NEWS & OBSERVER (Raleigh, N Carolina) 15 September 08 Town rift forces choice between turtles and foxes (Kevin Maurer)
Caswell Beach (AP): Barbara Domen moved to Caswell Beach eight years ago because she liked that the island was underdeveloped and the wildlife was abundant.
She likes seeing turtles, alligators and the many squirrels and other animals when she walks or plays golf on the island.
"I find it peaceful. We are used to living with nature here," said Domen, a retired teacher from Michigan.
But now, that wildlife is under attack.
An effort to protect the sea turtles that nest on the state's barrier islands has turned into a bitter feud in the small town of Caswell Beach, where a faction of pro-turtle volunteers want to trap and kill foxes that sometimes dig up the turtle nests.
The nesting season starts in mid-May and lasts until October. Out of a thousand hatchlings, only about one, on average, will survive to become an adult, according to Caswell Beach Turtle Watch, a private, nonprofit program that protects the sea turtles that lay eggs on the beach. The turtles are federally protected species.
So far this year, foxes have eaten 2,300 eggs, or close to 30 percent of eggs laid on the beach, said Lynda Smith, one of the leaders of Turtle Watch. The foxes dig underneath the wire cages the volunteers place around the turtle's nests.
Smith has tried several methods, including burying barbed wire on the bottom of the cages and spreading urine near the nests, but nothing stopped the foxes.
North Carolina state law prohibits moving the foxes. Even if the group could move them, Smith said, no one wants them.
"They are a problem all over the state," she said.
While residents support the turtles, most oppose trapping foxes. They are concerned about killing one animal to protect another.
"Who are we to say that one species should live and one should die? It's barbaric," said Toby Bronstein, a homeowner and fox supporter.
Bronstein and Domen said the traps pose a safety risk to children and dogs. They also fear it will upset the island's natural balance.
The foxes do not have any natural predators. They were brought to the state by the British to hunt over a hundred years ago. Bronstein argued that removing the foxes will only increase the number of rats, squirrels and rabbits that foxes feed on.
Josh Biesecker, a senior wildlife specialist with the Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services division in Raleigh, said the trap won't upset the island's ecosystem.
"We are trying to give a balance to that system. What we are trying to do is give those sea turtles a fighting chance," Biesecker said.
He said only foxes that are causing problems on the beach would be trapped, but Bronstein isn't convinced that it will stop there.
"What do we say when the turtle folks say they want to kill birds or raccoons?" Bronstein said.
Smith said that was ridiculous. She said the group wants to set traps on five acres of town land across from the Oak Island lighthouse.
"We want to control the population on the beach. They come out of the dunes and end up digging up the nests," Smith said.
The issue is causing a rift, forcing the 400 residents to take sides. Jim Carter, the town administrator, said most of the calls coming into his office support the foxes.
"I've had one or two call in support of the turtles," Carter said.
Caswell Beach Town Council held a meeting last week to consider allowing the group to trap on town property, but the council didn't make a decision. Commissioner Frank Bausch is going to vote against killing foxes.
"I have all the sympathy in the world for the turtle people. Have you ever seen a turtle hatch? It is sort of magical," Bausch said. "We are not here to adjudicate between foxes and turtles."
Commissioner Butch Shirkey supports trapping the foxes.
"The turtle people are trying to protect as many turtles as they can," Butch said. "You have foxes in every county in North Carolina, and you don't have turtles."
Town rift forces choice between turtles and foxes