Which Species Is Really The Nuisance?
The New York Times recently reported that a record number of “nuisance” bears were killed in Colorado this year, according to the report, because of drought and a late spring freeze that affecting food supplies.
The real issue is human encroachment into bear habitat. The bears could roam further for their natural food supply (as they’ve done in the past during similar conditions), but why do that when there are readily and easily available dumpsters and garbage cans?
And since it’s so warm and toasty outside, they’re hanging around longer, and not going to their dens like good bears. Guess we’ll have to shoot ‘em, because we’re sure as the fuck not going to change any of our habits!
Colorado was once prime grizzly habitat, but due to development and expanding human populations, there isn’t a single, remaining tract of land that could support a viable grizzly population. Not even the remote and vast Tierra Amarillo in the Southern San Juan’s. To survive, Black bears don’t require the same amount of undeveloped tracts of land that grizzlies do, but when you have too many towns and cities within bear habitat, you inevitably have conflicts, and the bear almost always is the big loser. It seems clear they do need more space than is currently available.
This is one of the many consequences of increasing development and expanding human populations that too few people consider. The easy solution seems to be to just kill the bears, as if the bears have no right to life. Apparently human life is more important that the life of a bear, and there lies one of the most basic, core problems in our society. Anthropocentrism, often rooted in the soul filled, dominion based, Judeo-Christian view of the world. The problem, of course, is that all life is interdependent and no one organism is any more or less important than another in a functional, healthy ecosystem. This is a fact. The notion that some being created humans and granted them a special place on the planet is a fantasy created by the species that wants to be lord of all.
My question is this. What do we do with all the nuisance humans? I believe the bear has a right to harvest a human or two each season, as needed. Let’s apply some human conservation logic to our own species. As of today, our species is not endangered and could sustain some losses without becoming extinct. In fact, it may prove helpful to the survival of our species since the only threat we really face is ourselves.
Humans aren’t on the endangered or threatened list. Now all we have to do is define an acceptable harvest limit for each bear, shark or mountain lion.
Since Hollywood is moving in, the bears will need to be moved and the rest of us can just look at pictures of bears in our “nature” centers. Much safer for everyone!
Wait, the environmentalists have to fly around in their private jets telling us peons what to do about the environment, while they develop their private vacation spots. So moving the bears is probably not an option. I guess the bears will just have to be shot, so Hollywood can have their play grounds.
I’d be hesitant to call “Hollywood types” environmentalists. Bandwagon, publicity seekers maybe. Posers. Bono is the worst. That asshole once bought a plane ticket so his favorite hat could be flown to him overseas.
That is my point Jack. They are NOT environmentalists. Hollywood is just another profit motivated machine that, in addition to the making the cash, has the audacity to tell the rest of us how we should live like we are in the 7th century while they pollute and “develop”. Posers!!! Hypocrites!!!! Scalded Consciences!!! I’d say to Al Gore and his band, act like you believe your own propaganda and actually stop polluting.
Al’s Carbon Credits…what a scam.
What about the bears? Will he soon offer bear credits for every bear they have to shoot for their own pleasure trips?