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Catalina Island’s Monstrous Deer Slaughter Has Begun

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SANTA CATALINA ISLAND, Calif. (September, 2026) — In Defense of Animals is appalled  that the Catalina Island Conservancy has begun shooting all of the island’s hundreds upon hundreds of gentle mule deer who have been living peacefully there for over a century.

On September 1, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge issued a final ruling denying multiple groups’ request to stop the initial phase of a deer extermination project, which is scheduled from September through October  to kill at least 200 deer in this initial phase of a total extermination of Catalina’s entire deer population, estimated to be between 1,200 and 2,000.

Will Of People Being Ignored

The Conservancy has stubbornly refused to listen to the will of the people, a Los Angeles County Supervisor and even a Los Angeles County Fire Chief; instead plowing ahead with its brutal deer slaughtering program. 

This is only the first phase of the massive deer extermination campaign that would last as long as five years. The Catalina non-profit will continue killing at least 1,000 more deer, likely after public outrage dies down. 

The mule deer were introduced over 100 years ago to this island paradise and this bloody slaughter is wildly unpopular with Catalina Island residents and countless thousands more tourists who enjoy the gentle deer when visiting. The deer have long been an attraction unto themselves because they feel so safe they wander into the big little town of Avalon, delighting most of the humans. All this will soon end with a giant pile of dead deer bodies.

Blood Of Hundreds Of Bambis

More than 13,600 people have signed In Defense of Animals’ alert calling for a stop to this massacre. Another petition has 32,000 signatures protesting the slaughter, and that number is likely to grow as news of the blood of hundreds of Bambis begins to flow this month.

The Conservancy’s public relations representative was quoted in The Guardian, saying, “We understand the gravity of the situation and the responsibility, and it’s a noble sacrifice on the part of the deer that didn’t ask for this” — apparently unclear on the meaning of the word “sacrifice,” which involves having a choice in the sacrifice.

For years, The Conservancy has relentlessly insisted that the deer must be exterminated for a variety of shifting rationales. The newest narrative is that deer create, of all things, a wildfire hazard. by doing what all deer do — eating some green plants but leaving other plants to dry out and become fire fuel. 

But LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone contradicts this narrative.

Marrone is on record as saying that killing the deer is just as likely to increase, not decrease, wildfire danger because deer reduce the amount of vegetation that can burn. Fires do not selectively ignite or distinguish between so-called native and non-native plant species, nor share the human bias against a species based solely on its country of origin. 

In addition, instead of making houses wildfire resistant with standard, proven-effective, defensible space and home hardening precautions against inevitable, natural, occasional wildfires, the Conservancy promotes a variation of human-caused, artificial wildfire suppression —  in the novel form of shooting deer.

“Killing deer seems to be the Conservancy’s attempt to treat symptoms of the climate crisis—which is hotter, drier weather and more wildfire danger—by blaming droughts and heat waves and fires on a victim of the crisis,  the island’s deer population,” said Lisa Levinson, Campaigns Director of In Defense of Animals.

In Defense of Animals’ wildlife consultant Jack Gescheidt also challenged the Conservancy’s justification for the deer slaughter, saying, “Killing wild animals to reduce wildfire danger — that’s a new one; fanciful and bizarre at best. At worst, it’s a devious way to eliminate deer for the island’s wealthy Wrigley family which doesn’t want deer chomping on or trampling about their for-profit vineyards. Especially since rumors abound about plans to expand this ultimate non-native species, wine grapes, which also suck up huge amounts of Catalina’s limited water supply to make a luxury product for the island’s wealthy ruling elite.”

Regardless of the real reasons driving the brutal slaughter, In Defense of Animals stands with many other environmental and animal protection groups in opposing it, and will continue to inform the public to generate the appropriate outrage. 

Earlier versions of the deer slaughter proposed flying helicopters over the peaceful tourist enclave so deer sharpshooters could rain down death from above for the innocent deer down below. But this plan was nixed when public outrage over high-decibel aerial gunships turning Catalina’s Blue Lagoon into a bloody Apocalypse Now meets The Deer Hunter.

