Noreen Payne, I share your sense of frustration over the unfortunate fate of the mule deer in the Coldstream area.
While I knew that this outcome was really the only realistic solution, my first reaction to the news was of anger; like you my anger was directed at the many people who had contributed to the loss of this animal’s natural fear of humans.
I hope that these people were simply ignorant to the real consequences of their actions and were not choosing a few cute pictures and the opportunity to pet a wild animal over the life of this creature.
It is for this reason that I disagree with you about the need to notify the public about the difficult decision the conservation officers were forced to make.
Perhaps this is where I am naive, but it is my hope that through this announcement and the subsequent conversations, both private and in the media, the number of stories of this nature will be reduced.
I am a firm believer that education is the path to change and hope that the image that you described will help others to learn a valuable lesson about interacting with wildlife.
Doug Cameron
Vernon
