Frilly, just want to make it clear I understand you are just presenting the available info, and the current trends in
dealing with troublesome animals. I am most certainly not attacking the messenger, but not so sure the message that seems to be "politically correct" is much better than the alternative.
I am bewildered by the study that finds a wild animal can not live for longer than two weeks in a new location? Especially one as smart and resourceful as a raccoon. Not capable of finding water? Maybe if a raccoon is released in the desert!
Can't find food? Here the oaks trees, pine trees etc. that are available would make a squirrel have to be a total idiot not to be able to find food most of the year. Plus I have caught gray squirrels stealing all the eggs out of bird nests and even eating the baby birds, so I guess I don't have that much pity for them to start with.
To me it seems that the advice being given by the groups saying not to trap and transport animals is being given without much thought to what the outcome of that advice would actually be. But, I don't have any studies about that, I am just wondering if they do?
So if everyone in the neighborhood follows the instructions to secure the trash cans, make it impossible for the wild animals to eat pet food, boards up the available denning sites, etc. is there a study showing just how many wild animals would starve to death? I think the result would be much more devastating on the animals in an area like that, than would be lost by a few transported animals. If the animals are not capable of living longer than two weeks in the wild, then without all the easy sources of food and shelter supplied to them by people, it seems they would also not be able to survive without it.
I am still surprised "maybe because of my own ignorance" that a trapped animal must be released on site(what would be the purpose of trapping it) or it must be killed! That seems to be a fairly prevalent law for many animals. I must admit that shooting an animal is much easier that trying to trap it and relocate it, but I don't think that would be the animal's choice no matter what the studies indicate.
