GR: As the human population grows and expands, encounters with wildlife increase. We kill any animals that injure a human–usually no questions asked. We also kill wildlife as we build homes and roads and destroy necessary wildlife habitat. Research indicates that already half of all animals are gone. Eventually, there will only be humans, their domestic animals, and a small number of other species.
Do we care enough about other creatures to protect their habitat and reduce our population? None of the zoning regulations I’ve seen preserve habitat just because wild animals need it. Certainly there is no effective effort to control our population. So, is it truly inevitable that humans doom most wild animals to extinction?
PHOENIX — “Arizona Game and Fish Department officers last night trapped and euthanized a black bear that had scratched and injured a camper earlier in the day in a dispersed camping area (not a developed campground) near Cherry Creek in Young, Ariz.
“The subadult (1-1/2 to 2-1/2 year-old) [young] male bear was caught in a culvert trap set by a highly trained team of wildlife officers. They confirmed this was the bear involved in the incident based on descriptions from other campers and because it had a unique hind paw pad that matched tracks found at the scene. The bear was euthanized [killed] per department policy because it attacked a human and was deemed a threat to public safety.
“Officers noted there were unsecured food sources and garbage in the area, and a field necropsy revealed garbage in the bear’s stomach contents. Arizona Game and Fish reminds everyone that leaving food and trash around may be luring an animal to its death.” Read more: AZGFD.gov Game and Fish officers euthanize bear that clawed camper.
The photo is a Pixabay Free Illustration.
GarryRogers Nature Conservation 