Look out into your backyard. What
animals do you see: birds, squirrels, frog, cats? What about Big Cats? Leopards
and hyenas are being spotted in the backyard of people in India. The human
population continues to grow and expand taking the land with it. Wild animals are
being forced to come close to humans in hunt for food to survive. Some studies
say that these animals are capable of coexisting with human. Is this really the
way wild animals should have to live, in our world? A study called “Big Cats in
Our Backyard” research these animals coming close to humans. One research
stated, "Human
attacks by leopards were rare despite a potentially volatile situation
considering that the leopard has been involved in serious conflict, including
human deaths in adjoining areas," said Ullas Karanth of WCS expert on big
cats. "The results of our work push the frontiers of our understanding of
the adaptability of both humans and wildlife to each others presence."
While it seems great that both animal
and human can adapt to changing environments, it seems wrong to take this land
away from creatures that were already there and are no match against humans.
This new environment could lead to an even greater decline in the population of
these cats. Humans are taking away the animal’s source of food and survival.
For years people have been doing this same thing to other people causing many conflicts.
It is time we start standing up for those animals that need our help to protect
their environment and population.
Article
in full can be found at : http://esciencenews.com/articles/2013/03/30/look.out.squirrels.leopards.are.new.backyard.wildlife
WCS
(World Conservation Society): http://www.wcs.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment