The Iraqi Ministry of Wildlife and Ecology issued a "call for urgent action" today, warning of impending ecological disaster if the spread of an animal native to the southwestern United States is not halted.
As a result of runaway pets, occupation troops have accidentally introduced the jackalope, a strange rodent with vestigial growths on its head resembling antlers and hindquarters resembling those of a wolf, into the wild in Iraq. The animal, native to North America, is a genetic cousin of the Southwestern Jackrabbit, and thrives in arid surroundings, naturally ranging from southern Idaho to central Mexico.
In Iraq, the feral jackalopes have been breeding furiously, and with no natural predators are overbalancing the already damaged ecosystem with their relentless consumption of fresh greens and protein sources such as insects and birds. They have reportedly been seen as far north as Turkey and Syria. Native species of flora and fauna, according to the Ministry, are dwindling fast. "Much of Iraq is not a desert," said the Chief Minister, Tarim al-Mukkhat. "But it soon will be if this destructive pest continues its work."
In response, US General Milton Kendts announced plans for a task force charged with eradicating the rodent infestation, and a bounty on pelts brought in by civilians.
According to the Ministry of Wildlife and Ecology report, the area hardest hit by the infestation is the province of Salahad-din, especially near the edge of the Tigris-Euphrates valley north of Baghdad, where a large number of occupation force units are based. Residents have been encouraged to hunt and kill the animals on sight.
US jackalope enthusiasts have decried total extermination as unwarranted, and have called for trapping and reintroduction back into the animal's native American habitats, but agreed the infestation should be halted.
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