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The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared the Western Black Rhino of Africa officially extinct and says two other subspecies of rhinoceros are close to meeting the same fate.
According to IUCN’s updated Red List of endangered species about a third of the 61,900 species now catalogued by the IUCN are classified as “vulnerable,” “endangered,” “critically endangered,” or extinct, with some groups, such as amphibians and reptiles, in particularly rapid decline.
“Human beings are stewards of the earth and we are responsible for protecting the species that share our environment,” said Simon Stuart, head of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, in a statement.
“In the case of both the western black and the northern white rhinos the situation could have had very different results if suggested conservation measures had been implemented.”
“The world is full of marvelous species that are rapidly moving towards becoming things of myth and legend,” said the IUCN’s Jean-Christophe Vie.
Now I am just going to have to blow some Infantile Liberal Minds:………..
I am not a conservative myself (except that I AM a staunch ‘Conservationist’ – figure that one out!!); nor am I a Liberal. However, I “am” a Realist – in other words a Scientist. I even saw a post (if not here then on another news page) where someone said that people need to become more Scientific (and not believe in ‘Fairy Tales’ like Rhino Horn medicinal properties, or Dagger Handles). I wonder if that commenter would also extrapolate that idea to many liberals who bank so much on Emotionalism instead of Logic!!!
I too am very saddened by the loss of the Rhino – and hope it really isn’t true.
Many of the commenter’s I have read today & yesterday have talked about maiming or mutilating the poachers or the purchasers of Rhino Products (ignorant as many of them are). In effect, many of you seem to be implying that the Rhino is worth more that the people dealing in their parts.
Now let’s take this discussion to the next level:… I know how many of you anti-logic, emotional based liberals “Hate” George Bush and the ousting of Saddam Hussein from Iraq, but I wonder how many of you know that that very action may have saved many wildlife species – mostly birds (not that war usually does so). You see there was a marsh at the mouth of the Tigris – Euphrates River in Southern Iraq. This marsh was the homeland of many Shiites who opposed Hussein. After the first Gulf War (early 90’s) Hussein started burning & draining the marsh to oust & eradicate the Shiites.
Now this marsh was also the primary stop-over for many migratory birds heading to Africa from Asia. Many, if not most of the other stop-over areas had already been drained or destroyed, one way or the other over the decades. This marsh probably was the most important of all the stop-over areas and was perfectly situated about halfway down the flyway. It was never thoroughly drained but probably only about 10-20% remained in 2003. At that point the Coalition Forces and the local people began a restoration program and the marsh has tentatively been restored about 50%. If Hussein had ever finished the job anywhere from 10 to 50 species of birds could have been lost.
Even though I know Bush was not a “died in the wool” Environmentalist he did take Environmental Concerns more seriously than many realized – even Global Warming (where he said he thought it was a serious issue and needed more study & not just be dismissed — This caused Rush Limbaugh to call him “George Bush/Al Gore” a few months into his first term— some of you might remember this if you would jog your newly Realistic Minds. However something happen that changed his priorities…….9/11). You see the Real world ‘IS’ Multi-Layered & Multi-Textured — Just ask Obama – the world was not as simple as he thought. The Celestial Choirs’ didn’t sing (even if Hillary was the one who made the comment)!!
Bush always said there was more than one reason Hussein had to go – not just WMD. This is not to say that I am implying that the marsh was high on his list. However, the marsh was just one of a long list of Hussein’s Atrocities and possible benefits of removing him. I could go down that long list but I am sure many of you newly more Scientific/Realistic Liberals could Google them up. You know. for a more ‘Complete & Sophisticated Understanding’.
……………..and let’s all hope for the Rhino’s and many other specie’s continued survival, maybe via Science once again…………. Genetic Sampling.
You are an idiot.