Editor:
World Animal Day is Oct. 4 and it is a time to reflect upon the creatures with whom we share the planet and to consider the crises vast numbers of species are encountering. Therefore, it is relevant to mention two articles in the Aug. 26 edition of the Outlook.
The first concerned a third female grizzly bear which died this summer due to human-caused circumstances, and second, the release of a statement by Parks Canada that the federal government will inject $24 million into a caribou captive breeding program.
The decline of caribou must be attributed to those who chose not to manage human intrusion into caribou habitat. Why are governments allocating millions of dollars to caribou recovery yet allowing logging in prime caribou habitat? The chaotic mismanagement of wildlife by both provincial and federal agencies demonstrates a lack of humility towards nature.
A committed environmental advocate comments: “Caribou need forests, not fences. Killing wolves [to save caribou] is not OK. Predator kill programs cross an ethical line. … Wildlife management and conservation decisions focused solely on increasing the number of one species neglect other species and ecosystem processes.”
Last year finalized the decade that the United Nations had declared in recognition of the vital importance of biodiversity. It is time to revisit Chief Seattle’s famous quote: “What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit."
Carol Tracey,
Calgary
