Wildlife Damage 
 
 The mission of USDA APHIS Wildlife Services (WS) is to provide Federal leadership and expertise to resolve wildlife conflicts to allow people and wildlife to coexist. WS conducts program delivery, research, and other activities through its Regional and State Offices, the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) and its Field Stations, as well as through its National Programs. 
 
 Program Priorities 

 The federal government killed 2,713,570 animals last year—322 gray wolves, 30,000 feral swine and over one million European starlings, to name a small portion of the enormous body count it racks up on an annual basis. The mass cull is part of a Department of Agriculture effort to crack down on invasive species that threaten crops, property and local wildlife. For instance, the USDA kills deer to preserve rare plant species, coyotes to save livestock, and starlings to protect our nation’s feedlots. 
 
 Even though less animals were killed in 2014 than in the previous year, the effort can appear excessive—what did 1,140,309 European starlings ever do to you?—and the Department’s methods are not always at the cutting edge of humane hunting. It poisons birds, which is not so bad, but wolves are gunned down by smiling airplane pilots and coyotes end up snared in cruel ankle traps. 
 
 Further, it is often unclear exactly what wildlife the USDA wants to protect. “The contradictions can be glaring,” writes Tim Murphy for Mother Jones. “To wit, the USDA killed cats (730) to save rats, but if you’re scoring at home, it also killed 1,327 black rats, 353 Norway rats, 74 Hutia rats, seven Polynesian rats, four bushy-tailed woodrats, and three kangaroo rats.” 
 
 In the Department of Agriculture’s defense, invasive species do cost the U.S. economy about $120 billion per year. Here’s a breakdown of some of the animals offed in 2014:
– Mother Jones calls it President Obama's "kill list," but it's probably not one you'd expect. This newly released list covers the nearly 3 million animals among 319 different species that the government killed last year. Most were classified as invasive species in one regard or another, and the USDA says they need to be controlled to protect the national food supply. For example, over a million European starlings were poisoned in the name of saving the nation's feedlots, and 30,000 feral swine were killed in part because of the ease with which they can spread disease to livestock. While the government maintains that the practice is a necessary evil, and fewer animals were killed in 2014 than in previous years, opponents have called for reevaluating the cull. At Mother Jones, Tim Murphy points out some contradictions: "The USDA killed cats (730) to save rats, but if you're scoring at home, it also killed 1,327 black rats, 353 Norway rats, 74 Hutia rats, 7 Polynesian rats, 4 bushy-tailed woodrats, and 3 kangaroo rats." And a Vocativ blogger writes that the killing methods aren't always the most humane, noting that coyotes are killed with "cruel ankle traps."