DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is making changes to its nuisance wildlife regulations, expanding the types of animals that can be killed without a permit.
This only applies to animals considered to be "doing damage or physically present where it could imminently cause damage."
"It was a very upsetting proposal and very unexpected,” Kelley LaBonty with the Detroit Animal Welfare Group said. “Many people in Michigan spoke out about this and were very against this proposal to be passed.”
LaBonty is one of many animal rights advocates upset over the change to Michigan’s wildlife nuisance regulations, which would now allow for animals like possums, squirrels, rabbits and beavers to be trapped and killed without a permit.
“Very, very disheartening to hear. There’s so many answers to nuisance animals and so many solutions,” LaBonty said. “A lot of very easy solutions, and we don't have to kill."
The rules only apply to animals causing damage, or whose presence could cause damage on private property. In a statement, the DNR said:
"The regulation changes that were made will allow landowners to mitigate damage caused by some relatively common wildlife species in some specific situations. The removal of these species in these specific situations (and others) is already occurring under written permit. This will allow these animals to be removed without written permit for situations in which we would typically not deny a written permit. This will allow a landowner to respond more rapidly to emerging issues while also reducing administrative burden. Because these species are already being removed under written permit, and the revised order specifies the situation in which these species can be taken, we do not expect a significant increase in the number of animals taken, or any population-level impacts."
Attorneys for Animals also fought the proposal.
“If we think of it as a population impact, which is how the DNR looks at wildlife management, what we ignore is that fact that those individual animals are going to suffer, and they’re going to suffer a lot,” said Molly Tamulevich, a board member for Attorneys for Animals.
Tamulevich says animals will suffer more since it allows for certain body gripping traps.
“Wildlife nuisance companies may catch and release in a live trap — that may be one thing. But they’re probably not using these conibear body crushing traps,” Tamulevich said.
LaBonty is also a wildlife rehabilitator and worries more animals will be orphaned and hurt. She believes people and animals need to learn to coexist.
“The issue is we're going to have a lot more animals suffering because we have people who are not skilled hunters, we have people who now have any reason to kill an animal and no permit required,” LaBonty said. “Very upsetting and a lot more animals are going to suffer and die.”
