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Government Idle Science

Chicago Using Coyotes To Fight Rodents 222

Brad Block, a supervisor for the Chicago Commission on Animal Care and Control says a coyote recently spotted downtown is part of a program designed to monitor the rodent population. "The animal has the run of the Loop to help deal with rats and mice," He said no one has called today to complain. “He’s not a threat. He’s not going to pick up your children,” Block said. “His job is to deal with all of the nuisance problems, like mice, rats and rabbits.”

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Chicago Using Coyotes To Fight Rodents

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  • Heh... (Score:5, Funny)

    by orphiuchus ( 1146483 ) on Wednesday November 24, 2010 @07:52PM (#34338170)
    I read this and thought they were paying Mexican smugglers to fight rodents for them. Which, ironically, is what we actually do here in AZ.
  • Damn owls (Score:2, Funny)

    by MrQuacker ( 1938262 ) on Wednesday November 24, 2010 @07:52PM (#34338180)
    Finally, the city is taking the problem of Owls seriously.
  • Well... (Score:4, Funny)

    by mark-t ( 151149 ) <markt.nerdflat@com> on Wednesday November 24, 2010 @07:58PM (#34338248) Journal
    We know that coyotes suck at catching roadrunners (or at least one of them does), and roadrunners aren't much bigger than some rodents. Anyone wanna take odds on the rats and mice winning this round as well?
  • Finally... (Score:5, Funny)

    by webbiedave ( 1631473 ) on Wednesday November 24, 2010 @08:04PM (#34338284)
    ... a sensible solution to weed out corrupt Chicago politicians!
  • by Zero__Kelvin ( 151819 ) on Wednesday November 24, 2010 @08:16PM (#34338350) Homepage

    "We know that coyotes suck at catching roadrunners ..."

    I think it is pretty obvious who this will benefit: Anyone smart enough to invest in ACME before it gets acquired by Haliburton.

  • by skirmish666 ( 1287122 ) on Wednesday November 24, 2010 @08:23PM (#34338404)
    .... No, that's the beautiful part. When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death.
  • by Surt ( 22457 ) on Wednesday November 24, 2010 @08:31PM (#34338466) Homepage Journal

    Wolves aren't cute and cuddly, so you don't have to dodge, you can hit them head on guilt-free.

  • by yariv ( 1107831 ) <yariv@yaari.gmail@com> on Wednesday November 24, 2010 @08:46PM (#34338548)
    Lisa: But isn't that a bit short-sighted? What happens when we're overrun by lizards?
    Skinner: No problem. We simply release wave after wave of Chinese needle snakes. They'll wipe out the lizards.
    Lisa: But aren't the snakes even worse?
    Skinner: Yes, but we're prepared for that. We've lined up a fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat.
    Lisa: But then we're stuck with gorillas!
    Skinner: No, that's the beautiful part. When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death.
  • by PolygamousRanchKid ( 1290638 ) on Wednesday November 24, 2010 @08:48PM (#34338562)

    Wouldn't it be nice to tell the public BEFORE you let the coyotes run wild?

    Are you insinuating that Chicago, is in the wild?

    Most folks these days are either depressed or unemployed. Having a coyote bite your leg off, as opposed to a pit bull, is a welcome change from the boring daily grind.

    Most folks would probably not even realize that it was a coyote.

    "I dunno. It kinda sorta looked like a dog. But it did bite me!"

  • by RenHoek ( 101570 ) on Wednesday November 24, 2010 @08:56PM (#34338612) Homepage

    'Look, I can explain,' he said.
              Lord Vetinari lifted an eyebrow with the care of one who, having found
    a piece of caterpillar in his salad, raises the rest of the lettuce.
              'Pray do,' he said, leaning back.
              'We got a bit carried away,' said Moist. 'We were a bit too creative in
    our thinking. We encouraged mongooses to breed in the posting boxes to keep
    down the snakes...'
              Lord Vetinari said nothing.
              'Er... which, admittedly, we introduced into the posting boxes to
    reduce the numbers of toads...'
              Lord Vetinari repeated himself.
              'Er... which, it's true, staff put in the posting boxes to keep down
    the snails...'
              Lord Vetinari remained unvocal.
              'Er... These, I must in fairness point out, got into the boxes of their
    own accord, in order to eat the glue on the stamps,' said Moist, aware that
    he was beginning to burble.
              'Well, at least you were saved the trouble of having to introduce them
    yourselves,' said Lord Vetinari cheerfully. 'As you indicate, this may well
    have been a case where chilly logic should have been replaced by the common
    sense of, perhaps, the average chicken. But that is not the reason I asked
    you to come here today.'
              'If it's about the cabbage-flavoured stamp glue -- ' Moist began.
              Vetinari waved a hand. 'An amusing incident,' he said, 'and I believe
    nobody actually died.'

  • by Darth_brooks ( 180756 ) * <.clipper377. .at. .gmail.com.> on Wednesday November 24, 2010 @10:55PM (#34339180) Homepage

    No it couldn't. Don't be daft.

    It might be able to vote several hundred times in multiple districts & precincts, but unless the Coyote is somehow related to a member of the Daley family (and I'm sure they fall under either the rodent or slimy lizard genus) it would never get elected.

  • by Sulphur ( 1548251 ) on Wednesday November 24, 2010 @11:24PM (#34339254)

    Once I put the trash out late at night. A wild looking dog challenged me for the can.

    I thought "He doesn't know", and marked my territory with apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle. He left.

  • by shadowbearer ( 554144 ) on Thursday November 25, 2010 @01:43AM (#34339908) Homepage Journal

    ... a sensible solution to weed out corrupt Chicago politicians!

      Coyotes... with rocket launchers mounted on their backs.

      I'd vote for that.

    SB

  • by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 25, 2010 @02:52AM (#34340240)

    Umm... I think you are confusing Coyote with Fox.

  • by SharpFang ( 651121 ) on Thursday November 25, 2010 @04:18AM (#34340688) Homepage Journal

    ...until rocket-powered anvils and explosive-loaded pianos start hitting buildings as a collateral damage of coyotes fighting the vermin.

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