Big Predator Hunting

Big game hunting has taken hold all over the planet, especially big predator hunting. With cases like Cecil the Lion seeming more and more common, it is time we make changes to our big predator hunting laws. It isn't a humane practice, and if you look at how much money is being made off of sentencing these animals to death it would amaze you. The days of allowing governments corporations and individuals to make money by allowing hunts of "their" animals are over, and we need to move past this primitive practice.

This video has just recently emerged of a Grizzly Bear being shot and killed by hunters.  After watching that video, and just listening to these "men" talk while they slowly kill a beautiful, majestic Grizzly Bear, all there is left to say is that was really is disgusting. And how about all the blood and internal organs pouring out of his underside as he runs across the snow, really pleasant right? This is what big game hunting really looks like, there isn't anything clean or humane about it. The Bear is going about his business hundreds of feet away from the hunters, and then in his natural habitat he is shot multiple times, and they missed all around him. Same thing as humans being in their kitchen and then shot several times slowly by an alien hundreds of feet away, while they just look in entertainment at the human's suffering. It sounds pretty wild I know, but it really is the only way for people to realize what we are doing to these creatures. All the while we have people making tens of thousands of dollars by allowing the killing of these animals. 

The "man" who killed Cecil the Lion, Walter Palmer reportedly paid $50,000 to be able to kill a Lion in Zimbabwe. They then lured Cecil off park grounds, shot him with an arrow, and then 40 hours later shot him with a rifle. He was then skinned and his head cut off, later on park investigators found his headless skeleton, and his tracking collar was no where to be found. Looking around the world, there are more and more cases of endangered animals, particularly endangered predators being hunted despite their low numbers and the impact on the ecosystem. Alaska is allowing the hunting and trapping of the rare Alexander Archipelago Wolf, despite their population being down 60% and as few as 50 wolves left. That is just unbelievable, exploiting our fellow beings despite their need for help.

In 50 years when our children and grandchildren see videos like that, what are they going to think? They are going to see a society that allows this violent practice to continue, all while making money off of exploiting these great creatures. From now on whenever you hear hunting laws coming up for voting, try and think about that video and the bear, and hopefully we can end this primitive practice.

Wolf Conservation Center 

                                                          CC: Dina Wuest   

This past summer I had the privilege of being a summer intern at the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York, and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. The Center makes up 28 acres, and with 28 wolves on site it is one of the best places to learn about these amazing creatures. With 4 Wolves being Ambassador Wolves, these are the wolves who interact with people and would not be released back into the wild. The role of the Ambassador Wolves is to show people through all sorts of interactions and methods that wolves are nothing like the perception we have of them. When you see three wolves running around together playing, interacting with little campers, and showing one another affection it really is impossible not to look at them with awe and respect.

I think that is how we are going to get to the point we need to as a civilization when it comes to how we look at conservation. Human beings look down at other animals, or at least don't give them the respect and time that they deserve. Wolves are nearly perfectly adapted to their environment all over the world, varying from the Frozen Tundra to the Deserts of the American Southwest. They are social creatures like us, with a complicated system of hierarchy, and most importantly for their conservation I believe, they care about one another. There are cases all over of Wolves seemingly mourning for the lose of one their own, and it doesn't get much closer to how Humans react when we lose a loved one. I have seen a Red Wolf pack right after the lose of a pup, and their behavior is completely different. They seemed distraught, confused, and upset, and it was gut wrenching to watch. With great teamwork and compassion for one another Wolves are able to survive all sorts of challenges all over the world, but the constant pressure from humans could be the thing that drives them towards extinction. 

Wolves have reestablished a fraction of their former populations in Western United States thanks to the restoration programs that we believed in once upon a time. However, from constant hunting, urban sprawl, and still plagued by the misconception as blood thirsty killers, they need our help now more than ever. In Alaska we see Wolf hunts being authorized when over half the population of Wolves in the area has been killed in the previous years hunts. With methods like this, their fate seems to be doomed, but if we are able to move past the medieval notion that wolves are evil, maybe we could one day see Wolves roaming free back across the United States all across their once natural habitat that we pushed them out of. 

When we look back at ourselves in fifty years, what are we going to see? Are we going to see a primitive society that just killed off animals because they scared us or were an inconvenience to us? Or are we going to see a culture that showed the basic respect to an apex predator than all animals deserve. An apex predator that we need by the way, and without them we saw one of our national treasures change for the worst during their absence. Yellowstone National Park is healthier than it was without wolves, and it could be the same all across the United States if we just moved past this vendetta that humans have always had against wolves. Before it is too late, let's all do the simple act of just thinking about why we need Wolves, and if that isn't reason enough for you, think how we will be seen by the generations to come when they see what we did to our fellow beings. 

