The Role of Wildlife Services 



Wildlife Services (WS), a unit of 

 USDA's Animal and Plant Health 

 Inspection Service (APHIS), 

 assists in solving problems that 

 are created when species of 

 wildlife cause damage to agricul- 

 ture. WS personnel also assist 

 with wildlife problems involving 

 urban or natural resources as well 

 as threats to human health and 

 safety. 



WS is committed to the well-being 

 of the environment and wildlife and 

 acts as a protective buffer between 

 wildlife and people. Failure to 

 provide solutions to wildlife 

 damage sometimes leads angry 

 individuals to take actions that are 

 ecologically and biologically 

 damaging. Professional wildlife 

 biologists and technicians em- 

 ployed by APHIS' WS program can 

 sometimes prevent such unwise 

 reactions. By providing a biologi- 

 cally sound, economically efficient 

 response coupled with education 

 to individuals experiencing 

 damage, WS benefits individuals, 

 the public, wildlife, and the 

 environment. 



WS is a Federal cooperative 

 program that responds to requests 

 by persons and agencies needing 

 help in managing wildlife damage. 

 Its field operations are conducted 

 in accordance with all Federal and 

 State guidelines and in coopera- 

 tion with wildlife management 

 professionals from Federal and/or 

 State agencies. In all instances, 

 WS programs are conducted to 

 ensure no negative impact on 

 wildlife populations. 



Canada goose populations have 

 increased dramatically in recent years, 

 causing damage to real estate — from 

 golf courses to swimming pools. 



WS helps reduce wildlife damage 

 to 



•Agricultural crops — grain, sunflow- 

 ers, vegetables, fruit, and nuts; 



• Livestock— cattle, sheep, goats, 

 swine, horses, and poultry; 



• Commercial forests and forest 

 products; 



• Aquaculture— cultivated trout, 

 catfish, bait fish, and marine 

 shellfish and lobsters; 



• Natural resources — wildlife, 

 wildlife habitat, water quality, and 

 rangelands; 



• Urban and industrial property — 

 private homes, public buildings, 

 airports, golf courses, and reser- 

 voirs; 



• Public health and safety — 

 preventing bird strikes at airports 

 and controlling wildlife-borne 

 diseases; and 



• Threatened or endangered 

 species— such as the whooping 

 crane, California least tern, Aleutian 

 goose, San Joaquin kit fox, and 

 roseate tern. 



