I saw this image and headline today and it reminded me of a funny story that follows after the picture.
So Hawaii is suffering from feral chickens. Apparently a hurricane knocked coops down and chickens got out. Over time they mated with "descendants of the ancestral red jungle fowl the Polynesians brought to the island over 800 years ago". They have done well and are now trying to figure out what to do with them.
Hawaii might want to understand the problem Los Angeles had with diseased ducks in Venice. A review:
Venice, California is an area within the city of Los Angeles. And it was created in the 1930s with canals and pathways for a themed subdivision. Venice has since gone through binge and bust until about the 1980s, when it started once again to get very fashionable - and didn't stop. Those cute ass little-ish homes are worth a TON of money now. And all the owners are animal lovers and all love the ducks.
About 20 years ago, the Venice ducks got a disease that wasn't too awful for them, but killed migrating birds, and Venice is a key stop on the Pacific flyway. So the city decided to cull the ducks (cull means trap and kill, fyi). But the very upscale and liberals folks from Venice didn't want this cull to happen. They wanted to save the ducks. "Screw the migrating birds!" they said. Okay - they didn't say that, but that would be the result.
So one fine morning, news-crews are on the scene at 5AM. The city workers come in and are confronted by residents and activists who stop them from taking the ducks. After about 3 hours of standoff, the LA Mayor issues a statement that they will NOT cull the ducks. They will study the situation once again with experts and respond back to the people ASAP.
The next morning at 4AM without announcing it, the city went in and got the ducks before anyone was awake.
Okay, I'm not sure of the point of that story that needed to share - except that 1) Hawaii should be careful how they frame any answer and 2) I love that story.
I was living in Venice when they killed the ducks. I was not happy. I don't live there now. It was a great place for ducks and my guess and hope is new ducks moved in.
ReplyDeleteYes, new diseased ducks moved in. And, you know I love ducks. But sick ducks that infect other ducks and wild birds was bad.
ReplyDeleteAnd, come on, that was funny and clever.