Importing Rabies

This week's Farm Side, which will run tomorrow in the Recorder, was written about a recent spate of rabies cases in nearby counties, and about the risks associated with importing dogs from not so very developed countries with less stringent rabies rules than ours.

Since I sent the column on Tuesday yet another rabies case has cropped up just west of here, bringing the total in the past two weeks to four and ANOTHER (!!!!!) dog imported from Egypt has rabies.

 I think we need a better screening process if we are going to fill our shelters with dogs from overseas.

Here are some links on the topic.

CDC on the first rabid dog from Egypt and several others

The new case of a rabid dog from Egypt

200 dogs imported from S. Korea

Caution Sick Fox

This man would have practically stepped on the fox
if the boss hadn't yelled to him

We took a quick spin down to the boat launch at Schoharie Crossing, despite the rotten weather, in order to do a quick bird list. Kinda nasty to be walking at home. 

It may have been a good thing we did. While I was going nuts over a flock of American Pipits, the boss was exclaiming, "There's something in the road!"

Even without the binoculars we could see that it was a fox and not in a normal pose. Through the bins it looked downright awful! 

It was hunched in the road not moving, while a walker approached it from behind a small hill where he couldn't see that it was there.

The boss jumped out of the car and hollered to him. After about three yells the fox finally staggered off the road. The man was grateful to have been warned.

We have been getting notices from our veterinarian on Facebook about rabies in the area and I suspect that this may be a case of that.

We stopped at the sheriff's office to report it and came on home.

We are always cautious about wildlife, but I guess even more vigilance is in order now. 

Watch out if you use the boat launch!

Alarming News

This was taken from the porch this May.
We have seen this and several other foxes many times since

This story is just one reason why I think it is a good idea to own, and understand clearly the safe use of, a firearm if you live where there is a population of wild animals...which is pretty much everywhere.

It happened just a couple of miles from here in the same town in which we reside. The kids even know the folks involved.

We have plenty of foxes, right here on the farm, as attested to by the attrition of chickens and guinea fowl if ever they get out of the coops.

Rabid Fox Bites Young Girl