Wild Animals

Last week there was an awful situation near Zanesville, Ohio. There was a lot of media coverage, but in case you haven't heard about it yet, I'll recap. Muskingum County Animal Farm owner Terry Thompson, who kept a large number of exotic animals on his property, including lions, tigers, bears, leopards, and monkeys, let more than 50 of the animals out of their cages Wednesday before killing himself. The sheriffs office responded and ended up shooting and killing 48 of the animals, including 18 Bengal tigers (which are endangered)

Two rabid skunks have been found in Jessamine County in the last few weeks, one in Heritage Estates and one on Chrisman Mill Road, according to Lisa Bolton, environmental supervisor for the Jessamine County Health Department's Environmental Health division. Bolton said she didn't want people to think there was an epidemic; the department just wanted to make people aware that rabies does exist and they should always be careful when dealing with wild animals. "Leave wild animals alone, especially injured animals, or those acting out of the ordinary, unless you are a professional," Bolton said.

After arriving at work and finding an opossum at the front door, a Centre College Bookstore employee tried another entrance but triggered the burglar alarm, summoning police. Danville police officers Jay Newell and Scott Cavazos have cornered drunks, burglars and even armed gunmen during their careers, but on Tuesday morning they found themselves face to snout with a different kind of criminal - or critter, to be more precise. About 9:45 a.m. an employee at the Centre College Bookstore on South Third Street attempted to enter the store but was stunned to find an opossum hanging out near the door, Newell said.

Rabies is a deadly disease that is almost always fatal if not prevented. In fact, every year in the United States, measures are taken to prevent approximately 40,000 potential exposures to rabies. Rabies is considered a disease of nature and can affect our unvaccinated pets (dogs, cats and ferrets). The animals that most commonly have rabies are wild animals, such as raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats. Rabies is always present in Kentucky. Most cases of rabies in Kentucky are caused by bats, followed by skunks.

Take a number: Premise ID and You As a livestock producer, one faces many challenges in today's industry. These challenges include, but are definitely not limited to, factors affecting production and market demands. One market demand that farmers are well acquainted with is that of animal ID. Animal ID is one of three components of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). This plan ensures the health of the animal and will provide the trace ability of a disease within 48 hours.

Rabies is a virus that causes inflammation of the brain or encephalitis in mammals. The name rabies was derived from Latin meaning madness, rage or fury. Rabies has been known for a very long time. The first written record of rabies was in 1930 B.C. Any mammal can be infected with the virus, including humans. It is most commonly contracted by a bite from an infected animal, but occasionally by other forms of contact. The virus travels to the brain from the infected site by following along the nerves.

Dear Editor, Rick Muse has been a wonderful advocate for our local native wildlife. Talk to him even briefly and you will know how dedicated he is and has a love for our natural resources and our wildlife here. It was great to see the article sharing the information on deer with the public. As one of about three wildlife rehabbers in the area, I take many calls on fawns this time of year. Unless the fawn has been left unattended for more than 12 hours or has flies and maggots on it, leave it be. Mama will come back.

April Truitt's message to Hollywood heavyweight Cameron Crowe was succinct: Quit monkeying around with primates in movies. Truitt, who is the executive director of the Nicholasville-based Primate Rescue Center, teamed up with the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance and sent a letter to the Hollywood director asking him not to use monkeys or any other primate in movies. Crowe's movie “We Bought a Zoo” is scheduled to hit theaters Dec. 23. “Monkeys and apes are adorable as babies, but the novelty soon wears off and they grow into strong adults who are strong-willed, naturally curious and destructive, and capable of causing some pretty serious injuries,” wrote the NAPSA members, an excerpt of which was provided by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

It is no secret that I am emotionally drawn to every animal (well, not to snakes, though I still wish snakes well, if they're not in my yard). I am especially drawn to wild animals and made this my life's passion my life's work for a number of years. Therefore, it is with joy that I tell you about the Bengal cat that lives with my son Clarke, his wife Becca and her 13-year-old son Rocky. We are visiting Clarke and family in Buena Vista, Colo. They have two Bernese Mountain dogs, two Arabian horses, two Persian cats and Kalila, a Bengal cat. This magnificent creature belonged to a friend who had two of them, and when the friend died unexpectedly last year, it was a foregone conclusion that Clarke would take the baby, and my daughter Phoebe would take the parent.

A 35-year quest to get to Africa's Victoria Falls via train led Howard Grabill to book passage on Rovos Rail's “Pride of Africa” tour in July. Grabill, of Danville and a lover of trains, called the African train ride “the vacation of a lifetime.” The two-week, 5,742-kilometer, 3,568-mile journey wound its way from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to Cape Town, South Africa, passing through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana along the way. Victoria Falls...

