the 1080 debate rages on.

I found this excellent and thoughtful article on the use of 1080 in New Zealand by Nicola Toki:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/blogs/in-our-nature/8954961/Why-1080-is-a-dirty-word

I dislike the use of this toxic crap as I have remarked previously on this blog.  I don't like that it destroys non-target animal life.  Yes it kills predators, but also their prey.  The very animals we are trying to protect.

"Oh look.  We killed over 1000 possums!"
"Yeah.  You did.  Shame about the last Spotted Kiwi in NZ dying too."

The biggest problem I have with 1080 is that you can never win with it.  Stop dropping the stuff and the predator population springs back.  Much in the same way that myxomatosis initially knocked back rabbits.  Well, they're back.  Not only back, rabbits have flooded back into the areas that were so nearly cleared out.

According to the experts, the only way to stay ahead of the game is to keep pouring 1080 into our native bush.  For ever.

I don't think so.

I was once asked for my solution.  I came up with the idea of genetic modification of the predator species.  What if the predator could be manipulated to only give birth to sterile or male offspring?  Game over, stoat!  Weasel out of that one.

The natural consequence of this sort of population control is that it is species specific and ongoing.  You can imagine the population dropping by massive amounts in just a few years as the population becomes increasingly sterile, male or both.

It's a thought, and one that would find a great deal of public support.  Unlike 1080.

The hidden cost of tourism

Another report is emerging today of a group of three tourists lost in the Kahurangi National park (Golden Bay).

Read about it here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8580880/Tourist-trampers-missing-in-National-Park

Of course the search and rescue operation is going to cost you and I as New Zealand taxpayers.  I'm sick of being asked to fund this sort of search and rescue.

It's time we considered making insurance compulsory for tourists.

This sort of thing happens so regularly that the expense must be significant.  My idea is to insist that travelers to our shores have in place some sort of insurance against being a burden on our Government.

This insurance should cover medical expenses incurred here, search & rescue operations, costs of criminal proceedings against the tourist and anything else that our Government is forced to expend while they remain in NZ.

Travelers who arrive here without any insurance should be given the option - sign up now or leave on the next flight.

Sometimes the Wolf

This is Quality Prince.

Quality Prince was a thoroughbred gelding born on 25 October 1987.  He raced 95 times for 12 wins, 12 seconds and 14 thirds, earning total prize money of $125 000NZ.

I was this horses' owner for the last four years.  The amount of money he won in his career was unimportant to me.  I loved this horse and renamed him Deamo (Latin: I love you).  He taught me to trust horses again and took care of me when we went riding together.  He was always so sweet and accepted my less than perfect seat and my contradictory aids.

Deamo suffered a paddock accident on Friday 22 March 2013.  He fell heavily against a fence post while cantering and fractured his pelvis.  The Vet was called and the diagnosis made.  We were out of options and he was in terrible pain.  We had the Vet euthanise him humanely in his paddock.  He was 25years old.

Our equine dentist, Allan,  once told me...

"In a herd environment, horses that are old, sick and the lame fall behind the rest of the herd.  There they become prey to wolves and other large predators.  This is the natural way horses die in the wild.

We take horses from their natural surroundings and remove the threat of predators.  In doing this we accept that sometimes we have to play the part of the wolf."

Because we loved Deamo, we had to be the wolf last Friday.  He died peacefully in the arms of my partner, with her tears on his neck and her words of love in his ear.

We will both miss this wonderful horse. I couldn't have asked for a better equine friend.