I find this article sad. Global wildlife populations have fallen by 58% since 1970, a report says. The Living Planet assessment, by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and WWF, suggests that if the trend continues that decline could reach two-thirds among vertebrates by 2020. The figures suggest that animals living in lakes, rivers and wetlands are suffering the biggest losses. Human activity, including habitat loss, wildlife trade, pollution and climate change contributed to the declines. Dr Mike Barrett. head of science and policy at WWF, said: "It's pretty clear under 'business as usual' we will see continued declines in these wildlife populations. But I think now we've reached a point where there isn't really any excuse to let this carry on. Continue on below link ..... http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37775622
Yep I know of this and it 'is' very sad Besides the above, if it weren't for the wonderful wild life rescuers, my beloved Cheetah would be no more The same for the wonderful, magnificent Elephants
@Pasty Faye I volunteered a few years back in an animal sanctuary in Malaysia. It was a fantastic experience swimming and bathing baby elephants who act just like children. The farmers in the palm oil plantations set traps and often with tragic limb loss. The elephants were free to come and go from the sanctuary but the maimed one's obviously stayed within the confounds for safety.
Yes I've seen what you say How wonderful for you to be a part of that - I'm getting choked up thinking of the elephants they are so very special
Yes, it is sad. However, in the US alot of species have been making comebacks which is heartening. Populations of animals that were formerly endangered or threatened have now made a comeback. Certain species of wolves, bears, and even alligators have began to proliferate in various areas. However, it is not always a good thing, as some of them prey on livestock and house pets, and even children.Part of the reason our country is so divided on gun control, is the fact that people worry about protection from not only human predators but animal ones.
I can understand that @K E Gordon . What I don't understand are hunters who go to Africa to shoot lions and elephants for trophy hunts. Numbers now declining rapidly. I want my grandchildren to be able to see these animals in their lifetime x
Our World has a shelf-life....we are reaching the end of it. This kind of loss cannot be turned around by human effort.
You will have a hard time finding a person who cares more than me about the flora and fauna which lives on this world. We blame hunting and fishing as the problem and let industry off the hook. The multinational companies can pollute the Gulf of Mexico get a small fine and walk away. This is going on all around the world but we blame some guy for chopping down a tree in his yard. Of course there is those people who go out and shoot dinosaurs.
I have a hundred acres of land on which I don't allow hunting. It is rich in wildlife, and I enjoy them. Still, I would strongly oppose the goals of every wildlife preservation organization that I am aware of, as well as the laws that they pressured our government into enacting. While I don't doubt that the world wildlife population has fallen greatly, I do not believe that this fall is within the United States, where people are pressured, one way or another, to move from our rural areas into cities. The United States has more forest now than it had two hundred years ago, despite what they would have you believe. Native Americans, who are held up as great stewards of nature, would burn entire forests during war and even as a means of hunting. Of course, they didn't have fire departments to put their fires out. Everywhere, land that was once in agricultural production has now reverted to woodlands and forests, and that's fine, but a large percentage of these organizations are in the United States and they would have the United States make up the difference for other parts of the world, in which nothing in the way of wildlife preservation is done. We're doing our part, and I know we're not alone in that, but these organizations pressure our government to force American citizens to pay higher taxes, live with unreasonable and stifling regulations, and pass up economic opportunities in order to offset the fact that some other parts of the world are doing none of that. The other crazy thing is the reintroduction of species to parts of the country where they haven't existed in centuries. True, sometimes that makes sense. Some species, such as wolves, were eradicated on the basis of unreasonable fear, and it makes sense to reintroduce them to areas in which they may still have a welcoming habitat. But reintroducing rattlesnakes to New York is nuts. Now if they were going to reintroduce rattlesnakes to New York City or Boston, I'd be okay with that, and I wouldn't mind roving packs of hungry wolves in Los Angeles or San Francisco, but some of these species have moved because the climate has changed or because the habitat no longer supports them. Trying to put everything back to the way it was in 1700 is nuts, particularly when the people exerting this pressure inevitably live in cities or places where they are exempted from the harm they are doing.
We still have buffalo hunts here in the USA. The herds have to be culled to insure enough food for them.
@Joe Riley I gotta disagree, Joe. That part of the loss which has been determined to be caused by human (or inhuman) activity can be stopped and likely turned around, by the sudden disappearance of the Earth's human population. Global suicide would do it. Frank
I teeter on the narrow walkway of the top of the fence. A just and passionate God allowing human activity to over-ride the value of animals' presence would seem to present, to me, a lop-sided view of His Direction. OTOH, if He were to dispense with humanity as a solution to the animal decline, that, too, would not fair well with His description as I have always heard it quoted: "He is a fair and benevolent God".
To return to the topic, I think that most global initiatives to save endangered species from distinction, are driven by collective guilt, and selfish motives. The Oceans of our planet are dying, and we will never be able to clean them up. We cannot reboot, and start over again. Sorry, Frank, but our priorities seem to be different.