Crime - Murdered pet leaves youngster heartbroken

By Darlene Casten
Staff reporter

Little Nyla Pfob misses her “bottle baby,” a two-month-old goat who was shot by a trespasser at her family’s property near Silvertip.
A bond was developed when the four-year-old took over the baby goat’s care when his mother died in childbirth and she began feeding him from a bottle.
“His mommy died,” Nyla said “He was my bottle baby.”
It was in late June that the Pfobs returned home from a night at the auction to find their pet goat dead.
Nyla’s mom, Shawna, said as soon as they arrived home they realized something was wrong when their pet did not greet them at the door.
“He is usually there waiting for his milk and grain,” Shawna said.
Pfob’s boyfriend found the goat dead in a gravel pit near their home. The goat had been shot behind the ear twice with a .22 shotgun at close range.
Cst. Krista Woods of the Okotoks RCMP detachment is investigating the case.
“This was a very cruel and cold act,” Woods said. “We would certainly like to find out who did this.”
Currently, the police have no suspects in the case.
As a result, the homeowner is trying to comfort a daughter with a broken heart while also keeping a watchful eye on her other animals.
“I don’t know if it was a message to us,” said Pfob. “Whoever did it singled him out. It wasn’t someone out shooting gophers. It wasn’t an accident.”
The Pfobs have around 50 female goats on their acreage, many who have recently had babies.
Most of the babies are sold to dairy farms, but the orphaned goat, dubbed Blackman for his facial markings, was not for sale, Pfob said.
“He was part of the family,” she said. “The kids would let him inside and he would sit on their lap and watch TV.”
Since the incident, Pfob will not leave her home unattended and tries to stay home as much as possible, especially during the day. Neighbours and family have been coming over to watch her animals to ensure no more animals are injured when Pfob has to go out.
“I am a prisoner in my own home,” she said.
No one was seen at the Pfob’s home, which concerns the woman.
“I am concerned about other pets and kids,” Pfob said. “People should be watching for strange vehicles.”
The perpetrator could face charges of cruelty to animals. Anyone with information is asked to call the Okotoks RCMP at 938-7046.

Nyla Pfob hangs on to one of her family’s goats on their acreage east of Okotoks. The distraught four-year-old is heartbroken after her pet baby goat was shot by an unknown assailant while the family was not home. photo by Rae Holtsbaum

Education - Project takes bite out of mosquito population

Red Deer Lake students shine at national science fair

John Barlow
Editor

Southern Alberta is experiencing one of the worst mosquito seasons in history.
While billion-dollar chemical companies pitch their pest control products, a Grade 7 student at Red Deer Lake School may have come up with an inexpensive and environmentally friendly solution.
Glendon Hass, 13, won a silver medal at the Canada Wide Science Fair in Ville de Saguenay, Quebec in May for his project about mosquito control.
Hass, who earned a cash award as well as an entrance scholarship to the University of Western Ontario, turned heads with his research project entitled Rain of Terror.
The personable youth tested means of controlling mosquito populations by adding olive oil to rain barrels to see if the oil would kill mosquito larvae.
His experiment proved highly effective in killing mosquito eggs and, as a result, controlling the mosquito population.
“A month ago we injected our own rain barrel and it seems to be working,” said Hass. “My mom is telling everyone at work.”
What makes that last statement significant is the fact his mom, Susan, works as a nurse for the Calgary Health Region.
Hass was one of three students from Red Deer Lake School to make an impression at the Canada Wide Science Fair.
He was joined by school mates Lauren Wiens and Larah Martinson, both Grade 8 students.
All three qualified for the national event due to their results at the local Chinook Country Regional Science Fair.
Martinson’s science fair project was about how Hurricane Katrina will impact the agriculture industry in Louisiana.
Martinson admits she was not a fan of bunson burners and chemical beakers before the science fair.
“I usually did not like science, but that changed at the science fair,” she said. “There were so many great projects by kids our age and that was cool to see.”
Science cool? Did a 13-year-old just say science was cool?
Wiens, whose project was how dexterity changes as we age, said the secret to science is simple.
“I think the amount of effort you put in is the same as you get in return,” she commented.
Red Deer Lake School vice-principal Gary Sawatsky, who along with science teacher Derek Dubes joined the students in Quebec, was impressed with the effort put forth by his students.
“Our projects fared well at the Canada-wide level,” he said. “There were lots of projects at the Canada Wide Science Fair that were not at our level. We felt very comfortable we belonged at that level.”
Dubes added that for Hass to win a silver medal at the Canada Wide event was “quite incredible.”
It should not come as too big a surprise because while most teens are glued to the boob tube after school, Hass was tinkering with test tubes.
“I have always loved science,” admitted Hass. “I am always experimenting in the kitchen.”
Mixing compounds and dissecting mosquito larvae in the kitchen did not seem to bother mom either.
“It is so important to promote valuable learning,” said Susan. “The science fair is so important. It is hands on learning and being creative.”
Obviously, it also can prove to be practical.
Susan confirmed since her son’s experiments on mosquito control they have laced their rain barrels with olive oil and they passed it around to their friends and neighbours.
Hass’s experiment was based on some stories from her mom’s youth growing up in rural Saskatchewan where farmers would douse their sloughs with motor oil as a means of controlling the mosquito population.
Hass thought the idea had merit, but needed a means that was more environmentally friendly which led him to olive oil.
“Motor oil is a bit harmful for the environment,” said Hass with a laugh. “Olive oil is more viscous, would cover the area better and is biodegradable, natural, organic.”
The young scientist explained that water has a high surface tension and mosquito larvae hang from the top of the water and use syphons at the water’s surface to breath.
Hass’s hypothesis was that the olive oil would coat the water’s surface and, as a result, suffocate the mosquitoes.
In his two stage experiment using mosquito larvae he imported from North Carolina his hypothesis proved correct. In his first trial, after 24 hours in the jar with water and olive oil only one mosquito larvae hatched to a pupa while the other 20 died. In his control jar, that included water without olive oil, all the larvae hatched.
Through further testing Hass said he found just one-third of a cup of olive oil is enough to control mosquito larvae in an average rain barrel.
“Olive oil is an economic and environmentally friendly option to control mosquitoes and reduce the risk of West Nile Virus,” concluded Hass.
As everyone seems to be swatting at pesky mosquitoes lately Hass’s discovery could not have come at a better time.