Cats endangered in the Berkshires

From the Berkshire Eagle:

Don't mess with fishers

With development encroaching ever further into the rural areas of the Berkshires, it is no longer uncommon for residents to see deer, bears, coyotes or other wildlife in their backyards. The latest visitor to make its presence known in Berkshire County is the fisher, a particularly nasty relative of the weasel and badger that has made a comeback from near-extinction in Massachusetts. Aggressive, quick hunters, they pose a serious threat to cats, which, given the presence of other wild animals, some of which carry rabies, and disease-carrying ticks, shouldn't be outdoors anyway. As Anthony Gola, a wildlife biologist with MassWildlife said in Saturday's Eagle, "if you really love your cats, keep them indoors." (See "Fishers feast on felines.)

Index Keywords: compact-development; sustainable-land-use-and-resource-planning