Girl saves woodpecker, but her mom fined $535

[XanaDUer]

(CBS News) While at her father's house near Fredricksburg, Va., on June 13, 11-year old Skylar Capo rescued a baby woodpecker from being eaten by her cat.
An avid animal-rescuer, Skylar was excited when her mom, Alison, agreed that she could nurse the bird back to health.

Alison told CBS News, "She was just going to take care of it for a day or two and let it go."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/04/earlyshow/main20088063.shtml?tag=re1.channel

What happened to the baby bird? :shrug:

[MADem]

1. I think she let it go....and the authorities cancelled the ticket/fine.

The whole dustup was the result of an overzealous official who happened to be in Lowe's when the family stopped in on an errand. The little girl took the bird with her because she didn't want to leave it in a parked, hot car.

[XanaDUer]

2. I hope it lived

nt.

[MADem]

3. I think the cat didn't puncture it, at least not badly.

It looked pretty intact in the pics I saw.

[Cool Logic]

4. "...a woman confronted them, saying she was from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service."

I'm with the government, I'm here to "help" you...by ensuring no good deed goes unpunished.

[XanaDUer]

5. Well, if that happened, I'm sure she was worried about the bird

since there are people who take wild animals and make pets out of them. It probably could have been handled a bit more delicately.

[Cool Logic]

7. Forgive me, but if we've got federal agents confronting little girls shopping in Lowe's

with her mother and a woodpecker, we have let arm of the fedgov grow waaaaay too long.

This is nuts! And to add injury to insult, they fined her $535!

If the Federal Migratory Bird Act authorizes this type of action, it either needs to be modified or repealed.

[MADem]

11. The fine was retracted. It was issued 'in error.' It has all sorted itself out.

At least the federal agent recognized the bird for what it was--we know that wasn't a patronage appointment.

[Cool Logic]

20. I doesn't make be feel any better that the agent recognized the bird...

A childhood experience should not include being treated like a criminal by the fedgov under any circumstances.

If something lands in my back yard, it should no longer be a matter of federal jurisdiction. For that domain is under my jurisdiction.

[REP]

14. It doesnt matter if it's a 'little girl' or anyone else violating the FMBA - it needs to be enforced

In this case, there was no violation, and the fine was withdrawn and an apology issued. Violations cannot be overlooked just because the animal is being held by a child, though; and officers should cite violations where ever they see them (even wildlife officers go to hardware stores).

[PavePusher]

15. Ooooo, the binary world....

It does remove the need to think rationally and use judgement, I'll give you that.

[REP]

16. I think you posted in the wrong place

HTH HAND

[Cool Logic]

18. No, it does not need to enforced... it needs be neutered. We've got Eric Holder

looking for medical marijuana growing in People's back yards. Now I have to worry about the feds hauling me in, if a goddamn bird crashes in my back yard.

That is lunacy...that is reaching too far into a family's personal life! This woodpecker came to be in this girl's hands as a result of nature. Nature happens. It was lucky break for the bird and a childhood experience for a little girl.

It find it troubling that you accept this infringement on her civil liberties as a matter-of-fact. I have no doubts that you also support (H.R. 1981) The Protecting Children from Internet Pornographers Act of 2011.

This legislation will keep the names, addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers and temporarily-assigned IP addresses of everyone on the Internet on file for a full year. Regrettably, fewer and fewer people value their civil liberties.

All you have to do is tell them that you are doing it to save the children and the animals. :puke:

[Cool Logic]

6. .

[Shagbark Hickory]

8. Not a fan of woodpeckers.

[Withywindle]

17. Why not? n/t

[Shagbark Hickory]

21. They've caused around a thousand dollars of damage to my deck and fence

and they also destroy young trees.

Every spring another one pops up and they start hammering real early in the morning right outside the bedroom window.

[TwilightGardener]

19. Do they pal around with bears?

[Shagbark Hickory]

22. See #21 nm

[Pithlet]

9. The fine was a mistake, and it was canceled. n/t

[struggle4progress]

10. "... the agency apologized ..."

so let's all be outraged

[MADem]

12. +1 nt

[XanaDUer]

23. I'm not "outraged"

What are you talking about?

[REP]

13. I say: good for the kid, and good for the Wildlife officer ... I see a lot of good news here

The kid did the right thing by rescuing the bird. The Wildlife officer did her job, making sure wildlife wasn't being taken as pets (or worse). The ticket was rescinded, and the kid keeps her great attitude about helping animals, even if it does risk a fine. Best of all, sounds like the bird survived!