Victoria, British Columbia, among many positive attributes, is also called the City of Gardens, nestled at the Southern End of Vancouver Island. Mediterranean climate. Who doesn’t like Victoria Capital Regional District with all municipalities attached to this section of southern Vancouver Island. Which is also very popular for a large number of retirees, because of the climate and because – also due to the climate – the vegetation and the gardens. From way uphill Mount Douglas looking down, one can almost not see houses, so much green and trees.
Urban wildlife also enjoy all that greenery. Well, even the rats like this city. There are those critters who are pleasant to look at, such as the deer – apparently not enough wild cats/cougars to come that close to urban areas – and there are those that are universally despised by people – like rats, to be more specific the ‘Norway Rat’, although originally from Northern China, but not really native to Victoria. [ http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=dcc7cc9b-be86-4c61-8f24-c32f3edd1bc4 ]. Hence, a reference to Victoria also includes the name ‘Canada’s Rat Capital’. Nasty stuff ! Rats in backyards. Wouldn’t it be nice if more owners would clean up their back gardens and cut down too high shrubbery ? And sort out and get rid of junk in and around their houses ?
Coming to the deer – many residents don’t mind them, many also like to look at deer, others have a problem with deer: “they eat into their precious gardens, they are a road hazard leading to accidents.”
All of which is understandable and true. Deer culls have been done this year in one of the adjacent areas to downtown Victoria Oak Bay. [ http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/news/deer-cull-oak-bay/ ]. Not much liked especially by the BC SPCA. Was it effective enough ? for whom ? and for what ? Apparently, not. How about a universal ‘rat cull’.