Nasty bunch (You'd expect more from Wildlife's civil servants)

Whew, what a nasty bunch they are in the Ohio Division of Wildlife's District Five (Southwest Ohio).

At least that was my impression when I made a telephone call to the office this afternoon. It was in regard to what appears to be an accidental release of a mountain lion in Brown County.

I called the District Five office to get the agency's take on the subject, including if it would be legal to shoot the animal.

My first call was cut off before the receptionist could connect me.

The second call went through and accompanied by one of the shortest and most discourteous replies ever. Instead of "hello, this is (insert name), wildlife biologist" it was "yeah?" And it wasn't hardly the most friendly "yeah," either.

The rest of the conversation was less than cooperative, too, the Wildlife Division official suggesting that I call the Brown County Sheriff's Office instead.

I was then connected with the voice mail to Allan Wright, state wildlife officer assigned to Brown County. I'm waiting for his reply.

I must say the response from the Wildlife Division's District Five office was one of the most rude responses I've ever gotten from any agency official. That's not how civil servants are to respond to inquiries, that's for sure. They should be a whole lot more helpful and cooperative.

At least these personnel should be given lessons on how to properly answer a telephone.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com