Opossums Overrun Brooklyn, Fail To Eliminate Rats 343
__roo writes "In a bizarre case of life imitates the Simpsons, New York City officials introduced a population of opossums into Brooklyn parks and under the boardwalk at Coney Island, apparently convinced that the opossums would eat all of the rats in the borough and then conveniently die of starvation. Several years later, the opossums have not only failed to eliminate the rat epidemic from New York City, but they have thrived, turning into a sharp-toothed, foul-odored epidemic of their own."
possum is a food group here in alabama. (Score:4, Interesting)
Seriously though, no one in their right mind down here would try to destroy a rat problem with a possum problem. Matter of fact, anyone that doesn't call them 'possum' doesn't really have any experience with the nasty things. The 'opossum' is about one of the nastiest animals I have ever had the displeasure of looking at. We get them in the garbage can every now and then... They get stuck and can't get out if there's not enough in the can for them to climb out. I usually just leave them there and let the trash man take care of them. I've poked at them a little bit and they just show their teeth and hiss. I've never seen them play dead. They're about the #2 roadkill item around here, after armadillo...
So New York, I hear that badgers eat possum... interested?
Re:Wild Animals Should Stay In the Wild (Score:3, Interesting)
That's what air rifles are for.
Re:Wild Animals Should Stay In the Wild (Score:1, Interesting)
A .22 is marginal for raccoons. It'll do the job if you do yours but I much prefer a .223 [wikipedia.org] for varmint. Less likely to make the animal suffer and if you hit them square on it's a "struck by lightning" reaction. Never seen a .22 accomplish that with anything bigger than a squirrel.
Back in the days when you could get away with this without people freaking out. My dad used to exterminate pests with a .22
He would get a call, go out to the golf course or manicured lawns and set up a bench. A groundhog would eventually appear. Crack!
One shot later... and then he told me to wait. A minute or two later the next groundhog would come up, as he said, to investigate. Crack!
This was repeated until he said we were done. Dunno how he knew that but he ended up getting referred around the more affluent neighborhoods.
Obviously this isn't for something like a rabid racoon charging at you. But with a sure shot a .22 works quite well and is very quiet.
Re:Obligatory Simpsons (Score:3, Interesting)
The New Orleans Police Department sniper team get real life target practice by trolling the streets at night and shooting nutria rats with a .22 rifle.
Re:Wild Animals Should Stay In the Wild (Score:3, Interesting)
Sounds like you are a responsible gun owner then, good on you!
You should upgrade that BB gun to a .177 pellet rifle. Critters generally don't shrug that off.
And also... (Score:1, Interesting)
That's what air rifles are for. .410 shotguns are for. Effective range about 20-25 yards max.
And also what
Re:Wild Animals Should Stay In the Wild (Score:5, Interesting)
One night I got a call from my wife - she met some beasty on the path from the complex's gate to the apartment's front door, and the stupid thing stood its ground, got on its two hind legs, and started waving its paws and hissing at her. Something had been clawing our cat, so I was feeling pretty murderous - I took my recurve, and two arrows and went to see what was what.
It was a oversized raccoon, and it was really standing its ground - it could have ran in the bushes or through the pool's fence, but did not, even though we were on both sides of it. I was afraid I would miss it (I had never shot my bow at anything but targets) so I made my wife go back to the car, i.e. out of the line of fire. I'm glad I did, because the arrow went clean through the raccoon, bounced off the concrete path, and took out a finger worth of wood from a wall. I realize now it was a damn stupid thing to do, as I had really underestimated what my bow could do.
Shooting a gun in the same situation seem even more irresponsible - the bullet may just go through the critter, and end up into one of your neighbors.
In any case, we called animal control, and I got a sermon from the Sheriff deputy about firing the bow inside the apartment complex. She said that she could have brought me in front of a judge for it, but she let it slide.
Two days later, the animal control people wanted to check both me and my wife for scratches - the raccoon turned out to have been rabid... I guess we were both very lucky that night, despite doing so many things wrong - she stood nearby when she should have gone back to the car, I came up on the raccoon and could have scared it into attacking her, and then I shot a 65 pound bow in the middle of a bunch of dry wall buildings.