Gator lurking in a ditch? Vultures dive-bombing your herd? Thirty to 50 feral hogs got you pinned down?
Arkansas Game and Fish announced this week that they’ve teamed up with the United States Department of Agriculture on a new number to call for help when menacing wildlife threatens.
The hotline, (833) 345-0315, operates 24 hours a day. It should streamline what’s reportedly been an unwieldy process in the past.
“Some species like migratory birds and raptors require federal permits and oversight to deal with, while others like deer are handled at the state level. Then there are some animals, like feral hogs that are handled by multiple agencies,” explained Game and Fish wildlife biologist Bubba Groves.
With this new hotline, the people calling for help won’t have to worry about any of that.
“You just need to call one number and any routing after that is handled on our end of things. If state staff need to handle the issue, we’ll send it to the 24-hour radio room at AGFC to get them to get back in contact with you. If it’s a call our people handle, we’ll route it directly to our field staff and contractors,” USDA state Director Robert Byrd said via a press release.
Don’t be expecting a full team of wildlife experts to come help out on the piddling stuff, though. Raccoons? Rats? You’re still on your own with these, although you can call the hotline for advice.
“We simply don’t have the manpower to cover all of those minor instances where the animal does not pose an immediate threat to people, livestock, crops or property,” Groves said. “But we do have a lot of great information and guidance on our website.”