The human population has been steadily growing over the last few centuries. With the eradication of certain diseases, the implementation of cleaner sewage systems, the advent of technology and better health care, we are living longer too. Although this may be good for us as a species, it is not good for all the other living things we share the planet with. Human encroachment combined with natural disasters and global warming are having a significant effect on wildlife on every continent and many species are at risk of becoming animals endangered and many have already become extinct.
Some of the causes for this disturbing trend include:
1) The building of homes and other buildings in areas that were once forest areas habituated by wildlife.
2) Pollution
3) Clear cutting
4) Illegal hunting and trapping
5) Natural disasters such as flooding, extremely hot or cold weather, earthquakes, etc
One example that I find particularly disturbing is occurring as I write this on a small island just East of Nova Scotia, Canada. Prior to the 1980’s, the Virginia White-Tail Deer population thrived. Deer were everywhere. It was nothing to glance in a field and see five or six of them grazing. In the early 1980’s another animal, a predator started making it’s way across the Straight of Canso via ice flows. The Eastern Coyote, which is in fact a wolf-coyote and sometimes even wild dog hybrid began appearing sporadically in backyards. Within a few years, they numbered in the thousands and were even being spotted in the center of the busy city.
Complaints started piling in of close encounters with overly friendly coyotes and pets disappearing. The deer were disappearing too and game hunters had a lot to say about that. It wasn’t until someone was fatally attacked by one while hiking that the government proposed a solution to eradicate the animal from the island altogether. A bounty has been put on the Eastern Coyote and trappers are being offered twenty dollars for each one they trap and kill. This is exactly the type of thing that is affecting wildlife. Coyotes have every right to be here as much as we do and when they attack or take down a deer, they are only doing what comes naturally to them. It is all part of the food chain and survival and now we want to eradicate an innocent animal to the point of extinction. Hunters are rejoicing but the reason the deer population went so far down is half caused by illegal hunting and over-hunting, not coyotes.
This is just one example of how we as humans are contributing to the downfall of certain animal species. All living things, even the freaky weird animals of this world, no matter how weird even the strangest animals are, they deserve a chance at survival on this planet.
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