An increase in fox activity and the ever-present problem of feral cats in Iola has led one City Council member to seek discussion about options to better utilize the city’s Animal Control services.
Steve French, Iola, said there has been a problem with foxes, groundhogs and coyotes, particularly on the north and south sides of town.
“I don’t want people to think I’m naive that we don’t have wild animals,” French said. Animals migrating through the area are normal, but he’s more concerned with the ones that are “staying and inhabiting the area permanently.”
French said that several elderly women in his neighborhood have groundhogs living under their houses. At first it was just one, and then it was killed by a car, but apparently it had babies before it died.
French further encountered problems when he contacted Animal Control to remove the first groundhog. Currently, Animal Control, which is run by Code Enforcements, only captures loose dogs and animals that appear to be sick or may otherwise be dangerous. Feral cats and other nuisance animals are left up to citizens to take care of. Animal Control provides humane traps to the homeowner, who is expected to capture the animal and release it outside of town, then return the trap.
Shonda Jefferis, code enforcement officer, explained they only have a part-time staff member dedicated to catching animals. Additionally, they have no weapons, so if the animal in question seems dangerous, they have to call upon the police department to assist.
“This spring and summer we’ve had a lot of calls from concerned people about the foxes,” Jefferis said. “There’s just not a lot we can do about it. I think the fox population has taken off in recent years.”
When French went to get a trap, they only had two available, both of which were too small for the groundhog to fit in. Animal Control has a total of six traps of varying sizes, but quite often only has one or two on hand because the others are checked out. Additionally, French said the average person doesn’t know anything about catching and releasing wild animals.
“I’m not a trapper. I don’t know anything about it,” he said.
He was also concerned with the danger of average, untrained people interacting with wild animals, whether they were considered dangerous or not.
“If you startle a wild animal, they’re prone to protect themselves” and their babies, he said.
Jefferis said foxes normally leave dogs and cats alone. They have created a fact sheet to educate the public about them. She also said people should exercise caution when trying to capture them. Leg traps are not permitted in town, as they pose a danger to pets and small children. Firearms are also not allowed to use on foxes or other animals in town. She couldn’t remember the policy on poison offhand, but advised against it because it also poses a risk to pets and children.
French brought up the issues regarding wild and feral animals at the City Council meeting on Monday and asked that it be added to the agenda for the next meeting on June 23. He hopes they can come up with solutions, such as finding a grant to spay and neuter feral cats to control the population, increasing the number of traps and finding a better location to move wild animals to. French said it would be a good idea for Iolans to come to the meeting to contribute to the discussion.
The meeting will be at 6 p.m., June 23 at the New Community Building in Riverside Park. For those unable to attend, or who wish to speak to French beforehand or ask questions, he can be reached at 620-365-6051 or 620-228-2887.
