“Save wildlife, you save the planet: The
importance of wildlife in the eco-system”
Earth is the common home for all of us. If
we don’t take care of it, the future generation will curse us. The freedom and
prosperity will be ours if development and sustainability of our planet go hand
in hand. We need to take responsibility to make earth green. Therefore, UNO
announced 2015 as the international year of “Green Earth.” Pope Francis in his
encyclical Letter Laudato Si, says
that “If we destroy creation, creation will destroy us.” He says human greed is
the cause of the loss of biodiversity. By our short-sighted behavior he says “thousands
of species will no longer give glory to God by their existence, nor convey
their message to us.” He ends saying that we have no such right to manipulate
and put an end to those innocent animal world. Therefore let me give some
information about how we are the cause of this environmental imbalance.
1. Do not Kill Me: This is the voice of
all the animals today. They are, along with mother earth groaning in pain
pleading us not to kill them. But our ears are deaf and our eyes are blinded to
their plea. Today for sure, hundreds of species
have become extinct due to human over activities. Extinction may occur due to natural causes.
However the actions of people have created a threat to the wildlife. Thus we
have taken the ecosystem for granted. We are blind and deaf to the signs of the
groaning mother earth. Despite the fact that the mother earth is groaning yet some
people ask: “Why save endangered species? Why should we spend money and effort
to conserve them?” To this question, the preamble to the Endangered Species Act
of 1973 answers saying that, the endangered and threatened species are the
nation’s pride as they enrich the wild life of the nation. I believe wildlife is
a gift of God to the nations. (Genesis: God created them all and made Adam as
the crown of creation). Unfortunately, we humans have become their predators
and perpetual enemies causing them threat and uncertainty. Therefore, scientific
evidence strongly indicates that the current rate of extinction is much higher
than the natural due to human predators. Unfortunately they cannot speak for
their survival, neither they can escape nor defend themselves. Like in the
classic movie Animal Farm, if only we
can hear their heart beat I am sure they are pleading us to spare their life
from trade, business and killing. Let me share few alarming realities
concerning the wild life due to human greed, passion, luxury, comfort and
business.
We, human predators cause wild life far more trouble than they
do us. We have been invading thousands of acres of their territories and
destroying their homes. Habitat
destruction by human activity is mainly for the purpose of harvesting natural
resources for industry production and urbanization. Clearing habitats for
agriculture is the principal cause of habitat destruction and currently it ranked
as the primary cause of species extinction worldwide. The consequence of this is beyond words: Once
numbering in millions, the continent-wide population in Africa is now estimated
to be just under 600,000 elephants. As the global demand for ivory increased in
the latter part of the twentieth century, the wild herds of African elephants
were being decimated at an amazing rate. Besides,
Chimpanzees are
more closely related to humans than they are to gorillas. Chimpanzees and
humans share 99 percent of their genetic composition; they are highly
intelligent. Fewer than 250,000 chimpanzees still exist in western and central
Africa. Chimpanzees now occupy only a fraction of their former territory. Chimpanzees
are caught and used in circuses. Research: Chimpanzees have been used in brain and skull research and in
social deprivation studies. Chimpanzees are now popular subjects for AIDS
research, although their immune system does not succumb to the virus. Chimpanzees
are also used in painful cancer, hepatitis and psychological tests, as well as
for research into artificial insemination and birth control methods, blood
diseases, organ transplants and experimental surgery. Skins: The
European fashion for leopard skins may have diminished since the 1970s, but
leopards are still killed for their skins. In April 2003, 109 leopard skins
were seized by Nepalese police. Unfortunately, these crimes are often overlooked
by the authority.
Zoos: It is illegal to take leopards from the wild to put in zoos. Game
Hunting: For just $3400, you
can track and kill a leopard on a Big Game Hunting Trip in European Safari
tourism, where you are allowed to hunt and kill them. Medicine: The bones of the leopard are used in
traditional Asian medicine and are sometimes prescribed as a substitute for
tiger bones in the treatment of rheumatic diseases and aching joints and
muscles. Ironically, the success in controlling the trade in tiger parts may
actually have led to greater risk for other cats. Bears: There are eight types of bear in the
world: polar bears, brown (or grizzly) bears, American black bears,
Asiatic black bears, sun bears, sloth bears, spectacled bears and giant
panda bears. Some are on the verge of extinction, but all face threats. Circuses:
Bears are still used in circuses around the world. Polar bears and brown bears
are made to perform tricks like ‘dancing.’ Sharks, Seals and Dolphins are at Risk: Some dolphin species
face an uncertain future. Pandas
are first in the list of animals that are almost extinct. If the situation is
so serious what is (my) our responsibility?
3. What You Can Do? Yes it is
high time to make space for animals and plants,
trees and bushes. We need to reduce,
reuse and recycle our daily use products; turn off lights, radios, TV’s,
Computers when not in use. Reuse paper and plastic bags. Don’t allow water to
run while you brush your teeth. Use water-saving devices in the public places.
Recycle items you no longer use by donating them to charity. Plant trees, grow gardens; If
possible, plant native plants instead of non-native varieties in your
yard. Speak out for animals;
tell everyone you know about threatened species and what they can do to make a
difference in our life. Write letters and articles about endangered species to
local newspapers. Do not buy bones, skulls, teeth, trophies or feathers of
wild animals. If not you are encouraging wild trade. Avoid drawing pleasure by
hunting and killing wild animals as a sport. Do not poison the rivers, lakes
for fishing illegally. Do not engage in keeping wild animals as pets. Avoid
buying products made out of animal skins and organs.
In the end, we will
conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand and we will
understand only what we are taught. Bring a friend to a wildlife Center and
learn more about wild life conservation. Thus we can create awareness and make
people knowledgeable about the burning issue. She needs to be cared and
protected if not sooner or later all of us have to pay the price for our
negligence. Hence, we should take extra steps to save our mother earth, save
the animals wild and mild. For they keep the environment balanced and sustain
global atmosphere. There is not much time, for the earth and nature are already
fragile and we need to act immediately. It is time for the authorities and
government officials and educational institutes and media management to make
the issue their object of discussion and communication. Let us all one in
spirit act for a common mission, to save our mother earth. The words of late
pop singer Michael Jackson “Make it a better place for you and for me and for
the entire world,” become a reality. For this we need to invest our hands,
minds and wills to act, to speak for the animal world. Thus we fight against
the illegal trade by which we become the agents of change in the society. Thus
we make people aware of how important the wildlife in the eco-system is. Thus
they too find a home to live safe and sound. For earth is not the monopoly of
the humankind, instead we along with our animal world co-exist and co-habit in
our common home Mother Earth. Br
Naresh Neelam