Rabies is a deadly disease that is almost always fatal if not prevented. In fact, every year in the United States, measures are taken to prevent approximately 40,000 potential exposures to rabies. Rabies is considered a disease of nature and can affect our unvaccinated pets (dogs, cats and ferrets). The animals that most commonly have rabies are wild animals, such as raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats. Rabies is always present in Kentucky. Most cases of rabies in Kentucky are caused by bats, followed by skunks.

Mark your calendars for April 7. The Boyle County Farmers Market will be open for business. Watch this column throughout the growing season for a list of available items each week. We hope to see you all there. Everything is growing and way ahead of our usual schedule. The blooms on our fruit trees have been amazing. They are full of busy bees, which prompted Barrie to get supers on the hives early as well. Honey lovers should be happy to hear that. We had a little visitor show up at the farm last week.

Last week there was an awful situation near Zanesville, Ohio. There was a lot of media coverage, but in case you haven't heard about it yet, I'll recap. Muskingum County Animal Farm owner Terry Thompson, who kept a large number of exotic animals on his property, including lions, tigers, bears, leopards, and monkeys, let more than 50 of the animals out of their cages Wednesday before killing himself. The sheriffs office responded and ended up shooting and killing 48 of the animals, including 18 Bengal tigers (which are endangered)

A 35-year quest to get to Africa's Victoria Falls via train led Howard Grabill to book passage on Rovos Rail's “Pride of Africa” tour in July. Grabill, of Danville and a lover of trains, called the African train ride “the vacation of a lifetime.” The two-week, 5,742-kilometer, 3,568-mile journey wound its way from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to Cape Town, South Africa, passing through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana along the way. Victoria Falls...

April Truitt's message to Hollywood heavyweight Cameron Crowe was succinct: Quit monkeying around with primates in movies. Truitt, who is the executive director of the Nicholasville-based Primate Rescue Center, teamed up with the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance and sent a letter to the Hollywood director asking him not to use monkeys or any other primate in movies. Crowe's movie “We Bought a Zoo” is scheduled to hit theaters Dec. 23. “Monkeys and apes are adorable as babies, but the novelty soon wears off and they grow into strong adults who are strong-willed, naturally curious and destructive, and capable of causing some pretty serious injuries,” wrote the NAPSA members, an excerpt of which was provided by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

It is no secret that I am emotionally drawn to every animal (well, not to snakes, though I still wish snakes well, if they're not in my yard). I am especially drawn to wild animals and made this my life's passion my life's work for a number of years. Therefore, it is with joy that I tell you about the Bengal cat that lives with my son Clarke, his wife Becca and her 13-year-old son Rocky. We are visiting Clarke and family in Buena Vista, Colo. They have two Bernese Mountain dogs, two Arabian horses, two Persian cats and Kalila, a Bengal cat. This magnificent creature belonged to a friend who had two of them, and when the friend died unexpectedly last year, it was a foregone conclusion that Clarke would take the baby, and my daughter Phoebe would take the parent.

I can remember the very first time I heard about "dog days. " I must have been about nine or 10 years old when I was barefooted catching "crawdads" in Greasy Creek located in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Crayfish were one of my favorite and very effective fishing baits. I stepped on an extremely sharp rock and cut my foot very deeply, and the laceration was approximately three inches long. Despite the severity of my wound, I did not want to stop having fun long enough to attend to my injury.

Rabies is a virus that causes inflammation of the brain or encephalitis in mammals. The name rabies was derived from Latin meaning madness, rage or fury. Rabies has been known for a very long time. The first written record of rabies was in 1930 B.C. Any mammal can be infected with the virus, including humans. It is most commonly contracted by a bite from an infected animal, but occasionally by other forms of contact. The virus travels to the brain from the infected site by following along the nerves.

Two rabid skunks have been found in Jessamine County in the last few weeks, one in Heritage Estates and one on Chrisman Mill Road, according to Lisa Bolton, environmental supervisor for the Jessamine County Health Department's Environmental Health division. Bolton said she didn't want people to think there was an epidemic; the department just wanted to make people aware that rabies does exist and they should always be careful when dealing with wild animals. "Leave wild animals alone, especially injured animals, or those acting out of the ordinary, unless you are a professional," Bolton said.

I read with interest the story about coyotes near Valley Brook Drive area of Streamland. I guess that's because I live on Valley Brook Drive in Streamland. Although the story said there have been several sightings of coyotes down the street and around the corner, I haven't seen one in the neighborhood, but I will be observant from now on in the backyard. Of course, I really should keep an eye on the front yard, too. I am assuming that they come across a cul-de-sac on Streamland Drive.