Category Archives: Wildlife

Quick update – 2015 thus far: Deer farming, red wolves, sea fracking

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Three interesting bits of news from the Associated Press have come in on the Pack News Wire that I have not touched on as yet. So let’s toss out a quick update.

Deer farming: Nine public hearing were slated for January by the North Carolina Wildlife Commission, on the topic of deer farming. This practice involves raising deer on farms to be sold as game or directly for their meat and antlers.

Hunters are joining wildlife advocates to express concern for this sort of industry. One fear is for the risk of the spread of diseases.

Red Wolves: 2015 could be a key year for the red wolf. The Associated Press notes North Carolina has the only wild population of this wolf species. The program to maintain the species is being debated early this year.

Due to habitat loss and hunting, the red wolf populations were devastated. In 1987, red wolves were bred and released into the wild in an effort to restore their numbers.

Sea Fracking: An article from January 9 contained two stunning revelations.

If fracking waste is discharged by a company into the ocean, it is in most cases up the company to report the spill.

And one paragraph of the Associated Press piece states the following:

Little is known about the effects of the chemicals used in fracking on ocean life.

The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, for failing to honor a request for public records.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

All things are connected – and here’s how it works

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Matt Orr’s recent post on the Up Worthy website called the success of the reintroduction of wolves into the Yellowstone National Park = “One of the most exciting scientific findings of the last 50 years …”

Wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone Park in 1995 and the results have been a resounding success. The results also offer solid proof of the interconnectivity of nature.

From the impacts on the population of deer in the park to their behavior changes to the regeneration of some of the forest areas to the good news for songbirds and beavers to muskrats, ducks, otters, fish to bald eagles and bears.

When nature is allowed to do its thing – without the negative impacts that some people and entities inflict on the environment – then beautiful things can happen.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Wildlife killing contest could move forward

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Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity are sending out alerts related to a proposed wildlife killing contest on federal lands.

A lawsuit and letter campaign was launched back in November by the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups. The Bureau of Land Management pulled a permit to hold the contest in Idaho.

The targets are wolves, coyotes and other animals. And now the hunting group wants to move the contest to national forests for January.

This is not “wildlife management.” This is an excuse to have a killing spree.

The CFBD page is HERE. Defenders of Wildlife has a page set up to send comments to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Extremely troubling report on wildlife populations

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The Wall Street Journal published a recent article concerning decline in wildlife populations worldwide. Scientist from groups such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Zoological Society of London report the downward spike in wildlife numbers is worse than they had previously thought.

It seems from 1970 to 2010, the overall animal population of animals fell 52 percent. This is a horrible rate of decline. Key factors sited for land, rivers and oceans, are habitat destruction, commercial fishing, hunting and climate change.

Of course, humans have a role in all of it. A previous report from 2012 put the rate of decline at 28 percent.

And while the animal population plummets on planet Earth, the human population continues to expand. And this sentence from the WSJ article offers a stark warming: “With the planet’s population expected to swell by 2.4 billion people by 2050, the challenge of providing enough food, water and energy will be difficult.”

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Video: World Wildlife Day 2014

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This is World Wildlife Day. But we can’t let a day go by without working toward a goal of protecting animals from abuse, poaching, neglect and any other horrors they face – be it wildlife or domestic animals or farm animals.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Michelle Duggar fails on understanding population boom

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Human population growth is clearly taxing the planet. We are seeing rampant deforestation and habitat loss and a huge strain on resources in many areas of the Earth. And many species of wildlife are being wiped off the face of the Earth, a trend that can indeed be traced to human activity and greed.

But apparently Michelle Duggar of “19 Kids and Counting” fame is unaware of these obvious trends.

In a article by Us Weekly posted today at Today.com, Duggar is asked about overpopulation, something she said she doesn’t believe in. Let’s make sure we get this quote right. She told Celebrity Baby Scoop –

“We have studied it and I believe that there is a misconception about overpopulation. I think that the whole mindset of overpopulation is really overrated.”

She doesn’t believe in overpopulation. It’s like stating you don’t believe there’s a sun in our solar system. It’s like saying you don’t believe in sunburn. It’s like saying the crime rate in Chicago is no big deal or having a job is overrated.

It’s like not understanding the phrase – exponential growth.

Look – I don’t want to pick on Michelle. She seems like a really nice person. But she said she studied overpopulation and yet she came to this conclusion. I couldn’t let that pass.

Again, overpopulation is putting a huge strain on wildlife populations, habitat and the planet’s resources. If anything, the problem is underrated and receives too little attention from the media or governments.

 

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Mother nature invented the gear

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Humans came up with the invention of the gear in mechanics, but it seems at least one insect beat them to it.

The appropriately-named planthopper uses gears in its hind legs to leap on a level Superman might be amazed to see. An article posted September 12 in the Health & Science section of the Washington Post website notes the planethopper uses its “hind legs that mesh and rotate to synchronize the timing of each limb’s release during a jump.”

Amazing stuff.

 

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Video: WWF series – Stop Wildlife Crime

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The World Wildlife Fund has launched a new, five-part web series called Stop Wildlife Crime. Episode 1 is – “It’s Dead Serious.”

The illegal wildlife trade is horrible – greed at its worst. For more details on the series, go to the WWF’s YouTube page.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic