Shoot to Save Wildlife!

Your mission: Raise awareness in your community about wild animals and how to live peacefully with them.            

Why? Whether you live in the city, the country, or somewhere in between, you’re sure to have wild neighbors. Deer, geese, skunks, raccoons, squirrels, bears, pigeons, crows, coyotes... These  are just some of the animals who live near humans.

Many people enjoy the sights and sounds of wildlife, but people and wild animals don’t always get along. Sometimes, conflicts with wildlife are dealt with in ways that hurt or kill the animals. For example, pigeons have been poisoned because of the droppings they leave outside of restaurants and other businesses.

There is a better way! For just about every wild animal problem, there is a safe, humane solution.

How? Teach your community how to humanely solve conflicts with wildlife. Just follow the steps below.

1. Get the bear facts. Find out if there is an animal causing a conflict in your town. See our Go Wild for Wildlife HOTSheet for some common wildlife problems and solutions. Have flocks of geese taken up residence on the athletic fields? Are herds of deer munching on landscaped lawns, shrubs, and flowers? If not, choose any animal that is common in your area.

Learn all you can about the animal. Some great sources of information are www.hsus.org/wildlife/a_closer_look_at_wildlife/ and www.wildlife-international.org. Then learn about what can be done to solve any problems humanely. Visit www.hsus.org/wildneighbors and click “Solving Problems with Your Wild Neighbors” for details on the animal you picked. If you’re having trouble finding info on the animal you’ve picked, e-mail us for help.

2. Write on. Write a letter to your local newspaper about living peacefully with the animal you chose. Include the info you learned while doing your research. Encourage readers to appreciate their wild neighbors. Find tips on writing a letter to the editor in our Speak Up for Animals! guide.

3. Ready, aim, shoot! Send us a copy of your letter to the editor. (Email it to kids@humanesociety.org or mail it to us at Mission: Humane, 67 Norwich Essex Turnpike, East Haddam, CT 06423.) Once we receive it, we'll send you a disposable camera. (When contacting us, please be sure to include your name and mailing address. Group leaders, indicate how many students are in your group.) Use it to take pictures of wild animals you see—but do not disturb! Remember the four L’s of watching wildlife: Look. Listen. Learn about them. Leave them alone. Also, please do not feed wild animals. It can cause problems for both animals and people. Learn more here.

4. Start spreading the news. Make posters and fliers about the animal you choose. Use the photos you took or pictures printed from the Internet or cut from magazines. Include interesting facts about the animal and suggestions for solving common problems with that animal. Make sure you let people know where to turn for advice. Include a Web address (such as www.humanesociety.org) and the phone number of a wildlife hotline. The HSUS’s Urban Wildlife Hotline is available seven days a week at 203-389-4411.

Post your posters at grocery stores, libraries, vet’s offices, shopping areas, and community centers. (Make sure you have permission first.) You may also want to set up a booth at a fair, concert, or other community event.

5. Tell us about it. Fill out our Mission: Accomplished form. Send it to us with your photos, posters, and fliers.