Tuesday, October 27, 2015

52 Snapshots of Life: "Animal" and "World"

Can you imagine a world without animals? What would it be like?

 It would surely be lonelier...


And less interesting.


It would be much emptier…


And more boring and less fun.


We are facing the prospect of a world where few animals are around. Lions have almost disappeared from West Africa; African elephants are on their way to extinction by 2030, or sooner. Int the U.S., over 300 black bears were killed in two days in Florida last weekend; a third of them were reportedly lactating females. A handful of wild red wolves remain in North Carolina, where they are frequently mistaken for coyotes and shot (the state refuses to make it illegal to kill coyotes to save the wolves). And on, and on...

According to the 2014 Living Planet Index, world wildlife populations dropped 52% over the last 40 years.

Can you imagine a world without animals? Being able to do that might be really important - because I believe it's the denial that something so terrible could actually happen that keeps more from being done to prevent it. 

There is no one answer, and certainly not simple ones, but solutions do exist for problems that can and must be addressed. Wildlife corridors and overpasses are successful everywhere that they've been tried. Poaching and wildlife smuggling and the pet trade in exotic animals can all be stopped. Marine sanctuaries work and actually improve fisheries around them. And above all, climate change is threatening all animals, including humans.

I think a lot of people are waking up to the possibility of a world empty of animals to keep us company on this planet. 

Missing animals are:  Toby the dog and wild ponies; red panda; monk seal; white-cheeked gibbon. 

52 Snapshots of Life is a weekly photo challenge hosted by The Lazy Pit Bull. Join us! There's a link on the right sidebar.

11 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Yes I worried about this post being such a bummer but you know, sometimes you just have to get it off your chest...

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  2. And much much less laffings!!!!
    A very sad world indeed
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

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  3. it is already so sad that so many animals can only be seen in zoos now and that the biggest populations of some animals are in zoos - so not right :(

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    Replies
    1. Exactly! In fact I recently read an opinion piece that basically most of African wildlife is really in a big outdoor zoo, because the animals are fenced within national parks and reserves.

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  4. it would be a sad world... imagine to wake up without singing birds in the trees... ponds without fishes... and no dogs nor cats everywhere...

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  5. That's just plain awful to think about. All I do is try to advocate for the animals in my neck of the woods. It turns out to be an almost full-time job. Right now, I'm organizing a neighborhood wildlife survey that will go on for a year so we know what species are present and can estimate populations.

    Perhaps there's more hope than you and I think. I hope so.

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    Replies
    1. You're an ideal ambassador for wildlife. Thanks for all you do to share the beauty of your area. I'm sure the survey will yield valuable data.

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  6. We cannot imagine life w/o a sweet furry friend inside or the lovely wild life
    Hugs madi and mom

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