Wildlife On The Run

With the rising Mississippi River the wildlife is fleeing the wilderness to escape the flooding.

The National Weather Service has lowered the predicted crest to 50.5 feet, but flooding has already caused wild hogs, white-tailed deer and other fur-bearing animals to be misplaced from their natural habitats, which has led them to immigrate to the city limits and other areas.

The MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks issued a press release on January 4 reminding residents that the mainline levee from Vicksburg to Tunica is closed as a result of the flooding.  It will be patrolling the levee for public safety and to protect wildlife resources.

Wild hogs do serve as a cause for concern to weakened or damaged levees and the MDWFP has taken action to prevent further damage.  "It's always a concern that hogs will cause damage to levees," Chad Dacus said on behalf of the MDWFT.  "The water boards are monitoring situations."

While it is normal for hunters to shoot wild hogs on sight, it is strongly discouraged at this time.  The only types of animals excluded from the closing of wildlife hunting are waterfowl such as ducks and geese.

"If they're hunting in that area they will be hunting in a closed season and will be cited for hunting in a closed season," Dacus said.

MDWFP will not be trapping any misplaced animals.

Dacus said animals in the MS Delta deal with floods on a regular basis, and when they do get misplaced, they tend to gather food and find shelter.

"The deer and other animals that are being displaced by the water, typically they're not going to travel great distances," Dacus said.  "They'll go find food and shelter until the water recedes and return to where they came from."

For more information, residents can visit www.mdwfp.com or call the department at 601-432-2199 for updates on any closures of its management system and the MS River.
Courtesy of The Vicksburg Post