Protecting Washington, 18 Invasive Animals to Watch

I’m an animal lover until I’m not. I’m nice and caring, until they force my hand. To protect myself, my property, and in the case of this article, my community and state of Washington. Some animals are living among us that can do some damage to our ecosystem, and steps need to be taken. We have the list below.

A Startle and Scare Leads to Protecting Washington

It’s weird where inspirations for the topics that I write about come from. This particular article is the brainchild of a nice, relaxing Wednesday afternoon, and an unexpected face attack from an animal!

Egor Kamelev via Unsplash

When I say animal, I mean insect. And when I say face attack, I mean it fell on my face. I don’t know what it was; it landed right under my eye, underneath my glasses, and I attacked and crushed it with the quickness and skill of Conan the Barbarian, crushing his enemies and hearing the lamentations of their women.

Giphy.com

In other words, I smacked myself in the face really hard that I cried (well, teared up). I’m not sure what kind of bug landed on my face, but I knew it didn’t belong in my home, which led to the search for which animals DO NOT belong in our state of Washington.

Discover 18 Invasive Animals Threatening Washington

The awesome and super talented Jaime Skelton must have had the same idea (hopefully without the self inflicted face-smacking that I suffered) and with some help of WISC, has a list of 18 Invasive Animals in the Evergreen State! Check out the list below.

High Priority Invasive Animals in Washington

The Washington Invasive Species Council (WISC) has identified almost two dozen priority animal species that must be identified and eradicated from the state to preserve its ecosystem. Here's the "hit list," starting with species you're most likely to notice as you go about your day.

Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton

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WOW: 19 Exotic-Looking Animals Surprisingly Found in America

While some are native and others arrived by accident, there are animals living quite happily in the U.S. that will make you say, “No way!” From seriously big cats to the pinkest bird you’ve ever seen, here are some of the most exotic creatures calling America home.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

Source: 18 Invasive Animals Threatening Washington’s Ecosystem

Filed Under: washington, Animals

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