Kitty taken hostage by a hungry coyote. A rattlesnake den halting the construction of a suburban housing development. With garbage and trash bins for foraging, easy access to water and virtually no natural enemies, just about the only foe in this paradise regained is the moving automobile. While many would prefer to keep nature at an arm's length, Connecticut's suburban and urban areas have become our own personal jungles, where man and beast routinely butt heads. Collisions between animal and car are an everyday occurrence, often times resulting in death or injury to both parties if the animal is big enough.
Farm animals disappear with the night wind.
Rabies cases are no longer theexception but the norm. Some 544 animals were deemed rabid by the state last year and 2,297 people were afflicated with Lyme disease. The reasons for the change are myriad, including population growth, a dearth of natural predators, migration and changing attitudes toward nature. Nor is the problem confined to Connecticut. Every community in the United States has had to deal in some way with the impact of wildlife on property and residents.