CHAPTER THIRTY-OXE 



HOW TO BRING THE WILD CREATURES BACK AGAIN 



Ix the preceding chapters we have learned something of 

 the destructive warfare that men have carried on against 

 wild creatures. We have learned that some species are 

 already extinct and that many others have been so reduced 

 in numbers that they are threatened with the same fate. 



Nothing that we can do will bring back those that are 

 gone, but we can save those that are left. Throughout 

 our own coimtr}- as well as many foreign coimtries, people 

 are waking up to the necessity of protecting wild life. 

 Thousands of men and women are spending their time and 

 money trying to save birds and other animals. Among the 

 things they are doing is the establishing of refuges and game 

 preser\'es, working for better laws, and teaching boys and 

 girls to be careful of life and not wantonly to destroy it. 



The most important thing that we can do to bring wild 

 creatures back again is to let them alone. Man is their 

 worst enemy, and, if he can be kept from himting, nearly 

 all wiU be able to take care of themselves and increase in 

 numbers. We can help Xatiure by suppljing them with 

 food when it is scarce and by protecting them from a few 

 predator%- animals and birds. The worst of these are the 

 cougar or moimtain lion, wild cat. Uttx, wolves, and coyotes ; 

 the blue jay, butcher bird, and several of the hawks and 

 owls. The cougar is the worst of all, for it has been ^ti- 

 mated that one of these animals kills on the average fifty 

 deer a year. Many of the states offer boimties for the kill- 

 ing of the mountain lion and cojote. 



Ordinarily birds are able to secure their own food ; but 



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