Should we hope or despair for the animal world?

To say “woe is me” on behalf of animals and the world in general is almost too easy these days.  We merely have to look around, listen and read to know bad things are happening to animals everywhere.

Only consider:

1 -- Drop that avocado!   Monarch butterfly numbers are falling precipitously at both of their migration destinations, California and Mexico.  The growing scarcity of milkweed along their routes -- development everywhere! -- and loss of habitat (ditto) and use of pesticides . . . have all “contributed” to the Monarchs’ dramatic decline.  

In Mexico, where they used to be photographed in trees so butterfly-dense the trees were obscured, forests are now being cleared so farmers can grow avocados -- the latest (profitable) fad food.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/09/science/monarch-butterfly-california.ht ml?em_pos=medium&emc=edit_sc_20190115&nl=science-times&nl_art=4&nlid=20760274emc%3Dedit_sc_20190115&ref=headline&te=1

  

2 -- Don’t pet the longhorn!  The fight to rid professional sports teams of names that demean Native Americans is still underway.  Concurrent with that campaign is advocates’ wish to halt the practice of sports teams having live animal mascots . . . like longhorn steers.  (You read it right: cattle. with looooong pointed horns.)

                                                                                                          Dodo pic

So there was Bevo, the humongous 1,700-pound live mascot of the “Texas Longhorns” (University of Texas), who suddenly spotted the bulldog mascot of the University of Georgia “Bulldogs.”  Bevo broke loose and charged toward a crowd of bystanders, laboriously restrained by his handlers.  (You read it right again: yes, this mascot needs handlers, and strong ones too.)

It’s inhumane for the animals involved (involuntarily, of course), as well as potentially deadly for people.  Please sign the petition in this Dodo story to end the nonsense.

https://www.thedodo.com/on-the-farm/animal-advocates-warns-texas-longhorns-after-bevo-stampedes

3 -- Runaway cow inspires bill:   Remember Brianna, the cow who jumped from a trailer taking her to slaughter, then just a few days later gave birth to “Winter” at the sanctuary where she found lifetime refuge?  Now a new bill in the NJ legislature, “Brianna’s Law” would make it illegal to kill a pregnant cow, with possible fine and prison penalties.

                                         APLNJ pic

If the bill becomes law, that’s great for pregnant cows, at least.  But what about pregnant, or nursing, bears?  And their cubs?  Any chance of a bill to protect them?  Or far better still, any chance of a total ban on bear hunts in NJ?  (Despite his campaign pledge to end bear hunts here, our governor still claims his hands are tied on other than state property.  Claimed ignorance is bliss.)

4 -- And the killing (a.k.a. “deer management”) continues

   

Non-lethal, humane animal management appears to be unheard of in Mercer County.  This deer hunt goes on and on in area parks.  Who OK’d this method, and why?  Were time and cost involved, as in too much time to bother studying non-lethal options, and/or too costly to “manage” humanely?  

And who is against the hunt -- what have deer defenders done and what might they do (more effectively) next time around?   When will decisions about “deer management” be made for 2019-20?

The temptation to despair can seem irresistible at times.  The state of the world, especially the world of innocent animals -- variously tortured by hunting, poaching, slaughtering, experimentation, habitat loss -- seems to worsen every day, causing more and more animals to be endangered and hurried toward extinction. 

It can feel as if “the end is near!” as we humans thoughtlessly keep blundering through this Anthropocene era (the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment) of our own making.

Can anything be done to help reverse this shameful scenario?  Please see the next post . . . .

#

If you would like to comment on this blog post, please go to 1moreonce.blogspot.com.