Tragedy at the Zoo

Throughout my formative years, I was enamored with animals of every kind and visited zoos on a regular basis; in my mind, despite their use of restrictive cages, zoos played an important role in public education and wildlife conservation.  The increasing use of "naturalized enclosures" allayed some of my concerns and I planned to pursue veterinary medicine long before I opted for medical school.

The zoo of my youth was the Cincinnati Zoo, where yesterday's tragedy unfolded; a four-year old boy somehow gained access to the gorilla exhibit and fell into the moat.  This caught the attention of a 17 year-old male gorilla who grabbed the child (perhaps with protective rather than hostile intent), forcing staff members to kill him.  While the cause of this tragedy is under investigation, inadequate fencing and inattentive parenting both surely played a role.

In a larger sense, this tragic event highlights both the potential risks and ethical dilemmas of caging intelligent creatures (primates, elephants, cetaceans, etc.) for our own entertainment, even if a certain degree of education and research is achieved.  The concept of rescuing endangered species for captive breeding and reintroduction to the wild has been unsuccessful in most cases (California condors and black-footed ferrets are two exceptions) and "naturalized exhibits" can never match the freedom and benefits of native habitat.  Though tragedies such as occurred yesterday are rare, the greater tragedy of human-imposed captivity has long been a cherished practice in our culture.  Perhaps, as human enlightenment progresses, we will come to reject the imprisonment of intelligent animals.

Backyard Safaris

Our property in Columbia, Missouri, is of modest size but has enough variety of foliage and landscape to attract an interesting diversity of creatures.  Raccoons, opossums, cottontails, squirrels, field mice, shrews, moles and occasional white-tailed deer are among the mammalian residents and visitors.  Amphibians and reptiles include American toads, garter snakes and blue-tailed skinks and, of course, we host the usual mix of resident and migrant birds.  Then there are the various insects, spiders and crustaceans that, in the end, are of most interest to young children.

Indeed, having grandchildren sets the stage for regular backyard safaris.  While the excursions are not always successful when it comes to finding reptiles and mammals, these mini-adventures are sure to turn up a variety of interesting creatures.  Our oldest grandson has become an amateur birder (spurred on by the gift of a field guide) while his younger brother is most fascinated with ladybugs, daddy-long-legs and rollie-pollies; but the chance of finding a snake or lizard is usually the initial motivation.

Such explorations, rarely lasting more than 30 minutes, are enjoyable for the leader and the kids alike.  In truth, I often discover something new myself (especially in the plant kingdom) and know that these safaris will have lasting effects on the boys.  Like most things in life, an interest in nature is best instilled during childhood.

Humboldt the Ecologist

In the course of reading The Invention of Nature, by Andrea Wulf (see Getting to know Humboldt), I have come to learn the important role that Alexander von Humboldt played in the field of ecology, theretofore an unacknowledged science.  Famous for his intrepid exploration of the tropics in Venezuela and the Andes of Colombia and Peru, Humboldt's major gift to humanity may have been his insights regarding the unity of nature, the interdependence of ecosystems and the effects of human civilization on the health of our natural environment.

Energetic, enthusiastic and inquisitive, he made detailed records of his discoveries and, in the course of that process, took note of similar ecosystems across the globe, related by latitude and/or elevation.  Indeed, to my knowledge, he was the first explorer to develop the concept of life zones, thereby emphasizing the effects of climate on the resident plants and animals.  He also observed and reported on the negative effects that human societies have on the environment, including those produced by deforestation, stream diversion and over-hunting.

Completing his excursion through South and Central America just as Lewis and Clark were beginning their exploration of the American West, Humboldt clearly had far more interest in the ecology of the landscapes through which he traveled.  Based on my readings (see Up River with Lewis and Clark and subsequent posts), the famous American explorers were focused primarily on finding a route to the Pacific; while their description of the landscape and wildlife is fascinating and their journey was no less courageous, they made little reference to the natural science of Western ecosystems.

Politics, Science & the Environment

As the field of Republican Presidential candidates continues to dwindle, those left are courting the Right Wing of their Party, hoping to garner their support.  Of course, this means that they must ridicule global warming, oppose environmental regulations and promise to reduce federal funding for science, including space exploration and medical research.

Were it up to that segment of the American populace, we would eliminate the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency, would defund Planned Parenthood and stem cell research and would repeal subsidies for clean energy technology.  Opposed to most environmental regulations, they would curtail (if not repeal) legislation devoted to reducing air and water pollution, protecting wilderness areas and limiting human impact on vital ecosystems.

Fortunately, young voters seem inclined to adopt lifestyles that foster human health and protect the welfare of our environment.  Hopefully, they will use the power of the ballot to elect individuals who share their commitments.  After all, it is their future that is most threatened by the anti-science rhetoric and pro-industry policies of Right Wing Conservatives.