Wild Animal Populations Collapsing Worldwide

Alarming could not be more of an understatement.  A 52 percent decline in wildlife populations in just the last 40 years.  That is the conclusion of an intense study of animal numbers by the World Wildlife Fund.   Why? A look in the mirror will give you the answer.  Human numbers have doubled to 7.3 billion in the same period, and demographers are now saying there is a 70% chance that the growth of the human population will hit nearly 11 billion before it stops.  That is an astonishing number.  It's no wonder the populations of other animal species are collapsing.

We humans are mindlessly shredding the fabric of our biosphere.  We are behaving like parasites... the kind of parasite that ultimately kills its host. 

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Taken from the Huffington Post   9/30/14

GENEVA (AP) — About 3,000 species of wildlife around the world have seen their numbers plummet far worse than previously thought, according to a new study by one of the world's biggest environmental groups.

The study Tuesday from the Swiss-based WWF largely blamed human threats to nature for a 52 percent decline in wildlife populations between 1970 and 2010.
It says improved methods of measuring populations of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles explain the huge difference from the 28-percent decline between 1970 and 2008 that the group reported in 2012.

Most of the new losses were found in tropical regions, particularly Latin America.

WWF describes the study it has carried out every two years since 1998 as a barometer of the state of the planet.

"There is no room for complacency," said WWF International Director General Marco Lambertini, calling for a greater focus on sustainable solutions to the impact people are inflicting on nature, particularly through the release of greenhouse gases.

The latest "Living Planet" study analyzed data from about 10,000 populations of 3,038 vertebrate species from a database maintained by the Zoological Society of London. It is meant to provide a representative sampling of the overall wildlife population in the world, said WWF's Richard McLellan, editor-in-chief of the study.

It reflects populations since 1970, the first year the London-based society had comprehensive data. Each study is based on data from at least four years earlier.

Much of the world's wildlife has disappeared in what have been called five mass extinctions, which were often associated with giant meteor strikes. About 90 percent of the world's species were wiped out around 252 million years ago. One such extinction about 66 million years ago killed off the dinosaurs and three out of four species on Earth.

In the new WWF study, hunting and fishing along with continued losses and deterioration of natural habitats are identified as the chief threats to wildlife populations around the world. Other primary factors are global warming, invasive species, pollution and disease.

"This damage is not inevitable but a consequence of the way we choose to live," said Ken Norris, science director at the London society. "There is still hope. Protecting nature needs focused conservation action, political will and support from industry."

 

 

Mourning the Rhino

I thought hard about whether I should post the image below.  It's very painful to look at. A baby rhino mourning its mother, just killed by poachers for its horn.

The rhino as a species is being wiped out.  They are only found now in a few places in Africa.  The only ones not in jeopardy are under 24 hour armed guard.  

Why are poachers willing to risk their lives to kill one of these creatures to gets its horn? The answer is well known. Traditional medicine markets in Asia, particularly in China, value powdered rhino horn as a medicinal cure. It fact, a rhino's horn is the same stuff as your fingernails. It has zero curative value. But the demand is still the there,  The fewer rhinos there are, the more people are willing to pay. Another market is in the Middle East in places like Yemen, where wealthy young men wear ceremonial daggers. A dagger handle made of carved rhino horn is a prized status symbol.   The fewer rhinos there are, the more a guy with money to burn is willing to pay to have his rhino horn dagger.

Sure, you can put the blame on the poachers. But let's get real.  Most of those guys are uneducated and desperately poor. One rhino horn can fetch them enough income to feed the family for a decade. It's no wonder they are willing to put their lives at risk. 

It's a very sad circumstance, but it's hard to be optimistic about the future of this magnificent species when the human population of the African continent is growing rapidly, faster than any place else on Earth.

Here is a link to Save the Rhino... http://www.savetherhino.org/

Elephants and Rhinos in Australia

Just read a  piece in which the idea of introducing wild elephant herds and rhinoceros to Australia is getting serious consideration. 

Here are some relevant facts. Elephants are in grave danger in Africa due to the value of their ivory tusks.  It's even worse for the rhino because of their horns. Poor Africans are willing to risk their own lives to take down an elephant or rhino, as one successful hunt could make a man rich by local standards. That kind of pressure would be non-existent in the outback of Australia, where there is plenty of open land for elephants and rhinos to roam, and few people whose survival might depend on exploiting them.

According to the article, African gamba grass was imported to Australia long ago, and now has proliferated to the point that it cannot be consumed fast enough by catttle.  The fit for elephants and rhinos in Australia seems good. It's not as though the introduction of a large mammalian species hasn't happened before in Australia. The place is home to a large population of camels, many of which are now wild.  The camel is not indigenous to Australia, but as a species it has certainly found a home there.

If establishing elephant herds and rhinos in Australis saves those species from extinction, what are we waiting for?

Here is a link to the story about elephants and rhinos in Australia...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/feb/01/elephants-rhinos-australia-wild-grass

Curse of the Rhinoceros

The world rhinoceros population has plummeted more than 90% in just the last four decades. Why? Because traditional Asian medicine considers ground up rhino horn a cure.  Even worse, young arab males in places like Yemen and Oman traditionally carry a dagger as part of their ceremonial dress. The highest prestige goes to those who have a dagger with a handle made of rhinoceros horn, and they have proven willing to pay a fortune to have one.  When humans are willing to pay any price for an ornament that makes them feel whole - even a few people - the pressure on the world's remaining rhinos is untenable. 

A horn from one of these hulking creatures can go for as much as a quarter million dollars on the black market.  It's no wonder rhinos are in such deep trouble.