Tag Archives: Lisa Levinson

Earth

California Sanctioned Slaughter Will Eradicate Catalina Island Deer

Leave a comment

“Sham restoration sets a deadly precedent for California’s wildlife” – In Defense Of Animals

/Users/amgraef7/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/tmp/Content.MSO/2D523464.tmp

Mule deer fawn on the Channel Islands. Photo: NPS

CATALINA ISLAND, Calif. (Feb. , 2026) — In Defense of Animals is expressing profound outrage and sorrow following the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) decision to approve the Catalina Island Conservancy’s deadly, controversial, and unpopular plan to eradicate the island’s entire mule deer population. Despite widespread public opposition and a previous victory that forced the abandonment of a helicopter-gunning scheme, state officials have now greenlit a ground-based massacre that will pay professional sharpshooters to hunt down and kill every one of the island’s deer.

Opposition being ignored

This decision ignores the pleas of thousands of residents and the objections of Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who previously led the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to oppose the Conservancy’s killing plan. It also disregards the expert caution of L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, who has stated that removing the deer could actually increase fire risks by allowing vegetation fuel loads to grow unchecked — directly contradicting the Conservancy’s primary justification for the slaughter.

“Today is a dark day for California’s wildlife and a betrayal of the public trust,” said Lisa Levinson, Campaigns Director for In Defense of Animals. “The Conservancy has rebranded a massacre as ‘restoration,’ swapping helicopters for ground squads to make the bloodshed more palatable to the public. But the result is the same: the senseless violent death of a beloved herd that has lived peacefully on the island for a century. We are heartbroken that the state has chosen bullets over biology and compassion.”

Mule Deer Generations On Island

Mule deer have been living on Catalina Island for over one hundred years and have integrated into the ecosystem. Despite this, the approved plan allows the Conservancy to hire private contractors to systematically kill the deer over several years, beginning with a fenced “pilot zone” of 10 acres near the Airport in the Sky before expanding to a 105-acre zone and eventually the entire island. While the Conservancy claims, without scientific proof, that the deer threaten native plants and increase fire danger, In Defense of Animals argues these claims are ideologically driven rather than actually proven.

Jack Gescheidt, Wildlife Consultant for In Defense of Animals, condemned the approval as a symptom of a larger industry problem.

“This plan is a sad product of the restoration industry, which often expends huge sums of public dollars to exterminate entire species under the tragically ironic guise of ‘conservation,’” said Gescheidt. “The mule deer integrated into Catalina Island’s ecosystem decades ago. Scapegoating them for climate change and drought-driven vegetation loss is scientifically dishonest. It is madness to authorize and finance wildly expensive and bloody animal extermination campaigns that do nothing to solve the larger ecological problem that is being ignored — the climate crisis. Just leave the deer alone.”

Deer Being Blamed

In Defense of Animals notes that the deer are being blamed for ecological changes driven primarily by human development and climate change. The Conservancy aims to protect “native” vegetation; yet the deer have lived peacefully on Catalina Island for nearly 100 years without suddenly threatening the entire ecosystem. No third-party scientific studies have validated the group’s “invasive” claims.

Furthermore, the Conservancy has made wild, inaccurate estimates of the mule deer population to justify the slaughter. Their estimate of 1,700-2,000 deer was based on a 2021 spotlight survey that extrapolated data from a small subset to the entire island. Islanders, who live nearest the deer, estimate the population is actually between 400 and 800. 

“These exaggerations are typical of the ‘exterminate-to-restore’ mentality that falls back on controlling, managing and almost always killing wild plants and animals,” added Gescheidt.

/Users/amgraef7/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/tmp/Content.MSO/E811EC12.tmp

In Defense of Animals has long championed the rights of wildlife on Catalina Island. Photo: In Defense of Animals

In Defense of Animals has been defending the Catalina Island wildlife for years. It is part of the island’s citizen group, The Coalition to Save Catalina Island Deer with the joint aim of protecting the island’s wild mule deer from any killing or interference, including hunting or sterilization. Over 13,600 In Defense of Animals supporters wrote to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Governor Gavin Newsom, and other officials asking them to oppose this brutal plan. 

In Defense of Animals is now calling on its supporters to voice their continued opposition to the Conservancy and state officials.

Levinson called for further action, saying, “We urge the public to keep contacting state officials to tell them this lethal, sham ‘restoration’ sets a deadly precedent for wildlife management across the state.”

For the Silo, Jack Gescheidt.

Earth

North America’s Largest Convention Center Installs Bird Saving Window Film

Leave a comment

CHICAGO (October, 2024) — After receiving nearly 50,000 emails from In Defense of Animals supporters, McCormick Place Lakeside Center has taken a crucial step in safeguarding migratory birds by installing bird-safe window film on its iconic glass walls. This renovation addresses the soaring number of bird deaths caused by window collisions at the convention center, which claimed the lives of over 1,000 birds in a single night last fall.

“Windows collisions rank among the deadliest threats to birds,” said Katie Nolan, Wild Animals Campaigns Specialist for In Defense of Animals. “With wild birds in steep decline — over 3 billion lost in the past 50 years — we are delighted that the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority has taken a crucial step by installing bird-safe window film at McCormick Place. This sets a new standard for all North American buildings to follow. Building managers can save millions by installing bird-safe window film and turning off lights.”

McCormick Place, situated along the Mississippi Flyway — a crucial migration route — has long been a site of concern for bird collisions, particularly during spring and fall migrations. In Defense of Animals and its Interfaith Vegan Coalition witnessed the devastating impact firsthand when attending a conference at McCormick Place in 2023.

“The bird deaths we witnessed at McCormick Place were heartbreaking,” said Lisa Levinson, Campaigns Director for In Defense of Animals. “While a member of our Interfaith Vegan Coalition was able to rescue one injured bird, many more had perished in a single night. We couldn’t be happier that McCormick Place has stepped up to protect these vulnerable birds.”

The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which manages McCormick Place, announced the $1.2 million usd/ $1.62 million cad project to install bird-safe film has been completed, covering two American football fields’ worth of glass / or approximately 1.3 Canadian football fields’ worth of glass. The newly installed bird-safe window film is a critical part of reducing bird collisions, along with measures such as dimming or turning off lights during peak migration seasons. These actions help protect migratory birds, many of whom face deadly threats from light pollution and reflective windows.

McCormick Place’s efforts align with broader city initiatives like Lights Out Chicago, which aims to reduce bird deaths by encouraging buildings to dim their lights during migration periods. The installation of bird-safe window film will go a long way in ensuring that migratory birds continue to travel safely through the city. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.