EXTINCT

I was just trying to garner more awareness of the animals we have all lost when I thought maybe others haven't either ever seen the list, or like myself never have taken it all in, or just couldn't take it all in. Forgive me for the any assumptions I am  making .....it's just difficult to know others based on what little I know of them.

Just for example a small sampling of extinct species from Australia:
These are but just a few of the birds that were native to Australia that we will never be able to photograph, never be able to hear their song, never be able to even see. Look at the beauty we have lost.. How much more will disappear before people realize they have been wrong about everything.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_extinct_animals


Paul

The picture may not be as dark as it seems.

There is now an active program underway to restore the Passenger Pigeon using DNA from museum specimens:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/scientists-look-to-revive-the-long-extinct-passenger-pigeon/2013/07/08/3d1323d4-b9a1-11e2-aa9e-a02b765ff0ea_story.html

http://longnow.org/revive/passenger-pigeon-workshop/

Whether it will ever be practical to restore this species to the wild remains to be seen.

But if successful, the method could be extended to other 'extinct' species, a la Jurassic Park.  Three obvious candidates would be the Eskimo Curlew and the Ivory-billed and Imperial Woodpeckers, provided enough suitable habitat remains

JM

It ALWAYS will boil down to habitat availability . I am from India and 'Save Tiger" program is so successful in stopping poachers etc . that the tiger numbers are increasing year on year . However , due to the habitat area not increasing , there are more animal-animal ( tigers killing tigers over territory ) and animal-man conflicts . Where will the extra tigers go ?

paragjoshi wrote:It ALWAYS will boil down to habitat availability . I am from India and 'Save Tiger" program is so successful in stopping poachers etc . that the tiger numbers are increasing year on year . However , due to the habitat area not increasing , there are more animal-animal ( tigers killing tigers over territory ) and animal-man conflicts . Where will the extra tigers go ?

It is wonderful news that India's tiger population is rebounding:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/21/world/asia/indias-rebounding-tiger-population-grows-30-percent-in-4-years.html?_r=0

It seems that India's principal problem is poaching rather than lack of habitat.  Witness the complete eradication of Rajasthan's Sariska Preserve population.  Making poaching a capital offense might deter the poachers, although it would probably not be acceptable.

The Indian Government has the authority to establish more tiger preserves as needed.

I remember being sickened by pictures of the maharajahs' tiger hunts at Bharatpur.  Tiger hunting was regarded as a royal sport.

JM

James McIntyre wrote: It seems that India's principal problem is poaching rather than lack of habitat.  Witness the complete eradication of Rajasthan's Sariska Preserve population.  Making poaching a capital offense might deter the poachers, although it would probably not be acceptable.

The Indian Government has the authority to establish more tiger preserves as needed.

I remember being sickened by pictures of the maharajahs' tiger hunts at Bharatpur.  Tiger hunting was regarded as a royal sport.

JM

Yet, the British were even worse, with each pompous two-bit official being led on these 'shikars' which were nothing more than a killing spree. There used to be a restaurant in Birmingham, UK called 'Days of the Raj' where the walls were adorned with photos of these British 'hunters' proudly posing with as many as a dozen tiger carcasses. Trust the Indians to eulogize the very people who enslaved them for two centuries. 

I had an interesting conversation with John Varty who runs the Tiger Canyon project in South Africa. He related his experience with the Indian government when he went there to help with the tiger conservation. He suggested the various national parks should be fenced with high voltage electric fences to keep poachers at bay and to prevent the tigers from wandering off to sample the local cattle. He was politely asked to pi$$ off. He now breeds tigers in his own private reserve which is larger than the Ranthambore park.

I don't hold out much hope for the Indian tiger in its native habitat. Even as far back as 1986 I did not see a single tiger on my trip to Sariska.

Pradeep

+1 Primus, JM

JM, I am in my 66th year and quite hopeful to see this.  But in this capitalistic system, one can only guess how a "re-manufactured" species might be re-presented to the world.  

Paul, well said, and just how I feel…thanks:

"These are but just a few of the birds that were native to Australia that we will never be able to photograph, never be able to hear their song, never be able to even see. Look at the beauty we have lost.. How much more will disappear before people realize they have been wrong about everything. - See more at: http://www.naturescapes.net/forums/viewtopic.php?

Paragjoshi:  You hit the bulls-eye…until humans begin recognizing/discussing the problem of unbridled human population growth and begin taking action against it, we will continue in a downward spiral.  

How can we begin to discuss it if the majority do not yet consider humans as a component of food webs.  

If we consider the following thought, we might begin to think of ourselves as part of food webs:  

Cities contribute zero to food webs, but are massive consumers.  

We are in trouble.  I believe it is much, much later than any of us suspect.  

Robert

Blck-shouldered Kite wrote:+1 Primus, JM

JM, I am in my 66th year and quite hopeful to see this.  But in this capitalistic system, one can only guess how a "re-manufactured" species might be re-presented to the world.  

Robert, the question really is, what is conservation? If a species is dying out in its original native habitat (for whatever reasons), is it alright to allow that to happen, OR to attempt continued propagation elsewhere through other means?  As I've asked before here, if bald eagles are dying in the US and India starts a program for breeding and ultimate reseeding of the US shores,  is there a problem with it?

In the end, everything is about money, and the conservationists are also perhaps into it for reasons that may not be purely altruistic.  However, if the end result is that you and I get to see these beautiful creatures in as close to a natural, free environment as possible, I am all for it.

Hypothetically speaking, would it not be truly wonderful if extinct species like the mammoth, saber-tooth tiger and in my wildest dreams a T-Rex were resurrected from DNA/other means for all to see and marvel at? Would anybody complain that it is 'not natural'? If so, then why all the hue and cry if somebody is trying to do that before they become extinct?

Paragjoshi:  You hit the bulls-eye…until humans begin recognizing/discussing the problem of unbridled human population growth and begin taking action against it, we will continue in a downward spiral.  

How can we begin to discuss it if the majority do not yet consider humans as a component of food webs.  

If we consider the following thought, we might begin to think of ourselves as part of food webs:  

Cities contribute zero to food webs, but are massive consumers.  

We are in trouble.  I believe it is much, much later than any of us suspect.  

Robert

In any war of existence between man and beast, the beast has always lost, at least over the past few millennia. It is unbelievable that in this day and age, leaders of humanity still advocate unbridled reproduction and rampant consumerism.

The scenario for the human race is pretty grim if current reports on global warming are to be believed, we may be past the point of no return already. By 2065 the sea level may rise as much as 10 ft, which means large parts of the world will be unlivable. Billions of human beings will then flood (pun unintended) the inland areas. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will truly be unleashed.

Pradeep