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Wildlife Services

Wildlife Services is the program intended to provide Federal resources to resolve wildlife interactions that threaten public health and safety, as well as agricultural, property, and natural resources. The program is part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Not to be confused with United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Agency overview

1895

  • Animal Damage Control
    (in APHIS and FWS)

2,004 (FY10)

US$121 million (FY10): 47.8% federal, 52.2% cooperator-provided

  • Gregory Parham, Administrator of APHIS
  • Janet L. Bucknall, Deputy Administrator for Wildlife Services

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

Wildlife Services is tasked with protecting those resources from damage or threats posed by wildlife. It works in every state to conduct a program of integrated wildlife damage management in response to local requests. Wildlife damage management is a specialized field within the wildlife management profession.

Criticism[edit]

Wildlife Services has been the subject of widespread criticism on the part of conservation and wildlife protection organizations such as Defenders of Wildlife,[8] Center for Biological Diversity,[9] Predator Defense,[10] the Natural Resources Defense Council,[11] and others. These groups argue that Wildlife Services is not justified in killing millions of predators and other animals each year given the lack of evidence that these animals pose a threat to the public.[12] Furthermore, the groups claim that this killing is conducted on behalf of the livestock industry rather than public safety and has resulted in the imperilment and near-extinction of dozens of species.[13]


A 2014 article in The Washington Post[14] detailed Wildlife Services' extermination of 4 million animals in 2013, many of which were killed en masse. Amy Atwood, of the Center for Biological Diversity, was quoted in the article describing Wildlife Services' work as “a staggering killing campaign, bankrolled by taxpayers.”[14] In fiscal year 2014, 2.7 million animals were reported as killed by Wildlife Services.[15]


Wildlife Services has also received criticism for its use of the M44 cyanide device for killing coyotes/fox and other Canids, as several incidents have occurred with family pets being killed.[16] A 2020 article in The Guardian described how Wildlife Services deploys cyanide "bombs" to kill wildlife. In 2017, fourteen year-old Canyon Mansfield was seriously injured and his dog killed by one such bomb.[17]

Programs[edit]

The Wildlife Services Operational Program provides wildlife damage management assistance to the public, and is administered through two Regional Offices (Fort Collins, Colorado, and Raleigh, North Carolina) as well as state and district offices in the 50 states, District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. Program wildlife biologists provide technical advice and direct management assistance to individuals with problems related to wildlife. The public may access Wildlife Services assistance by calling 1-800/4USDA-WS (1-866-487-3297).


The Airport Wildlife Hazards Program provides leadership in addressing the conditions that contribute to aircraft-wildlife strikes throughout the country. It works with the civil and military aviation community, specifically airports, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to minimize wildlife strikes to aircraft and protect public safety.


The National Environmental Program ensures that program activities comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to evaluate environmental impacts within their decision-making processes. It ensures that environmental information is available to public officials and citizens before making decisions and taking actions. To fulfill this responsibility, Wildlife Services prepares analyses of the environmental effects of program activities.


The National Rabies Management Program, a multi-agency cooperative program led by Wildlife Services, implements a coordinated program to contain and eventually manage rabies in wildlife. With partners, the program conducts rabies control efforts in 25 states, including distributing oral rabies vaccination (ORV) or conducting enhanced wildlife rabies surveillance. The focus is on specific rabies virus strains in raccoons, coyotes, gray foxes, and feral dogs. It works closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Canadian and Mexican partners through the North American Rabies Management Plan.


The National Wildlife Disease Program safeguards agricultural trade by conducting surveillance activities in all 50 states in partnership with other organizations and promotes development of wildlife disease monitoring programs worldwide. Its Surveillance and Emergency Response System is the country’s only comprehensive, nationally coordinated system with the capability of addressing diseases in wildlife. Its wildlife disease biologists can mobilize and arrive on-site within 48 hours of a request. The program represents APHIS’ first line of defense against wildlife diseases that can move to humans and livestock.


The National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) is devoted to resolving problems caused by the interaction of wild animals and society. NWRC applies scientific expertise to develop practical methods to resolve these problems and to maintain the quality of environments shared with wildlife. It evaluates damage situations and develops methods and tools to reduce or eliminate damage and resolve land-use conflicts. NWRC scientists study birds, mammalian predators, rodents, and other wildlife that cause serious, but localized, damage problems. It conducts studies to ensure that the methods developed are biologically sound, effective, safe, economical, and socially responsible. NWRC scientists produce the appropriate methods, technology, and materials for reducing animal damage. Through the publication of results and the exchange of technical information, NWRC provides valuable data and expertise to the public and the scientific community, as well as to APHIS's Wildlife Services program.

Endangered Species Act

Migratory Bird Treaty Act

US Fish and Wildlife Service

(FAA)

Federal Aviation Administration

(NTSB)

National Transportation Safety Board

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Wildlife Society

Predator Defense Website “The USDA’s War on Wildlife”

Official web site of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services (WS)