They May Be Creating A Problem 

     In Florida, wildlife officials have asked people to refrain from painting the White Ibises. (That’s a bird, in case you didn’t know, and why should you.) And they go on to explain that White Ibises are protected. Okay, that’s all good. 
     What brought this on? Well, let’s back up a little. In the same state there was recently a request that people not paint the shells of turtles and tortoises. Another good idea, although for all we know turtles and tortoises may be lining up to have their shells ‘done.’ Now it’s okay for us to get our shells (skin) painted; ergo, tattoo and beauty parlors--but our poor shelled amphibian friends have to go without. To me it seems like discrimination of the worst kind. And from this article it seems this hubbub was started by one, that’s right, one painted turtle. 
     Now where did the Florida officials get the idea that the painting of their feathered wildlife had become a state pastime? Well, somebody posted a picture on Facebook, that’s right, good old Facebook, of an ibis that had been painted orange. Now we know that no one on Facebook would perpetrate a practical joke by painting a stuffed ibis, or a dead ibis, or a realistic looking ibis toy, and try to make viewers believe that they had actually painted a live White Ibis. That wouldn’t happen, right? 
     So we have another appeal made to the public to refrain from painting White Ibises based on maybe one painted ibis? Evidently the Florida wildlife people have a lot of spare time. 
     Now we all know that there is a certain segment of the population who reading these requests will immediately say, “Wow, I’d never thought of that, what a keen idea,” and rush out and hunt down a turtle or an ibis and paint the poor thing. Some people are just like that. No one I know, but they’re out there-- believe me.