Some of you may remember some of my images from last Nov/Dec., captured during an attempt to relocate, what turned out to be 44 Rio Grand Turkeys, to a more suitable environment. The outcome was less than we had hoped for.
The Turkeys turned out to be human raised, habituated and illegally released into our local habitat. They became a nuisance to some of our neighbors and were located to our property for about 30 days with plans being made to relocate the flock to Northwestern Utah. My ongoing attempt to photograph the birds in flight (my favorite is in the 10 year anniversary gallery) was a twice a day event as they went to, or came off of roost.
Originally, reported to be Merriam's, the Rio Grands could not be certified disease free by the individuals responsible for their release. The Utah DWR and the US AG Dept. take avian disease matters very seriously and decided to destroy the birds. The US AG folks wanted the birds completely destroyed, but the Utah DWR fought and won a use for the doomed flock. They were donated to two organizations during the Holidays. One, a home for troubled veterans, the other, an organization dealing with troubled youth in the Ogden, Utah area.
My hat is off to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources for the many, many hours spent trying to make the irresponsibility of one individual have a good outcome. They were very professional and attentive to the needs of all involved, especially the needs and care of the birds. In the end, they refused to let them be wasted and humane ethics prevailed.
We are still a bit sad about the outcome.
Neil
Neil, I really appreciate the update. I've been wondering about some of the details from your earlier posts, esp since you live relatively close to me. Nice to hear that DWR has been so professional and efficient in handling a such a delicate, no-win situation. I've generally been impressed with how well they do their jobs. But yes, the outcome was a sad one.
Discussion
1 repliesThe Turkeys turned out to be human raised, habituated and illegally released into our local habitat. They became a nuisance to some of our neighbors and were located to our property for about 30 days with plans being made to relocate the flock to Northwestern Utah. My ongoing attempt to photograph the birds in flight (my favorite is in the 10 year anniversary gallery) was a twice a day event as they went to, or came off of roost.
Originally, reported to be Merriam's, the Rio Grands could not be certified disease free by the individuals responsible for their release. The Utah DWR and the US AG Dept. take avian disease matters very seriously and decided to destroy the birds. The US AG folks wanted the birds completely destroyed, but the Utah DWR fought and won a use for the doomed flock. They were donated to two organizations during the Holidays. One, a home for troubled veterans, the other, an organization dealing with troubled youth in the Ogden, Utah area.
My hat is off to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources for the many, many hours spent trying to make the irresponsibility of one individual have a good outcome. They were very professional and attentive to the needs of all involved, especially the needs and care of the birds. In the end, they refused to let them be wasted and humane ethics prevailed.
We are still a bit sad about the outcome.
Neil