The Pegasus Foundation

PEGASUS HIGHLIGHTS
September 2003
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Developing Creative Solutions for Florida’s Feral Cat Colonies
Cape Cod Stranding Network Reaches Fifth Anniversary
Compassionate Traveler Improves Services
Greater Yellowstone Wildlife Alliance Increases Visibility of Bison Issue
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Pegasus Highlights is an occasional newsletter highlighting some of the recent activities and accomplishments of the Pegasus Foundation, its grantees and partners. The Pegasus Foundation is a private independent foundation that supports animal and environmental protection programs. This issue and all previous issues of Pegasus Highlights are also available at: www.pegasusfoundation.org


DEVELOPING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR FLORIDA’S FERAL CAT COLONIES

Many people who visit Florida for the winter season abandon their pet cats when they return to their permanent homes in the north each spring. These cats form colonies and breed unchecked as they become more wild, or feral. Three years ago, the Pegasus Foundation helped establish the Hobe Sound Animal Protection League (HSAPL) to humanely address the feral cat problem on Florida’s Jupiter Island.

Since then, HSAPL has spayed or neutered more than 150 cats, preventing the births of thousands of unwanted kittens. Through a trap-neuter-release program, the number of cats on Jupiter Island and neighboring communities has been significantly reduced, as has the cost of feral cat control for local municipalities.

This year, HSAPL opened a new cattery, which is now home to 18 formerly wild cats and kittens. These cats live in enclosures that have indoor and outdoor sections, so they are protected from both predators and prey. The cats receive human attention and learn to trust people, making it possible for some previously feral cats to eventually be adopted into permanent homes.

The long-term goal of HSAPL is to reduce the numbers of feral cats through sterilization of all cats and adoption of those cats that can be rehabilitated.

To learn more about the Hobe Sound Animal Protection League, visit: www.hsapl.org


CAPE COD STRANDING NETWORK REACHES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

Five years ago, the Pegasus Foundation and other animal welfare groups on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, formed the Cape Cod Stranding Network to respond to marine mammals that become stranded on the shores of Cape Cod. The Network helps whales, seals and dolphins throughout Cape Cod, as well as south to the Rhode Island border, an area that includes approximately 700 miles of coastline. In 2002, the Cape Cod Stranding Network responded to almost 300 individual and mass strandings of marine mammals. As of August 31 of this year, CCSN has received 325 reports of stranded marine mammals, 147 of which required immediate assistance.

The Network also conducts research on why whales and dolphins strand, trains volunteers in responding to marine mammal strandings, and educates the public on what to do if they find a stranded animal.

To read more about the Cape Cod Stranding Network, visit: www.capecodstranding.net


COMPASSIONATE TRAVELER IMPROVES SERVICES TO TRAVELERS WHO CARE ABOUT ANIMALS

The Compassionate Traveler Web site has once again been updated with a new and improved searchable database, featuring more than 100 stories from almost 40 countries around the world. The site also now features links to other Web sites of interest to travelers who care about animals, including animal-friendly destinations, eco-travel resources and Web sites dedicated to specific animal species or animal issues.

A project of the International Wildlife Coalition (www.iwc.org) that is funded by the Pegasus Foundation, Compassionate Traveler shares information on animal-friendly travel and distributes monthly E-mail action alerts on how to help animals around the world.

Visit Compassionate Traveler at: www.compassionatetraveler.org


GREATER YELLOWSTONE WILDLIFE ALLIANCE INCREASES VISIBILITY OF YELLOWSTONE BISON ISSUE

The Greater Yellowstone Wildlife Alliance (GYWA) has had a busy year since it was formed in mid-2002 to protect wild and free-roaming bison on public lands in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. (See the October 2002 Pegasus Highlights for the original announcement about GYWA.) In addition to serving as a founding member of the Alliance, the Pegasus Foundation provided funding to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition to hire a coordinator for GYWA.

The Alliance brought together 15 organizations that had been working independently on bison protection. Since joining forces, GYWA members have greatly increased the visibility of the Yellowstone bison issue through news releases, opinion pieces, newspaper ads, and fact sheets. These publicity efforts have led to media coverage on national television and in major newspapers, as well as extensive regional coverage.

GYWA spoke out at a meeting convened this spring by federal and state agencies seeking public opinion on a management strategy that jeopardizes the Yellowstone bison herd, allegedly in the name of livestock health. Expressing overwhelming support for America’s last wild, free-roaming bison herd, the Alliance stated that its members will not allow wildlife values to be forsaken for special interests in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

The Yellowstone bison issue also caught the attention of the United States Congress this year. In July, Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV) introduced an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill that would have halted the funding of U.S. Park Service killing of bison for one year. This was the first time the Yellowstone bison issue has been debated on the floor of Congress. The amendment was defeated, but only by a very narrow margin (199-220).

This fall, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) is expected to introduce the Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation Act, which calls for an end to the ongoing bison hazing and killing and requires that steps be taken toward allowing free-roaming bison on public land outside Yellowstone National Park.

As a result of their support, both Congressman Hinchey and Congressman Rahall were presented with Yellowstone Buffalo Champion awards from GYWA.

For more on this issue, go to the Web site of one of the Alliance members, the Buffalo Field Campaign: www.wildrockies.org/buffalo

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
The Pegasus Foundation, 27 Merrimack Street, Concord, New Hampshire 03301 USA
Phone: 603.225.3918 Fax: 603.225.4624 E-mail: info@pegasusfoundation.org
www.pegasusfoundation.org
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