A little over a year ago, I watched a story on the LA morning news about a bear that had been spotted in the city. Somehow it had wondered into a neighborhood and was "relaxing" in a tree in someone's front yard. The news station was filming the bear and the efforts to capture it and remove it from the city. I never saw the conclusion of the story. Unfortunately, I had to go to work, so I don't know what ultimately happened to the bear.
I mention this story because the basic premise of the news cast was that the bear was some place it didn't belong. Everyone was scared of it and speculating on how it had gotten into our city. Didn't it know that this was a place for people and not bears? I felt bad for the bear though. Imagine how scared it must have felt trapped in a tree presumably far from home with helicopters circling around. Don't misunderstand me, of course. I'm not saying that the bear should have been left alone in the tree. Bears can, after all, be a danger for people to encounter. However, I do have to ask: Was the bear really out of place? Or, could it be that we've over-extended our place?
In truth, bears probably lived in the valley well before human beings did. Furthermore, it's no big secret that society is continually "developing." We're constantly expanding the boundaries of our cities, chopping down forests for new strip malls, destroying habitats for subdivisions, etc... Where are the animals supposed to go? Where should they seek shelter and find food? Then, when they move out of our communities, how long will it be until we expand again and demand they relinquish their new homes?
Wildlife and plantlife are vital to the functioning of the planet in which we live-all of us. together. They are also integral to, if not the source of, the earth's beauty. Wal-Marts and apartment complexes are not beautiful nor do they add anything crucial to the functioning of the earth. If Wal-Mart is gone, life will be able to continue. If the forests and rivers are gone, life as we know it will cease.
I think it's necessary to realize that the earth does not belong to humans. It's shared. Everyone recognizes that the aliens in Indepence Day who steal planets and use up their resources are the bad guys. Let's not be the bad guys. Let's share! :)
To that end, we filled our birdfeeder today. Admittedly, I'm using this action as an excuse to make a post about habitat destruction and urban wildlife sanctuaries. Is it necessary to insist that animals live outside our properties? Why not create places for them to eat and safely raise their young? If you have children, you could even fence off a spot for wildlife. Regrettably, we only have a small porch, so a birdfeeder is the extent of what we can provide. But, the birds LOVE it. And, for whatever the reason, rabbits, squirrels, turkey, and deer feel comfortable hanging out around our porch, too. It's pretty amazing!
Bullet Point Statistics:
- Habitat destruction caused by human activities is the number threat to wildlife survival.
- 4500 acres of forest fall to chainsaws every hour
- Approximately 1 animal species goes extinct every 20 minutes
On a side note: Urban Sprawl isn't necessary to accomodate our growing population. At least, it doesn't need to occur so quickly. Think of all the abandoned buildings and properties in inner cities. Why not revamp the land already developed?
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