In Defense of Animals expects the Conservancy to do everything it can to downplay the brutal reality of the extermination campaign, starting with calling it not a kill or a deer extermination—which it is—but a deer “cull” or deer “removal.” In Defense of Animals will challenge this bloodless, Orwellian reframe until the killing stops, hopefully before all the island’s deer are dead.

Contact: Jack Gescheidt, In Defense of Animals, jackg@idausa.org, 415-488-4200 (no texts) Please mention The Silo (dot ca) when contacting.


In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization based in California with over 250,000 supporters and a history of defending animals, the environment and their guardians through education and campaigns as well as hands-on rescue facilities in California, India, South Korea, and rural Mississippi. https://idausa.org/wildanimals

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Poland Signs Fur Ban Law to End Reign as EU’s Largest Producer

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WARSAW, Poland (Dec., 2025) — In a monumental victory for animals and a devastating blow to the global fur trade, Poland has officially enacted a ban on fur farming. The legislation, signed into law by President Karol Nawrocki, marks the end of an era for the European Union’s largest remaining fur producer.

The victory comes after intense international pressure, including a campaign by In Defense of Animals, which rallied supporters to write thousands of letters to President Nawrocki and Marshal of the Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska. While initial reports suggested leadership might block the ban, the overwhelming global outcry helped ensure the measure was signed into law.

The timing of this legislation sends a shockwave through the fashion industry, arriving just days after activists across the U.S. rallied for Fur Free Friday, and as major fashion institutions, including Vogue, increasingly pivot toward coverage of ethical, cruelty-free alternatives.

Anti-fur demonstrators rally outside the Louis Vuitton flagship store in Beverly Hills, California, on Fur Free Friday, Nov. 28, 2025

“This is a watershed moment in the history of animal protection. By dismantling the fur industry in its largest European stronghold, Poland has effectively dealt a devastating blow to the global fur trade,” said Katie Nolan, Wild Animals Campaign Specialist for In Defense of Animals. “Just last week, Americans marched for Fur Free Friday, and today, we see the results of that global momentum. Whether it is the pages of Vogue or the halls of the Polish Parliament, the message is clear: the future of fashion is fur-free.”

Poland’s exit from the industry holds significant weight for the American market. As the European Union’s largest producer, the country’s ban will drastically reduce the volume of animal pelts available to global fashion houses, disrupting the supply chain and accelerating the industry’s decline in the United States and abroad.

Beyond economics, the ban addresses severe public health risks that transcend borders. Polish fur farms have recently been identified as hotspots for COVID-19 and avian influenza, posing a global threat that this legislation helps mitigate. This victory also reinforces the ethical momentum building stateside, aligning with legislation already passed in California and bans in major fashion cities to further isolate the few remaining supporters of the fur trade.

The new law mandates a phase-out of the industry, ending the confinement of millions of mink, foxes, and raccoon dogs. These animals, in particular the semi-aquatic mink, have historically been forced into barren wire cages, denied their natural needs, and subjected to gruesome deaths via gassing or electrocution.

In Defense of Animals celebrates this victory with its supporters and coalition partners who refused to let this ban die in the US Senate.

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Safe Living With Canada’s Urban And Rural Coyotes

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Coyotes are a canine species similar to wolves, found only in North and South America and like other wild animals, sometimes come into conflict with humans.

Since migrating to the province of Ontario from the western side of Canada more than 100 years ago, coyotes have adapted well to urban environments and can now be found in both rural and urban settings. Coyotes are most abundant in southern agricultural Ontario and urban areas and there are ways to prevent and manage conflicts.

Factors That Influence Possibility Of Sightings

Changes in land use, agricultural practices, weather, supplemental feeding and natural food shortages may contribute to more coyote sightings in your community.

Homeowners and renters in areas of potential encounters should take these steps to make sure coyotes aren’t attracted to their homes and to keep their pets safe.

To reduce the potential for coyote encounters, the Ministry of Natural Resources has the following tips for the public.

Do not approach or feed coyotes

  • Coyotes are usually wary of humans and avoid people whenever possible. However, they are wild animals and should not be approached.
  • People should NOT feed coyotes — either intentionally or unintentionally. It makes them less fearful of humans and makes them accustomed to food provided by humans.
  • Aggressive behavior towards people is unusual for coyotes, but people should always exercise caution around wildlife. Secure garbage, compost and other attractants
  • Do not provide food to coyotes and other wildlife. Properly store and maintain garbage containers to help prevent coyotes from becoming a problem.
  • In the fall, pick ripe fruit from fruit trees, remove fallen fruit from the ground and keep bird feeders from overflowing as coyotes eat fruit, nuts and seeds.
  • In the summer, protect vegetable gardens with heavy-duty garden fences or place vegetable plants in a greenhouse. Check with your local nursery to see what deterrent products are available.
  • Place trash bins inside an enclosed structure to discourage the presence of small rodents, which are an important food source for coyotes.
  • Put garbage at curb-side the morning of the scheduled pickup, rather than the night before.
  • Use enclosed composting bins rather than exposed piles. Coyotes are attracted to dog and cat waste as well as products containing meat, milk and eggs.
  • Consider eliminating artificial water sources such as koi ponds.
  • Keep pet food indoors. Use deterrents and fences to keep coyotes away from your home and gardens
  • Use motion-sensitive lighting and/or motion-activated sprinkler systems to make your property less attractive to coyotes and other nocturnal wildlife.
  • Fence your property or yard.  It is recommended the fence be at least six-feet tall with the bottom extending at least six inches below the ground and/or a foot outward, so coyotes cannot dig under the fence.  A roller system can be attached to the top of the fence, preventing animals from gaining the foothold they need to pull themselves up and over the top of a fence.
  • Electric fencing can also help deter coyotes from properties or gardens in some circumstances.
  • Clear away bushes and dense weeds near your home where coyotes may find cover and small animals to feed upon.
  • Close off crawl spaces under porches, decks, and sheds. Coyotes use these areas for denning and raising young.

Keep pets safe

  • Cats and small dogs may be seen as prey by coyotes, while larger dogs may be injured in a confrontation. To avoid these situations consider the following suggestions:
  • Install proper fencing.
  • As coyotes are primarily nocturnal, pets should be kept inside at night.
  • Keep all pets on leashes or confined to a yard.
  • Keep cats indoors and do not allow pets to roam from home.
  • Spay or neuter your dogs. Coyotes are attracted to, and can mate with, domestic dogs that have not been spayed or neutered.

If You Encounter A Coyote

  • Do not turn your back on or run. Back away while remaining calm.
  • Use whistles and personal alarm devices to frighten an approaching or threatening animal.
  • If a coyote poses an immediate threat or danger to public safety, call 911.
  • Never attempt to tame a coyote. Reduce risk of predation on livestock
  • Barns or sheds can provide effective protection from the threat of coyotes preying on livestock.
  • Guard animals, such as donkeys, llamas and dogs, can be a cost-effective way to protect livestock from coyotes. Guard animals will develop a bond with livestock if they are slowly integrated and will aggressively repel predators.
  • For more information on preventing livestock predation and claiming compensation from the government, please visit the Ministry of Agriculture and Food website.

Managing Problem Wildlife

  • Landowners are responsible for managing problem wildlife, including coyotes, on their own property.
  • The Ministry of Natural Resources helps landowners and municipalities deal with problem wildlife by providing fact sheets, appropriate agency referrals, and information on steps they can take to address problems with wildlife.
  • The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act sets out the legal actions property owners can take to deal with problem wildlife. Generally, landowners or their agents may harass, capture or kill problem wildlife to prevent damage to their property.
Earth

California Elk Killing Fence Finally Being Removed

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Monterey, Calif. (Sept, 2024) — After years of campaigning to free Tule elk at Point Reyes National Seashore, In Defense of Animals applauds the California Coastal Commission’s (CCC) speedy approval of America’s National Park Service’s (NPS) proposal to dismantle the deadly, infamous, 8-foot-tall,/ 2.4 m, 2-3-mile/ 3.2-4.8 km long fence confining them.  

