The municipality of Santa Monica in Los Angeles County is the setting for the latest chapter in the endless war between, on one hand, the need to control animal pests, and on the other, the pestiferous legions of animal-rights activists.The municipality of Santa Monica in Los Angeles County is the setting for the latest chapter in the endless war between, on one hand, the need to control animal pests, and on the other, the pestiferous pes·tif·er·ous adj. 1. Producing or breeding infectious disease. 2. Infected with or contaminated by an epidemic disease. legions of animal-rights activists. The pests in this case--the animal pests, that is--are squirrels, cute enough to look at, but potential carriers of, amongst other hazards, rabies and bubonic plague bubonic plague: see plague. bubonic plague ravages Oran, Algeria, where Dr. Rieux perseveres in his humanitarian endeavors. [Fr. Lit.: The Plague] See : Disease . The squirrels of Santa Monica have been reproducing themselves at an unacceptable rate. City fathers have come up with a plan to inject the little nuisances---that is, the squirrels, again--with an immuno-contraceptive vaccine that will limit their sexual growth. Female squirrels will no longer ovulate o·vu·late v. To produce ova; discharge eggs from the ovary. ovulate see ovulation. ; males will no longer develop testes testes or testicles Male reproductive organs (see reproductive system). Humans have two oval-shaped testes 1.5–2 in. (4–5 cm) long that produce sperm and androgens (mainly testosterone), contained in a sac (scrotum) behind the penis. . The animal-rights folk are of course outraged. In a way, we grudgingly see their point. After all, what would a squirrel be without his nuts? |
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