GR: People have eradicated inconvenient social groups and wildlife many times; it’s what we do. We haven’t prevented the growth of our own population, but we have a firm grip on the Earth’s wildlife. About half of all animals are gone, replaced by people.
The Prairie Dog was present around Prescott, AZ for thousands of years before the city appeared. Apparently, nature got along just fine with Prairie Dogs and without us. Today, the Prairie Dogs are over most of Arizona, but they still survive in spots in the region. A few people work to help them continue surviving.
“So, what happened to them?
“It must be remembered,” the newspaper wrote, “that these rodents destroy a vast amount of forage, which, if saved, could be used for the production of beef and mutton. In many cases, the prairie dogs permanently injure the range by eating the roots of plants which bind the soil and prevent erosion. In many localities, the destruction of plant life has been caused by extensive washing away of the soil after the summer rains.” (*4) –Drew Desmond (Prescott, Arizona History: Prescott Used to Have Countless Prairie Dogs).
This entry was posted in Animal Rights/Welfare, Endangered Species, Human Impact, Pesticides, Sentient Beings, Wildlife and tagged eradicating-life by GarryRogers. Bookmark the permalink.
Thanks for being one of the only people willing to still speak out about overpopulation. The US used to have parrots and seals even!
Always glad to hear from someone who recognizes the problem. I view overpopulation as the cause of the great mass wildlife extinction that is underway. As climate change becomes self-sustaining, it will add to the devastation by farming, grazing, logging, and urbanization by humans that obliterates so much of nature.