Big Cats in America

                                                      CC: Seven Natural Wonders

Once upon a time, Mountain Lions, Jaguars, Florida Panthers, and countless other species of smaller predatory cats roamed free all over America. Today their populations are a small percentage of what they used to be. Their populations are fragmented, and they have less space to roam than ever before.

Mountain Lions once roamed from coast to coast, today they are broken up throughout Western United States, and are constantly facing more and more threats to their survival. There are only 100-120 Florida Panthers left in the wild, all of which live in a small area of south Florida. This means they have a very small space to roam, which makes it harder to hunt, and also because interactions between adult cats can be fatal, it is going to be hard for the population to grow. Also since they all live in the same area, they are very vulnerable to disease which could wipe out the rest of the population. Lastly, Jaguars were hunted to the end in the United States, but through migration from Mexico, we have seen trail cameras capture pictures of Jaguars in the Southwest. There is currently only one Jaguar that is known to be living in the United States, he has been living in the Santa Rita Mountains, less than 30 miles from Tucson. 

While it is sad to think about how many big cats once roamed free in this country, and what we did to them, it is great news that we still have habitat that suits them. If we act quickly, and designate more land towards the recovery of our big cats, we could once again have a stable population of several species of big cats. Imagine if we had Jaguars roaming the American Southwest, Cougars from coast to coast, and the Florida Panther having more space to roam than the remote Florida Swamps, giving them time to stabilize their population. Also if we were able to return these animals to their natural distribution it would help to stabilize ecosystems all across the country, because more and more ecosystems are dying because of the loss of big predators. Big cats provide food for other species of animal, while keeping prey species moving so they can't overgraze a certain area allowing the plant life to grow.

All across the United States there is habitat that is suitable for many big predators, and the only thing stopping them from being restored to their natural habitat is humans. It is either about the money, or some other short term gain, because in the end it just hurts us all. Human beings need to have more respect for wild creatures, they are perfectly suited for the extreme challenges they face daily, while humans have changed everything to suit us. People are the enemy when it comes to environmental conservation, and until we finally move as a culture to put others before ourselves, we are doomed. These are perfect creatures, and they deserve our respect, and need our help. Spread the word for the conservation of your big predators before there are none left.
     

Websites for News

The Center for Biological Diversity

When it comes to getting out information on some of the most controversial conservation issues, there aren't many better than The Center for Biological Diversity. On their site as soon as you reach the main page they have the latest stories about every conservation issue you could imagine. It ranges from fracking to wolves, from the dumping of wastes to government backed attacks on wildlife, checking the site regularly is a great way to stay caught up with the latest news. 

Link: Center for Biological Diversity

ESPN

No one has the coverage, inside information, and up to date details that ESPN has, and there is no other network or magazine or website that covers all major sports to the level that ESPN does. They have former pros on staff breaking the sport down for the viewers, insiders in all sports gathering the newest  stories, and some of the best broadcasters in the world on staff. ESPN brings the average reader a professional, well put together, concise piece on their favorites team and players, all at the click of a mouse. ESPN is the pinnacle of sports reporting, on air and on paper. 

Link: ESPN

Bleacher Report

Finding itself a niche in the sport industry, Bleacher Report has established itself as a reliable and interesting place to catch up on sports news. With articles on nearly every team of every major sport, there are always new reads, and they are never afraid to put out the latest rumors, which can keep things interesting. Bleacher Report has found success by trying to do its own thing, and it has been working, unlike some other sports networks trying to take on ESPN. All in all, Bleacher Report isn't up to ESPN level, but they always have new and interesting reads. 

Link: Bleacher Report

BBC Earth

If you want unbiased, trust worthy writing on the major conservation issues, BBC Earth is as good as it gets. They don't have the bulk of stories on every issue possible like The Center for Biological Diversity, but they have very professional pieces on the most important issues. They have senior reporters who are some of the best writers in the world, and are great about giving you all the facts, while leaving it up to you to form an opinion. Recently changed from BBC Nature to BBC Earth, they still have the same quality and professionalism that comes with BBC. 

Link: BBC Earth

CNN

I am not one to watch the news every night, or check up on the latest stories everyday, but when I want to see what is going on around the world, I check out CNN. With constant new stories pouring out, there are always new reads about nearly every topic imaginable. A lot of their stories do share their opinion in the piece one way or another, but generally the writing is professional and straight forward. CNN gives you the latest breaking news all over the world, all in one easy to navigate site, in a way that is easy to understand and make sense of. 

Link: CNN News

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