[NatureNS] re COUGARS in Nova Scotia/Maritimes -- Herald story, Apr. 24/09

Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:38:06 -0300
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Cc: Fred Scott <fwscott@eastlink.ca>,
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Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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--Boundary_(ID_uqf1o3o8kDyOmw9PrZBxxA)
Content-type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; delsp=yes; format=flowed
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ALERT!: Check out CBC RADIO ONE on SUNDAY MORNING, 8:30 a.m., =20
Maritime Magazine?, for a report on cougars in the Maritimes and/or =20
Nova Scotia.  And then write a letter to some strategic person or =20
site about how important it is that our public radio get adequate =20
funding, and just how important this is to our society!
----------------------------

Chronicle Herald, Friday, April 24, 2009

Cougar hoax somebody 'goofing around'

By IAN FAIRCLOUGH Staff Reporter
Fri. Apr 24 - 11:36 AM

These aren=92t Nigerians looking for your banking information, but the =20=

purveyors of a new Internet hoax have caused a bit of a stir in the =20
province.

An email being forwarded to unsuspecting recipients includes two =20
pictures of what is purported to be a dead eastern cougar and says =20
the animal was roaming near Kempt, Queens County, where a James Snipe =20=

hit it with his car on the Northfield Road. The message says the big =20
cat was still alive but unable to move, so a neighbour called =20
Department of Natural Resources to have it killed.

But the cougar, pictures and email have no connection to this =20
province. They=92re actually from Arizona, where a western cougar was =20=

hit by a truck in late 2007 and did have to be put down.

The story has been altered at least 17 times, changing the geographic =20=

location. While there is a Northfield Road in Kempt, James Snipe is =20
actually a name added to the version of the email making the rounds =20
in North Carolina, according to snopes.com, a website that dispels =20
false rumours and urban legends.

Tony Rodgers, the executive director of the Nova Scotia Federation of =20=

Anglers and Hunters, says he has received about two dozen calls and =20
emails in the past week from people talking about the email, =20
including one from a man whose wife is refusing to go to their camp =20
in the area for fear there are more cougars roaming the woods.

"I think it=92s somebody goofing around. I can=92t see any benefit to =20=

doing it, except to scare everyone in Kempt," Mr. Rodgers said.

Mark Elderkin, a provincial biologist with the Department of Natural =20
Resources who specializes in species at risk, said the email, with =20
comments that the department is obviously trying to cover up the fact =20=

that cougars are in the province, does a disservice to the =20
department=92s biologists.

He said the hoax is tying up the department because staff is spending =20=

time explaining to the many people calling or emailing that the story =20=

is untrue.

Mr. Elderkin has received more than two dozen messages in the past =20
week based on the email. Normally there are only 25 to 50 reports a =20
year of cougar sightings in Nova Scotia.

But, he said, the eastern cougar has never been native to Nova =20
Scotia, and no sightings have been substantiated. He said staff =20
investigates any credible reports because a cougar could escape from =20
captivity or be released into the wild here.

Mr. Elderkin said he still wants the public to let him know when they =20=

see what they suspect is a cougar. He said the department has traced =20
the email back to where they think it originated in Nova Scotia, and =20
has given those people a stern talking to. They have apologized, he =20
said.

A close look at the pictures of a man holding the cat in a garage =20
shows several antlers from mule deer in a back room. That species is =20
not native to Nova Scotia either, so it should be evident the email =20
is bogus, Mr. Elderkin said.

But he said that in some email versions cases of Keith=92s beer are =20
superimposed over the antlers.

( ifairclough@herald.ca)=

--Boundary_(ID_uqf1o3o8kDyOmw9PrZBxxA)
Content-type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252
Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable

<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">ALERT!: Check =
out CBC RADIO ONE on SUNDAY MORNING, 8:30 a.m., Maritime Magazine?, for =
a report on cougars in the Maritimes and/or Nova Scotia. =A0And then =
write a letter to some strategic person or site about how important it =
is that our public radio get adequate funding, and just how important =
this is to our society!</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
">----------------------------</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
"><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Chronicle Herald, Friday, =
April 24, 2009</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; line-height: 35px; "><font face=3D"Georgia" size=3D"7" =
style=3D"font: 32.0px Georgia">Cougar hoax somebody 'goofing =
around'</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 35px; font: normal =
normal normal 12px/normal Arial; color: rgb(30, 30, 30); min-height: =
14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"3" =
color=3D"#818181" style=3D"font: 11.0px Arial; color: #818181">By IAN =
FAIRCLOUGH Staff Reporter=A0</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"3" color=3D"#818181" style=3D"font: 11.0px Arial; =
color: #818181">Fri. Apr 24 - 11:36 AM</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; color: =
rgb(129, 129, 129); min-height: 12px; "><br></div><p style=3D"margin: =
0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 14.0px Arial">These aren=92t Nigerians looking =
for your banking information, but the purveyors of a new Internet hoax =
have caused a bit of a stir in the province.</font></p><p style=3D"margin:=
 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 14.0px Arial">An email being forwarded to =
unsuspecting recipients includes two pictures of what is purported to be =
a dead eastern cougar and says the animal was roaming near Kempt, Queens =
County, where a James Snipe hit it with his car on the Northfield Road. =
The message says the big cat was still alive but unable to move, so a =
neighbour called Department of Natural Resources to have it =
killed.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; =
line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: =
14.0px Arial">But the cougar, pictures and email have no connection to =
this province. They=92re actually from Arizona, where a western cougar =
was hit by a truck in late 2007 and did have to be put =
down.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; =
line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: =
14.0px Arial">The story has been altered at least 17 times, changing the =
geographic location. While there is a Northfield Road in Kempt, James =
Snipe is actually a name added to the version of the email making the =
rounds in North Carolina, according to snopes.com, a website that =
dispels false rumours and urban legends.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: =
0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 14.0px Arial">Tony Rodgers, the executive =
director of the Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters, says he =
has received about two dozen calls and emails in the past week from =
people talking about the email, including one from a man whose wife is =
refusing to go to their camp in the area for fear there are more cougars =
roaming the woods.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px =
0.0px; line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font:=
 14.0px Arial">"I think it=92s somebody goofing around. I can=92t see =
any benefit to doing it, except to scare everyone in Kempt," Mr. Rodgers =
said.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; =
line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: =
14.0px Arial">Mark Elderkin, a provincial biologist with the Department =
of Natural Resources who specializes in species at risk, said the email, =
with comments that the department is obviously trying to cover up the =
fact that cougars are in the province, does a disservice to the =
department=92s biologists.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px =
14.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
style=3D"font: 14.0px Arial">He said the hoax is tying up the department =
because staff is spending time explaining to the many people calling or =
emailing that the story is untrue.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px =
0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
style=3D"font: 14.0px Arial">Mr. Elderkin has received more than two =
dozen messages in the past week based on the email. Normally there are =
only 25 to 50 reports a year of cougar sightings in Nova =
Scotia.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; =
line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: =
14.0px Arial">But, he said, the eastern cougar has never been native to =
Nova Scotia, and no sightings have been substantiated. He said staff =
investigates any credible reports because a cougar could escape from =
captivity or be released into the wild here.</font></p><p style=3D"margin:=
 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 14.0px Arial">Mr. Elderkin said he still wants =
the public to let him know when they see what they suspect is a cougar. =
He said the department has traced the email back to where they think it =
originated in Nova Scotia, and has given those people a stern talking =
to. They have apologized, he said.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px =
0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
style=3D"font: 14.0px Arial">A close look at the pictures of a man =
holding the cat in a garage shows several antlers from mule deer in a =
back room. That species is not native to Nova Scotia either, so it =
should be evident the email is bogus, Mr. Elderkin said.</font></p><p =
style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px"><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 14.0px Arial">But he said that =
in some email versions cases of Keith=92s beer are superimposed over the =
antlers.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; =
line-height: 18.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: =
14.0px Arial">( <a href=3D"mailto:ifairclough@herald.ca"><font =
face=3D"Georgia" size=3D"4" color=3D"#406ac1" style=3D"font: 14.0px =
Georgia; color: #406ac1">ifairclough@herald.ca</font></a>)</font></p>
</body></html>=

--Boundary_(ID_uqf1o3o8kDyOmw9PrZBxxA)--

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