe McGrath, the city's parks chief. "I personally like squirrels, but we also have to be receptive to the county's concerns. When you are dealing with mammals, people get upset."
Health officials say the squirrels, which number an estimated 1,000 in the park, pose a public health risk, the Los Angeles Times reported. They warn the rodents are aggressive and may carry rabies or host fleas that can spread disease, such as bubonic plague.
Since 1998, Santa Monica has been cited five times by Los Angeles County for squirrel overpopulation. But suppression methods used, including euthanasia, have angered animal-loving activists.
City officials say the infertility shots offer a diplomatic solution that should please all sides in the debate.
The vaccine, developed by the US Department of Agriculture, stops ovulation and lactation in female squirrels, while halting testicular development in males.
Animal activist Catherine Rich said she supports the vaccine program, but said any health risk posed by the squirrels is overblown.
"There is not a pressing threat of squirrels attacking people," Rich said, "so I don't know why the county is getting their panties in a bunch." (AP)
政府官員試過了囚禁、毒氣攻擊與安樂死來控制一處市立公園內大肆繁殖的松鼠。現在,他們打算試試節育的方法。
今夏即將展開的新計畫將讓帕利沙迪思公園的松鼠施打免疫避孕疫苗,杜絕懷孕機會。
聖塔莫尼卡將成為加州繼柏克萊之後,第二個嘗試松鼠免疫避孕計畫的城市。
「若非必要,我們不想殺害松鼠,」聖塔莫尼卡公園管理處處長喬伊.麥葛拉斯說︰「我個人很喜歡松鼠,但我們也要接受本郡的關切。當你對付哺乳類動物時,人們就會難過。」
《洛杉磯時報》報導,健康官員說這處公園估計有一千隻松鼠,威脅到大眾健康。官員警告這種齧齒目動物具侵略性,可能帶有狂犬病或可散播淋巴腺鼠疫等疾病的跳蚤。
自一九九八年起,洛杉磯郡已五度指出聖塔莫尼卡的松鼠過度繁殖。不過,採用了安樂死等抑制方法,已觸怒了保育動物人士。
聖塔莫尼卡官員指出,避孕疫苗提供了一個圓融的解決之道,應該可以讓爭論的各方皆大歡喜。
美國農業部研發的這種疫苗可以阻止母松鼠排卵與分泌乳汁,也會讓公松鼠的睪丸停止發展。
動物保育提倡者凱薩琳.瑞琪表示,她支持這項疫苗計畫,但松鼠造成人類健康危機的說法言過其實。
「目前尚未有松鼠攻擊人類的迫切威脅,」瑞琪說︰「所以我不明白洛杉磯郡為何要小題大做。」 (美聯社╱翻譯︰賴美君)
As the priest Antonius Hambroek stood in the dim chamber of Fort Zeelandia, his eldest daughter clung to him, her voice trembling. “Father, don’t go. They’ll kill you, and what will become of Mother and my sisters?” Outside, the sounds of Koxinga’s relentless canon siege boomed through the fortress. The defenders were on the brink of collapse. Starvation gnawed at their resolve, and the air carried the acrid stench of spent gunpowder and rotting flesh. Dutch reinforcements from Batavia had failed to arrive, leaving the garrison isolated and hopeless. Hambroek’s face was calm, though sorrow weighed heavily on his
As we bundle up in thick coats to stay warm during the winter, there is a population that has already adapted to extremely low temperatures. These people live in the remote city of Yakutsk, the coldest city on Earth. Yakutsk is situated in the heart of Siberia, which is the capital of the Sakha Republic in Russia. This historic mining city began to flourish in the 19th century following the discovery of gold deposits. Given its construction on permafrost, the average temperature in the city remains below 0°C for over half the year, with winter temperatures dropping to an astonishing -50°C.
A: Happy Year of the Snake! Did you do anything special during the Lunar New Year holiday? B: I went to K-pop girl group Apink’s concert. How about you? A: I just stayed at home. But I’m going to girl group 2NE1’s show on Saturday. B: Wow, I really love their megahit “I Am the Best,” better known by its Korean title “Naega jeil jal naga.” A: I’m so glad that 2NE1 reunited last year, eight years after they disbanded in 2016. A: 蛇年快樂!你春節有做什麼特別活動嗎? B: 我去了南韓女團Apink的演唱會,你呢? A: 我都宅在家裡,不過這週六要去韓流天團2NE1的演唱會。 B: 我愛該團神曲《我最紅》,韓文歌名《Naega jeil jal naga》超洗腦。 A: 她們2016年解散8年後,去年終於合體真令人開心。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei
The Dutch introduced the Indian mango (Mangifera indica) to Taiwan in the 17th century. It is a green-skinned mango with thick fibers that get stuck in the teeth, but it boasts a rich aroma and a unique taste. In 1954, Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture introduced several mango cultivars from Florida, USA, including the Irwin, Haden, and Keitt varieties. After seven years of testing and domestication, the Irwin variety was chosen for promotion. Years later, the sample saplings started to bear fruit. These mangoes were large, with thin, vibrant red peels and golden pulp. The Irwin mangoes were mouth-wateringly sweet and