09/17/2025
Wildlife authorities in Louisiana are trying to eliminate the ability to admit, assist, and rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned coyotes and armadillos due to the fact that they consider them "nuisance species". This is a slippery slope considering many state wildlife authorities consider over 90% of native species to be "nuisance species". The state of Missouri considers squirrels,skunks,groundhogs,chipmunks, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, opossums, river otters, and beavers to be nuisance animals in one respect or another, and many states feel the same. Every species of animal can cause inconveniences to humans when trying to coexist within the same space as their habitats become smaller and smaller. In Australia, many car accidents are caused by kangaroos and wallabies. They build wildlife road crossings to help with this issue. In some countries elephants, giraffes and tigers can be a "nuisance" at times, to the point of fatalities at times. Does that mean we eradicate these species? Just because a species may cause humans some inconveniences from time to time doesn't mean that they don't have a right to be here. These animals are as NATIVE to this space as humans are. We should be working to find ways to coexist, not legislating away the ability to help these animals at their neediest moments. Animals come in to wildlife rehabs after they are victims of UNNATURAL events - car accidents, lawnmowers, construction, poisons, etc. The ability to correct damage WE have done is just one small way we can mitigate the damage. Please sign this petition to help us preserve this ability.
https://zurl.co/o3Xhv
In late August, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries introduced proposed regulations that could severely restrict wildlife rehabilitators from helping injured, orphaned, or ill coyotes and armadillos. These animals are being labeled as “nuisance animals,” and if the proposals are a...
