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THE NASTY CULEX TARSALIS (West Nile virus) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("mad cow") grab the headlines, but they're merely the most visible challenges for governments managing responsibilities related to the animal kingdom. Just for today, let's expand the definition of "animal kingdom" to include all non-human creatures, from bacteria to birds to border collies to bugs, and look at a few things governments are called on to handle - some of them quite pleasant.

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) is advertising for a falconer to manage its bird control program at Canadian Forces Base Halifax and around the dockyard. Apparently public works has had its eye on the award-winning bird control program at the local airport, which uses the only full-time airport falconer in Canada to disperse flocks of hungry snow buntings and geese. Public affairs director Pat Chapman confirms Halifax International says the program works well.

Falconry has been used at Canadian airports for 40 years. Transport Canada says it has the advantage of good optics: "The practice offers real public relations benefits as well, since many animal-welfare groups look upon falconry as a humane method of wildlife control," the department's website says.

Alternatively, CFB Halifax could relocate its excess waterfowl to Manitoba where the province has now paid the second of five $200,000 installments to run the Oak Hammock Marsh Conservation Centre 30 km north of Winnipeg. The centre features a 120-seat multimedia theatre, rooftop observation deck and interactive exhibits to educate the public about the value of wetlands. Voted "Canada's best outdoor attraction," the centre perches among 30 kilometres of dike trails leading into a 36 square kilometre restored remnant of the historic St. Andrews Bog that once covered 450 square kilometres of southern Manitoba. Almost 300 species of birds and thousands of species of mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles and other wildlife rely on this habitat.

# posted by Medical Information : 10:52 PM