Photograph Courtesy of The Temple: Home of the Tigers
The Temple: Home of the Tigers. 6 May 2010.
Like their ancestors, modern day human beings share the earth with a multitude of wildlife. For centuries, this great diversity of organisms has existed in an elaborate system of checks and balances. Some organisms preserve ecological balance by providing the sustenance that other species need to survive; predatory species, in contrast, help to maintain such balance by preventing prey from growing too numerous and exhausting environmental resources. No matter what role a given organism plays in its local ecosystem (a term referring to the systematic interactions between organisms and their surroundings), each form of wildlife is thus an important balancing force (Campbell et al. 1222). A redwood tree may initially appear to have little in common with a Bengal tiger or a wolf spider, but all of these life forms are united by their importance in upholding world ecosystems. Additionally, earth’s many forms of wildlife increase the planet’s beauty and inspiring power. As a girl who has spent most of her life in the eastern U.S., I have had few opportunities to actually meet the exotic creatures that live in far away lands; however, I have received glimpses of them through photographs and video footage, and these brief exposures have served as a foundation for my interest in preserving wildlife. All my life, I have been impressed by the African lion’s strength, awed by the humpback whale’s daunting size, and fascinated by the gray wolf’s howl. Many people—myself included--would be at a loss if any of these unique creatures were to disappear, particularly if human activities were the cause of such extinctions. For these reasons, the modern wildlife protection movement is extremely important. My own experience has shown that whether this cause is carried forward by large organizations like the World Wildlife Fund or by private individuals, the wildlife conservation cause can benefit man and nature by protecting plants and animals, by promoting human safety, and by increasing human appreciation for wildlife. This ecological cause therefore deserves widespread support.
Indeed, the wildlife protection cause can help to keep earth’s plants and animals safe and healthy. Although certain individuals maintain the opinion that conservation leads to extensive human involvement in nature and, in turn, to increased harm, conservation efforts do not always facilitate such destruction. I have had the opportunity to observe the positive effects that properly executed conservation practices can promote. Hanauma Bay, located on the Hawaiian island of O‘ahu, is an excellent example of the good that the wildlife protection movement can do for nature. By the time I visited Hanauma for a snorkeling adventure, a local conservation group had already taken to protecting the bay’s wildlife while promoting human appreciation for these marine organisms. This organization was very strict in regulating human interaction with the bay’s wildlife: Visitors were encouraged to observe the fish, turtles, corals, and sea urchins of Hanauma but were forbidden to feed or touch the animals. Apparently, this system has worked very well for the bay’s inhabitants. Humans are able to experience the beauty of Hawaii’s ocean wildlife without disturbing the Hanauma ecosystem. When I snorkeled in the bay’s waters, I was utterly delighted by the vibrant, healthy coral reef and its denizens. Never would I have guessed that years before, the bay was suffering from human activities. At that time, careless swimmers frequently damaged the reef’s coral and disrupted the balance between fish species by scattering food in the bay. This practice had allowed the fish species who ate the food to proliferate at the expense of other species. Today, however, Hanauma has been revitalized by a controlled and careful conservation effort, and humans are once again able to enjoy a variety of beautiful fish and coral. The success of Hanauma Bay made me realize that conservation is essential and can be a very powerful means of preserving nature, as long as we take care to prevent our efforts from inadvertently harming the life we aim to protect. This realization made me a firmer supporter of conservation efforts and of the wildlife protection movement as a whole.
The wildlife protection movement can also benefit mankind by helping to promote human safety. This positive effect is especially clear in regions like Pennsylvania, where excessive hunting has already threatened the balance of local ecosystems. Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the state of Pennsylvania was home to such predatory wildlife as cougars and wolves. However, these animals were later hunted to local extinction, and this change had a profound effect on Pennsylvania ecosystems. Freed from the regulation imposed by predation, Pennsylvania deer herds were able to grow significantly. Such unchecked growth is dangerous for any ecosystem, since the increasing demand for natural resources places considerable pressure on the local environment. In modern Pennsylvania, the overabundance of white-tailed deer has also had a particularly detrimental effect on humans. Because these deer have become so numerous—and because many of them have a tendency to suddenly dart in front of oncoming traffic—deer-related car accidents have become much more frequent throughout Pennsylvania. In my native township of Upper St. Clair, this problem became so serious that the township authorities actually resorted to hiring “deer snipers,” whose job was to thin out the local deer herds. In cases such as these, conservation takes on a different form, one in which human hunters must step in and serve as the local predatory species. As long as this hunting is practiced conscientiously and in moderation, it can help to preserve animals like the white-tailed deer by preventing them from overwhelming the local environment. In this way, ecological balance is preserved, and in regions like Pennsylvania, animal-related accidents may occur less frequently. As I witnessed this positive change in Upper St. Clair, I came to realize the importance of balance in nature. Where humans have disrupted that balance, they must work to restore it. Otherwise, both human and environmental safety may be threatened. Through conservation efforts, humans can therefore maintain the balance that ultimately allows human and animal populations to survive.
The conservation movement can also benefit both mankind and nature by promoting human appreciation for wildlife. I experienced such beneficial education during a summer vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. One evening, my family and I were exploring a boardwalk. As we wandered among the multitude of restaurants and souvenir shops, we came upon a small conservation center dedicated—interestingly enough—to preserving tigers. Several tigers were living at the station at that time, and we actually had the opportunity to observe them at a relatively close range. The staff gave regular presentations about the animals’ declining numbers and about the human practices that have endangered tigers and other species. Since I was already enraptured with the tigers in front of me, I listened very intently to these speeches on their behalf. Additionally, the conservation staff allowed certain visitors to have their pictures taken with a young tiger cub (under the watchful eyes of the staff members, of course) in return for a donation to the tiger conservation cause. Needless to say, I was left breathless at the very thought of such an opportunity. As I gazed in wonder at the little striped ball of fluff nestled in my lap, a special connection took place. Although I seriously doubt that I had much of an impact on that cub’s life, he had a lasting influence on mine. My brief experience with the cub at the tiger conservation station strengthened my affinity and appreciation for tigers and allowed me to appreciate the importance of the wildlife protection movement as a whole. I knew that the conservation movement’s ultimate goal was to preserve animals like the tiger cub I had fallen in love with, and for this reason the wildlife protection movement became more important to me. As my own experience illustrates, wildlife conservation efforts can allow humans to have thrilling encounters with wildlife and to develop a greater interest in those life forms. This interest, in turn, may drive these people to support and further the wildlife protection movement and to help protect the ecological balance that is essential to human and natural well being.
The current wildlife conservation movement can benefit both man and nature by preserving wildlife, by ensuring human security, and by increasing human appreciation for wildlife; for this reason, the conservation movement deserves widespread human support. In many cases, this cause can provide humans with opportunities to observe incredible animals and plants firsthand; these bonding experiences are frequently enjoyable and may even prove to be life changing for the people involved. Even more importantly, the conservation cause can help to fuel human interest in nature and may motivate them to preserve ecological balance by protecting all forms of wildlife. By behaving in this way, humans can preserve their own species, as well as the rest of earth’s life forms. Widespread support for the wildlife protection cause will also preserve the beauty and diversity that make earth such a unique and pleasing planet.
Works Cited
Campbell, Neil A., et al. Biology. 8th ed. California: Pearson Benjamin
Cummings, 2008.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment