Stop Ottawa's War on Wildlife

I was very disappointed to hear that Ottawa has failed to take the opportunity to create a progressive wildlife strategy for Canada's capital. I am a British MSc ecology graduate who has spent much of the last ten years researching and observing Canada's natural heritage, and witnessing the challenges of urban wildlife first hand.

Such issues are not, however, unique to Ottawa. Cities across the world are facing similar questions, and many have adopted a far more humane and scientifically-focussed approach, often in difficult circumstances. What message does Ottawa send to Nairobi and Mumbai (which have urban leopards) or to villages in southern Gujarat (wolves, Asiatic lions and striped hyenas) or to the ranchers of the Brazilian Pantanal (coexisting with jaguars), or even the 'living with coyotes' projects in western provinces when you refuse to tolerate geese and raccoons?

Wildlife is not always an easy neighbour. At times there is damage, and very rarely there may be concerns over human safety. But these issues cannot be resolved by more traps. If anything, lethal control will make conflicts worse by offering false security - without dealing with the root causes of the problem. Education and prevention are the only true solutions.