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| Hey let's put a sign around their necks, too! |
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| The Stupid Tree |
The stupidnificent story of Magpies on Jeju is that they first reached our fair isle from mainland Korea in 1989. They didn't get to Jeju by natural range expansion, rather they were imported by some bright sparks in the tourism industry. The idea was that the iconic mainland birds would look 'pretty' on Jeju. Of course, the few Magpies they imported stopped posing for pictures long enough to breed prodigiously, and spread across Jeju in a hurry. The hardy and intelligent Magpies, technically an 'invasive alien species' on Jeju, became a perceived 'agricultural harm' for Jeju farmers. I'm not sure how true that is. I do know that as of right now, Jeju's farmers and hunters are allowed to kill 5,000 a year (according to my Korean birding buddy).
Ha. Maybe they could import some Harpy Eagles to tackle the Magpie madness. Then, when the eagles get out of hand and start mauling shrieking toddlers with their large talons, Jeju could import disgruntled Spider Monkeys with slingshots to keep the eagles in check. If those Spider Monkeys decide to get crazy, the next logical step is of course to import Cane Toads, Zebra Mussels, Walking Catfish, Dutch Elm Disease, Oompa-Loompas, and Fire Ants. Teach those damn Spider Monkeys a lesson in pain.
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