My response to this is short: What about birth control measures??
Or relocating the animals? If TNC truly "cares" about suffering,
what is the organization doing to limit such suffering?? Is the
practice of -cruelly- killing one species of animals to save others
considered reasonable? And who is the person that decided that the
snares kill quickly? And is this "quick kill" painless? Most
likely not... most likely not.
So much suffering, more and more each day... and TNC continues to
promote itself as caring.
In the end, suffering is suffering, whether I felt it, or you felt
it, or a pig who knows no better felt it. And the more we allow,
the more we perpetuate such practices, whether against humans or
animals. Unfortunately, those who -cause- the suffering, seem to
never feel it at all.
- Charlotte
At 05:29 PM 10/31/97 +0500, you wrote:
>Feral pigs are a major factor in the tragic, unbelievably high rate of
>species extinctions in Hawaii-- for both birds and plants. Historically,
>Hawaii had NO mammal species - except for one insectivorous bat.
>Therefore, native Hawaiian species have no defenses against grazing
>mammals. Because native plants have no protective thorns, distastefulness,
>etc. etc. feral pigs feed on them preferentially, and the plants are
>disappearing. The pigs also create wallows, or pits in the forest for
>mud-bathing, and these wallows (not found in pre-pig days) are the primary
>breeding grounds for introduced mosquitoes. These mosquitoes carry avian
>malaria (also introduced), which has decimated Hawaiian birds. Control of
>feral pig populations is absolutely vital to conserving what's left of
>Hawaii's precious, fragile, and unique ecosystem. Many of Hawaii's species
>are (or were) found nowhere else in the world.
>
>Snares have been modified to kill quickly. It is to the biologist's
>advantage if the pig is killed quickly, because that minimizes disturbance
>to the surrounding vegetation. Also, it is to the biologist's advantage to
>check snares often - and many are checked daily - because in this way, more
>pigs are removed from the forest.
>
>I am against needless suffering of animals and agree with many of PETA's
>positions. However, when extinctions and severe endangerment result from
>introduced species, I believe the non-native animals must be removed as
>humanely as possible. This is precisely what TNC is doing in Hawaii. One
>final note-- when considering the suffering of animals in Hawaii, you have
>to add in the birds dying from malaria...it is not a pleasant way to go at
>all.
>
>Sue Daniels
>VPISU Biology
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>
