No Sharing!

Recently read a long and detailed article discussing the strife caused at the thought of relocating some of Gujarat's Asiatic lions.

Basically, what I gathered was this:

The entire Gujarati government was sick the day of kindergarten when the teacher talked about sharing. Also, rationality. Or maybe they just never went to kindergarten.

They simply refuse to legitimately consider the fact that there are too many lions for their reserve. In a rare success story, the lions have been taken off the "Critically Endangered" list after a resurge in the population from 30 individuals to now around 400. It's an amazing comeback. But now, they're running out of space. Humans are now coming into contact with them more frequently, and this is one time I can really sympathize with these people getting killed.

Because for once, they're not doing something terribly stupid. They're not super educated, and they don't really know how to handle facing one of these lions. And they're not lashing out against these lions, either - they respect and revere them. It's admirable, how the rural people of Gujarat have dealt with the issue of these lions.

However, the government's efforts to keep an iron grip on their lions is much less than admirable. It's a tourist draw, I get that. But it'll still be a tourist draw. It will be one of two places, rather than one of one. And chances are, people will return to the park that has a reputation versus the one that is only newly established i.e. they will come to Gujarat to see the lions. Calm down.

I think the most important thing to remember here is that they really shouldn't be some original attraction. Not at all. These are animals that supposedly once roamed across Europe and Asia. These are reputedly of the same lineage as lions who were used in Roman colosseums for sport. Why is it suddenly a great horror when  we want to save what's left of this great sub-species?

I can see why they're not rushing to hand the lions over to other states, that don't necessarily have the best track records. I wouldn't trust an infamous burglar with my most prized jewels. But that's an issue that needs to handled regardless of where the lions go - there should be proof that they will be safe, and that the people living around them won't go doing stupid things. But in the end, the fact of the matter is that if something like that Canine Something Nasty disease, or even something much less lethal, come wandering into the park, then you've got a 99% chance of losing all your lions.

And honestly, that would kind of suck.

Rhinos and Things

http://www.rhinoconservation.org/2012/05/04/almost-all-of-the-worlds-javan-rhinos-documented-in-one-video/

This page has a really beautiful video. Also, a very sad one.

Coincidentally, it's the same video.

So basically, someone's managed to compile footage of about 3/4 of the world'd Javan rhino population. Pretty cool, right?

Yes. And no.

Yes, because these are animals that are almost never seen - even park rangers are lucky if they lay their eyes upon one of these elusive creatures.

No, because the video only has 30 rhinos in it. There were more people than that in my school's last graduating class (our entire school has less than 500 people). If you do the math, that leaves only about 10-15 rhinos off the tape. Sad? Most definitely. And the truth is, that's probably how it's going to stay.

The rhino world has had a rather tumultuous year. While they've enjoyed the successful birth of Andantu, a Sumatran Rhino, they've also had to deal with some of the worst poaching rates in the last few decades.

Barely half way through the year, and the number of dead rhinos in South Africa alone was NINETEEN TIMES the number from 2007.

Slacking off? I think yes. If you can have one year where only 13 rhinos are killed, then isn't there pressure to keep the numbers down? I would think so.

To digress, Nepal has actually felt this pressure internationally. And it's done a wonderfully beautiful job. Even if they can't quite fix that Royal family of theirs, they can boast that not a single one of their rhinos was killed last year. How AMAZING is that? I applaud them, admire them. Finally, someone is doing something right. Perhaps South Africa can take a hint or two from them.

But, back on track. Javan rhinos.

We really need to keep up with 'em. We're like, this close (imagine me holding two fingers together) to losing them like we've already lost so many other species. In fact, we've already lost one of the subspecies. Brilliant, right? The Vietnamese subspecies of the Javan rhino (I've always wondered about the logistics of that, giving that I know my geography....) was officially declared extinct some time late last year. Scientists were even so fortunate as to find the remains of the poor dear, who'd, naturally, been killed for her horn.

Which brings me to the last of my rather disorganized and drifting points. Why is the demand increasing? We've got a bazillion different conservation agencies working around the clock to educate people, to patrol, to curb the trade. However, the statistics don't show it - not one bit. We've got all sorts of big numbers showing growing interest (and more murder), and they're only getting bigger.

And while some speculator might think this is absolutely brilliant for the stock market, I might have to disagree. Get your heads out of the dark recesses of the holes you've buried them into and smell the burning corpses/confiscated rhino horn. IT'S NOT RIGHT. It's not medicine; it's not gonna increase your libido and it certainly isn't going to cure cancer.

Go donate your money to a cancer research institute. Don't spend it killing those who can't save themselves.

Trees and Other Endangered Species

So, we’re completely destroying any and all trees within a 2000000 mile vicinity of humanity. And we think it’s just great.

We’ve already almost completely depleted our sources of teak, mahogany, and yellow balau. So we’re just finding new, more unreached places that haven’t been exploited yet, as soon as it becomes too rare and expensive anywhere. Good idea, right?

I don’t know. I think it’s a bit much when you get to the point of exploiting and driving TREES to extinction. How absolutely pathetic.

All you lovely loggers out there: Get off your butt, and go PLANT a tree. Then, sit, watch, and nurture said tree until it is at an age where you can kill it. Or even better, wait till it’s big enough for you to make a table out of just one horizontal slice. Record observations…like HOW FREAKING LONG IT TOOK. Like, oh, I don’t know, maybe a couple decades.

Now tell me that logging is sustainable.

Honestly, if you can find space that is not already being utilized (including by nature!) and find some magic way to fast grow these trees that you love so much for your furniture, toothpicks, and other decorations, then by all means, go right ahead. Plantation grow these trees (I already know it’s barely possible) and make your money that way. Don’t exploit nature’s creation and drive others out of their homes in the name of money!

Oh yeah…you’re humans. Just kidding, that’s not possible. That’s all that matters, after all. How much bloody green PAPER (made of trees, you guys…) you can make in your life time is not, a repeat not a measure of your value as a person.

Look, brah. If you really want all this furniture/toothpicks…

Yeah, I don’t know. Just go plant a bloody tree.

Asiatic Cheetahs

Asiatic cheetahs. They’re pretty different from their African cousins – for a start, they’re a heck of a lot furrier! They’ve got a sturdier build and much thicker neck, and strangely, a smaller head. Their coats, to me at least, seem darker and/or drabbier, but not in a bad way. In the blending-into-this-endless-sand kind of way.

Well isn't it cute? More pics at http://www.payvand.com/news/10/feb/1266.html

These are the animals that the Persian Empire and such used to train to hunt gazelles, back then aka dinner. These are animals that used to support entire empires, not 200 or 300 years ago. In all our gratitude, we have almost exterminated all of them, leaving a total population of about 60-100.

In Iran, no less. What makes this worth mention, though, is that President Ammacrazynutjob has actually taken action, and the country is currently running a decent breeding, studying and rehabilitation project, which has been doing well in its infancy (10 years old this year). I mean, the president didn’t have anything to do with it directly, but the fact that this project is allowed to operate and is well funded shows good for the guy. You know, even if he is the oppressive radical type that seems to abound in the region.

It's just that...if Iran can do it, anyone can. Seriously.

Check out the Iranian Cheetah Society's website. Seems pretty legit, no?