At 07:52 PM 11/2/97 -0700, you wrote:
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>My question is: Is TNC The Nature Conservancy, or The Nature
>Conservance? II am a member of The Nature Conservancy.
TNC is The Nature Conservancy.
- Charlotte.
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>> 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]
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