One of the things many people love about Laramie is that is still has a somewhat wild nature. With a rough history and tough weather, there’s something about the Gem City that simply can’t be tamed. The fact is that in a town populated by over 30,000 people, wildlife are close neighbors, and it’s not always a harmonious relationship.

“We see everything from rabbits and foxes, to badgers and deer, so we see a little bit of everything in Laramie,” said Animal Control Officer Teresa Bingham. “It’s always fun to watch the baby foxes every spring… but certainly we don’t encourage you to try and pet them or feed them. They need to learn on their own and if you’re supplementing them with food, then they don’t learn those skills as well or they become a nuisance by going into people’s back yards or trash cans and get themselves into trouble.”

Recently Animal Control has gotten reports of harassment of wild animals. Two of those incidents prompted them to address on Facebook some of the complex issues that arise when humans, domestic pets and wild animals are all living in close proximity.

Well intentioned folks sometimes feed the foxes. This habituates them and reduces their fear of humans. Later, if other folks don’t share an affinity for foxes, the fox can get into trouble. This was the case recently. The fox had been supported by various local homeowners. This fox was in declining health and the homeowners possibly felt sorry for it. Mother Nature is a tough gal. Eventually, the fox came into contact with some local dogs and was seriously injured. There were numerous reports workers had encouraged their dog to attack the fox. Whether that’s true or not could not be firmly established. Either way, this twofold issue led to the fox’s early demise.

While we appreciate that folks like to watch the wildlife, watching should be it. Feeding wildlife, other than songbirds and tree squirrels, in Laramie is against city ordinance. Wildlife need to roam and live a normal, independent life. We are thrilled when local residents appreciate the presence of wild animals in our rural community, but folks need to maintain their respect and distance from the animal so the animal will do the same with people. Habituated animals often face crisis when they get too close to the wrong person. Not everyone can be trusted and this fox found that out the hard way. If it’s true that local workers sent their dog after the fox, they are to blame as well. Respect for living things is a basic tenet that all should hold dear.

The second incident is simpler but still just as damaging to the wildlife in question. A deer, or group of deer, was being chased in by a dog at large in Greenhill Cemetery. It was reported by a witness but when the officers arrived they could not locate either the deer or the dog in the cemetery area in the dark. The following morning it became clear why. The deer had no longer been on foot and mobile. She had been chased to a fence corner and had attempted to squeeze through a small opening between two fence posts to escape the dog and she had been trapped very close to the ground. When she was no longer sport, the dog had moved on. The following morning staff from the parks and recreation department found her and with the help of another Animal Control officer they worked for some time to saw off the fence post to release the injured deer. Hopefully, she’ll survive her injuries!

The Laramie Animal Shelter also warned that harassment of wildlife by dogs is against both city ordinances and state statutes. In addition, Officer Bingham mentioned that many wildlife carry illnesses that can be harmful for humans and domestic pets. For more on this issue, listen below to Officer Bingham’s interview on Laramie Live.

If you need to contact Animal Control, they can be reached at (307)721-5385.

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