Tennessee Governor-elect Bill Haslam has asked well-known Monarch butterfly expert Dr. Karen Oberhauser to step in. Dr. Oberhauser is known the world over for studying the migratory habits of the Monarch butterfly, an insect unable to withstand cold climates that migrates to Mexico and Southern California every year.
"The 'Dragon Slayers' seem to behave much like the Monarchs. No one knows what tells them to come to Deals Gap in the summer and no one really knows for sure what reason they have for coming. We only know that they continue to arrive each summer and leave in the late fall with an arm full of t-shirts and stickers," Oberhauser said.
Oberhauser will "tag" around 50 'Slayers' with ankle bracelets typically used to track those on house arrest. Data gathered from the anklets will be used to study the migratory habits of the 'Slayers'.
"While capturing the 'Slayers,' we found some were already wearing the tracking anklets. We are attempting to contact the owners of those tracking anklets at this time. We are still in the stages of compiling data, but preliminary information would suggest the 'Slayers' won't stop coming as yet. We are developing ways to make this environment displeasing to ward them off but this will take quite some time."
"Dragon Slayers" are a non-native species and are considered by some to be invasive or a nuisance. Many non-native species have been brought to the area that have become nuisances; boar, Harmonia axyridis the asian lady beetle and kudzu among others. Like many of these, the introduction of "Dragon Slayers" was intended to help the area.
"A lot like the asian lady beetles, the 'Slayers' have swarmed the area and worn out their welcome," National Forest Service Deputy Chief Joel Holtrop said Friday. "The sound of their 'freedom' is about as peaceful and soothing as a punch in the throat and those that live in these infested areas have enjoyed the solace brought on by the 'Slayer' disappearance."
Dr. Oberhauser says it seems to happen around this time each year. "'Slayers' are not 'core enough to weather the cold winter days at the 'Dragon.' Native species enjoy unclogged access to the road and a general lack of residual stupidity as a result."
"We just need to find a way to make it permanent," Haslam supposes.
Photo caption: Slayers' migration in the summer of 2010. Officials/scientists seek to stop the swarm.
1 comment:
About time for another Article Update dont you think.
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