Alaska doesn’t count cattle as a native species However, on the remote Chirikof Island, in the Kodiak Archipelago, feral cattle dominate the rugged landscape.
It’s tough in the wild for an un-managed herd of around 2000 cows, and some have wondered if the island, that is being trampled by hooves, and located within the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge is better left to seabirds that could need more habitat.
One of them one of them is Hakai Magazine writer and editor Jude Isabella, who wrote about “The The Republic of the cows” within a recently published piece. Afraid to be closed-minded, Isabella traveled the Chirikof in the summer of last year to experience the cows in person.
Listen:
The transcript that follows has been edited lightly for clarity.
Jude Isabella: I’m afraid of large herbivores. Horses, bulls, and cows as well as Llamas. They’re all a somewhat frightening and unpredictably. When I venture out I’m located in British Columbia, and I’m scared of grizzly bears as well as black bears, cougars and all that. Chirikof is one of my favorite places. Chirikof the first time we look at the cattle, we can notice this bull that is always moving closer to us. And the size of him is quite impressive. Then you look around and there’s a herd of cattle running towards me, and I’m thinking they’re rushing towards us. You know, they’re very loud. At the point where it wasn’t all that close, despite my heart racing, they’ll turn 90 degrees, then go away, then the bull follows them. Then, naturally, you think, “Well, that wasn’t too bad, was it?” I guess not. However it was funny because people had said that, if they knew I was there that some people carry guns, as they are very agressive. We also brought pepper spray. It was true that I had it in my bag and was prepared to utilize it. But, it wasn’t needed. We did not.
Casey Grove: That’s quite interesting. It makes people feel better about having it, however, I’m sure. Maybe we should look back and ask: How did the cows arrive at Chirikof Island to begin with?
Jude Isabella: It’s not easy to pinpoint the exact date and the exact time they arrived. It’s likely that it was the Russians have brought them. They were attempting to create colonies. It is likely that about 200 years ago, they introduced these species, but when they began to leave in 1867 after the U.S. bought Alaska from the Russians and then the Americans sort of took over this introduced species.
Casey GroveBut I think, you know in the period following the Russians leaving the cows in that area it was at most one attempt of control the herd. It didn’t succeed. They’ve basically been roaming around in the wild. What’s the reason they’ve been allowed to remain? In other words, is it that people believe they’re still valuable? It’s too big of a problem to actually do anything about it? What’s that?
Jude Isabella: At the moment, I think there is less controversy than it was when it first started twenty years ago. I believe people are beginning to realize that a wild herd of cattle isn’t an enviable herd with a lot of bulls. If you’ve got one bull, you’re aware that he’ll start to inseminate all the cows in the vicinity isn’t he? There’s no need for more than one bull, and when you do own several bulls it’s a sexy cattle society particularly for cows, and especially those who are young. They’re domesticated animals, therefore they’re handled by humans.
They also have to decide the way they feel in winter or how miserable it is and the amount they consume. The island was filled with cow bones everywhere. It was a lot of tibias and Femurs, scapulars and teeth, skulls, horns, and even a thigh. You know there were many bones. I’m not certain I’ve ever observed that numerous bones in one location. Therefore, I’m sure the Alaskans I spoke to sort of knew this. However, as to why they’re still there, I believe it is a matter of the time when Alaska Maritime (National Wildlife Refuge) first became a reality around the year 1980, and they held public consultations. When it came down to cattle, the people were a bit emotional. So, in part I think it all comes from the reality that they didn’t like that top-down edict or which they perceived as a top-down order, but it was not one. I believe that cattle ranching has a romantic element about it, and it’s left a legacy. The people who have the most influence on this legacy more.
Casey Grove: You made the point in the story too that for seabirds, don’t even have them at the bird feeders, it’s like a case of people not seeing them and being aware of their suffering. Then, here’s an island which is being destroyed by cows are grazing on grass that, if it was slightly higher, it’d provide a more suitable for birds to nest in would it not?
Jude Isabella: Absolutely, yes, exactly. Therefore, I didn’t enter that thinking “Wow it seems like cattle is receiving free passes.” It truly was a natural kind of consequence from being there, conducting research, and speaking to everyone. The first ornithologist I spoke to was thinking of seabirds, birds as well as shorebirds and seabirds more generally. A single island like Chirikof doesn’t have to determine the fate of a species however, it’s death by thousands of cuts. This is what’s happening to shorebirds and seabirds all over the globe. We aren’t seeing this vast expanse. As we can see on a map, however we’re talking, you know talking about hundreds of miles. It’s hard to imagine us taking a bite out of that in a broad way, isn’t it? It’s a bit difficult. People think that over the past 200 years, the number of seabirds has decreased by 90%. With the space they’ve got left, why would they give the space to a different animal such as a domesticated animal with absolutely no need?