Over 475 Elk Died Over A Decade Due To Fence- Many More Suffered With Poor Health

The wire and wooden post barrier fence was built to keep elk in, and away from for-profit beef and dairy ranches which lease land from the public and, in return, pollute the Seashore park and sentence hundreds of elk to starve and die of thirst by restricting the movement of these wild animals in a national park. Over 475 Tule elk died over a decade as a result of the fence, a larger number of these gentle, plant-eating ungulates than is currently still held captive inside the fenced compound, called a “Reserve,” despite its deadly effect on Tule elk.

After years of animals rights and citizen activist demonstrations and pressure, in June 2023 the NPS finally relented and officially reversed its position on a 45-year-old park policy that kept this Tule elk herd confined to the drought-stricken Tomales Point, the northernmost peninsula of the popular San Francisco Bay Area national park unit.  The recent vote, technically speaking, is a CCC concurrence with a “negative determination” assessment of no significant environmental impact caused by removing the 45-year-old fence as part of the new “Tomales Point Area Plan” (TPAP).

This bureaucratic hurdle, much easier to clear than an 8-foot-tall fence, is part of a years-long process that has been underway since June 2023, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The CCC’s approval on Sept. 12 will allow the NPS to continue its process to dismantle the fence, which in turn will allow the elk inside the Reserve to wander south of the fence line, into other, wetter areas of the park’s full 71,000 acres. Their current home, the Reserve, by comparison, is only 2,600 acres.

Their fence-down freedom will, both quickly and over time, improve the health of the herd.

And, significantly, reduce the number of painful, slow elk deaths from thirst and starvation during California’s hot, dry summer and autumn seasons. 

With the fence dismantled, the elk will also be able to mix and mate with elk from the park’s other two herds. The two other herds are less restricted in their movements — although they, and all of the park’s approximately 700 elk, are still affected and negatively impacted by the contiguous, privately-owned, beef and dairy cow ranches. These businesses lease over one-third of Point Reyes from the public — and keep it fenced off to public access too, even though the public owns the land.  

Thousands of beef and dairy cows (who are confined and used themselves) pollute even more of the seashore’s land, water and air every year (and every day) with millions of pounds of manure and methane. 

Activists are delighted that the fence removal process is finally underway. 

Jack Gescheidt, Tule elk consultant for the international animal protection organization, In Defense of Animals, said, “It’s a treat, for once, to not have to testify at a Coastal Commission meeting about how destructive, polluting and cruel some policy or regulation is. We activists want the fence down. The public wants the fence down. The Park Service now wants the fence down. And now the Commission has approved this major improvement to a public park.”

Gescheidt added, “And we hope the NPS [America’s National Park Service CP] follows through with the fence removal before the end of the year. We offer volunteer help with the historic fence-dismantling work!”

In Defense of Animals’ Tule Elk Campaign works tirelessly to not just free the Tule elk at Point Reyes National Seashore, but to also re-wild all 71,000 acres of Point Reyes to wild animals, by finally ousting the private beef and dairy ranches which are this beloved national park’s major source of land degradation, water contamination and air pollution. These businesses were paid millions of dollars for their land in the 1960s, and had agreed to leave by 1987, but have resisted doing so ever since. www.idausa.org/elk 

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization based in California with over 250,000 supporters and a 41-year history of fighting for animals, people, and the environment through education and campaigns as well as hands-on rescue facilities in India, South Korea, and rural Mississippi. www.idausa.org 

Featured image: Bonnie-Jill Laflin at Pt. Reyes Elk Reserve by Jack Gescheidt/Tree Spirit Project.