European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 28, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 6 the stars and stripes monday august28.1989 furry robot badgers feckless ferrets front Royal a. A a 20 Pound Badger killed on a Wyoming Highway is spending the hereafter stuffed in a fierce pose mounted on wheels and racing hither and Yon trying to scare some sense into Overly Friendly ferrets. He s called robot Badger by his handlers from the smithsonian institution s National zoo who Hope his radio controlled scare tactics will help ferrets reared in Captivity learn to protect themselves from predators when they arc returned to the wild. If Robo Badger s menacing lunges Aren t enough to instill fear zoo conservationists Pelt the puzzled ferrets with rubber bands whose harmless sting usually encourage them to dive into the nearest Hole. Another fear inspiring weapon is stuffed owl with outstretched wings that swoops Down on a hand operated Pulley and string to Buzz the sleek furry ferrets As they scamper Over a dirt Mound. Here in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge zoo that is dedicated to saving endangered wildlife from extinction. Wildlife biologist Brian Miller says his project at the zoo s conservation and research Center is aimed at ensuring the survival of the North american Black footed ferret which he Calls on of the most endangered mammals in the hundreds of thousands of these Fer rets the chief predators of Prairie dogs once lived in the vast arid grasslands of the West from Southern Canada to Northern Mexico. But they fell victim to agricultural development and the Federal government s program to eradicate grass eating Prairie dogs a threat to the livelihood of cattle ranchers. Deprived of their main source of food As Well As shelter in Prairie dog Burrows the ferrets rapidly fell prey to disease and other predators such As great horned owls Golden eagles an badgers. By 1985, Only 10 Black footed ferrets remained All of them in Wyom ing. They were quickly removed to the Mountain Yabui 80 Miles West of Wash safety of Captivity where Breeding Wasington at a former training Camp for . Begun. Today says Miller there arc army cavalry troops scientists Are con ducting predator avoidance training for ferrets at an outpost of the National Black footed ferrets at the Wyom ing game and fish research Center a Sybille Canyon wyo., the Henry door by zoo at Omaha neb., and at front Royal. They were raised in Captivity an they know nothing about predators Miller said. They have never seen a Badger. Will they Duck when they Sec one will they run into a Hole it s one thing to be afraid and another thing to know what to do. We want them to get int that Hole As quickly As possible enter Robo Badger. The Badger was a Road kill found lying alongside a Wyoming Highway. A Miller s request it was hustled into a Freezer and shipped across the country to Washington where smithsonian taxidermist Paul Rhymer transformed it into a Battery operated robot. Stuffed with ears Bent Back and front paws clawing As if chasing prey the Badger was mounted on the Chassis of Atoy truck with miniature tractor wheels and a tiny red tipped Antenna for receiving radioed Stop and go and directional commands. Miller is experimenting first with 50siberian polecats the More populous first cousins of Black footed ferret from soviet Asia which were bred from Stock imported from the Moscow zoo. In the first couple months of testing the siberian ferrets seem mostly curious about Robo Badger but More frightened by the swooping he has determined what ferrets know instinctively from their genetic memory about self Protection feed ing digging into Burrows and other necessities in the wild. Miller will know what training in Captivity is required to prepare the Black footed variety for its return to the the Black footed ferrets make a comeback there he said other species of Plant and animal life Birds in sects Small mammals and shrubs May also flourish and help restore what was once a Rich Oasis of diversity inthe ecosystem of Prairie dog comm in collaboration with the . Fish and wildlife service Wyom ing game and fish officials and experts at North Carolina slate University Miller Hopes to give the ferrets their Freedom in Wyoming s adjacent to Yellowstone Park sometime in 1991, if the current population of 57 adults has grown to 200 by be had a pretty hard time he said. They deserve the Best shot we can give lutherans Call for Stern measures to Battle harassment of women Rosemont Iii. A the evangelical lutheran Church in America lashed out saturday at widespread sexual harassment of women and called on congregations to make sure their churches Are free of such mis Ricat Mcnol. At one Point at the Church s governing Assembly women who had experienced harassment were asked to stand and about 40 of approximately 300 women among 1,000 delegates did so. The Rev. Judith Gorlitz of new York City said thai police pedal Power Seattle police officer Paul Grady traded horse Power for pedal Power when he became one of the first policemen to do his patrol on bicycle. Instead of climbing in a squad car Grady jumps on his Bike and hits the streets of the downtown decked out in Bis helmet and aviator glasses. While sexual harassment and abuse have spread in the country the Church has done Little about some denominations have done surveys that found the problem was extensive even among Church person Nel. They have initiated . The Assem Bly in Rosemont added its Stern voice on the matter. The Church will not tolerate any forms of sexual abuse or harassment by any of its the As Sembly declared and pledged to move firmly against such abuses to make our Church a Safe activists profess abortion policies by the associated press More than 180 anti abortion demonstrators we rearrested saturday during protests in Kansas Missouri and new Jersey while 400 people marched six Miles i Atlantic City to demand that politicians support Abor Tion rights. In new Jersey 137 anti abortion advocates were arrested in a demonstration that forced the temporary closing of a Cherry Hill abortion clinic. Police in co Lumbia mo., arrested 44 anti abortion demonstrator who blocked the doors to a planned parenthood clinic for nearly four hours saturday. On the opposite Side of the Issue 400 pro Choice demonstrators turned out for a six mile walk a who along the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The event was sponsored by the National organization for women and now new Jersey to raise Money for the stale chapter s political action committee. National now president Molly Yard said the March in new Jersey helped identify candidates for Testate legislature who support the right to an abortion and would get the word to voters. Referring to the supreme court s decision this summer giving states the right to regulate abortion. Yard said american women Are very mad about what happened and they re not going to take it any about 200 anti abortion advocates protested out Side the Cherry Hill women s Center Early saturday morning. Those arrested were charged with defiant trespassing for blocking the centers entrances said police sgt. Edward Morton. At the Columbia mo., clinic police charged the operation Rescue members most Frem the Kansas City area with trespassing and released them on their own recognizance. Stateside . Panel to choose attorney general nominees Charleston . A gov. Caslon Ca Pirlon has named a five member panel and Given it a week to select five nominees to replace the state attorney general who resigned to halt a grand jury investigation of him. He said he would choose from tji Cir list a replace ment for Charlie Brown who resigned last week in Exchange for the slopping of a probe into whether he lied under oath in a child support hearing. Caperton said at a news conference he would name the new attorney general sept.-5.the panel members Are . District court judges Charles Hadyn and Robert Maxwell state supreme court chief Justice . Brotherton or. James Mccallum president of the West Virginia state bar and Donald Gifford Dean of the West Virginia University College of Law. Caperton said his office has received 100 inquiries from people interested in the $50,400-a-year Job. Public donations save California school for deaf Berkeley. Calif. A a Small non profit school for deaf infants that closed because of a funding deficit will reopen this fall because of Public Dona the last week the Center for the education or the infant deaf has raised $7,600. While the Grandfather fan infant at the school decided to match the first $10,000 in donations. The school also has received a unsecured line of credit from a Bank. Because of the Money we be gotten we can at least break even this year said Charlene Zaleski president of the Cei d s Board of the directors. The Center teaches deaf babies to communicate through sign language hearing aids and by working with relatives., directors had voted to close the school because its attempt to raise Money to replace a $60,000 state Gran brought in barely $2,000, despite an Appeal from facade my award winning actress Martic Malm who is deaf. The school needed at least $25,000 to keep going directors said. Vow elects commander from the korean War Las vegas a a decorated army infantry squad Leader who served in the korean War has been elected commander of the veterans of foreign Hogan of Greenfield wis., replaces Viet Nam War Veteran Larry w. Rivers As head of the 2.1million-member veterans organization
