I recently read a story about North Atlantic Right whales being on the verge of extinction. The story suggested that boats were not adhering to slow zones where the whale population is, causing continued collisions with whales that are ending their lives. Reading this horrifies me, but it also reminds me that we have such a sense of entitlement when it comes to the planet and the other species that inhabit it. Whales, Giraffes, Birds, Plants, Rhinos...what isn't facing extinction anymore I wonder? I also wonder at what point we, as humanity, collectively care about anything other than ourselves?

During the Trump Presidency, one of the last things decided, was that grey wolves would lose their Endangered Species Act protections after 45 years. This news was devastating considering the monumental effort involved in saving a species from extinction. Almost immediately after they lost their protections, gun-loving, trophy-hunting, and sport-hunting fanatics lobbied to have wolves opened up once again, for hunting opportunities. Not long after, Republican led states opened wolves up, once again, for sport-hunting, effectively undermining and undoing, 45 years of work to rehabilitate the species. Wolves are under attack and there are still too many people on this planet who see them as nothing more than gun fodder despite being integral to their ecosystem. Sport-hunting has once again put wolves at serious risk of plunging towards inevitable extinction. What did we learn?

When you look at the plight of wolves, or the carelessness of boaters who are endangering the last remaining North Atlantic Right Whales; what have we learned? Can we not offer compassion to a species that is going to be wiped off of the face of the earth because of our carelessness and disregard for their deserving of life? When we can't even slow our boats down in an area where a species faces extinction, is there any hope left for the remainder of species on our planet outside of humans? We're setting fire to our forests, polluting our oceans, lakes, and canals, and fueling drought and habitat loss. We will at some point, come to a screeching halt due to our inability to look to the future and recognize that our actions today, determine our future.

Our relationship with our planet needs to change. Without even touching on climate change, because that's one of those topics that there are simply, too many people who disagree with; I wonder at what point do we accept that our actions are causing the decimation of every other species on this planet? At what point do we recognize that our reliance on factory farming will continue to pollute and steal habitat from already imperiled animals & plants? At what point do we accept that allowing trophy hunting of species that are facing extinction is in no way, shape, or form, helping to conserve them? When will we put our selfishness aside and learn to live in unison with ALL other species on our planet?

Unfortunately, I believe that the answer to these questions is when it's far too late. We may already be headed towards an inevitable mass extinction as we shop relentlessly, toss our trash on the ground in public parks and reserves, or travel in our luxury yachts / planes. Humanity is such an enigma, because we cry when things happen to us, but can't be bothered to shed a tear at the perils we've imposed on every other species on this planet.

So tell me, do you think we'll ever learn, or is it simply too late for our planet's most vulnerable species?

A draft to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem in the United States, has been released and the public has until November 13th, 2023 to submit their comments / concerns. Historically, grizzly bears roamed the North Cascades for thousands of years before human encroachment pushed them to near extinction. This is the second attempt at restoring grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem, after the Trump administration halted the restoration back in 2015, despite over 159, 000 statements of support from local residents. 

Reintroducing grizzly bears is something I support wholeheartedly. Considering it was humans who eradicated them, it certainly falls on us to restore them to their habitat. My concern here is much the same as it was with grey wolves. Grey wolves were listed under federal protections for over 45 years. In that time, endless resources were funneled in to restoring wolves to their habitat across the U.S. and their populations finally started to recover. Then, the Trump administration removed protections for grey wolves, which opened them up to hunters in pro-hunting states throughout the United States. Without wasting time, several states reenacted their wolf hunting licenses, and wolves were callously shot for sport, dwindling their numbers back down. 45 years of effort, time, and money, nearly erased within months of wolf protections being lifted.

Will this be the case for the grizzly bear? Reintroduction is a wonderful thing, especially for a healthy habitat. As we know, every habitat / ecosystem relies on ALL of its inhabitants to properly thrive and the reintroduction of grizzlies is crucial to keep the North Cascades ecosystem thriving for years to come. However, I fear that without necessary protections issued to grizzlies being reintroduced, that they will inevitably face the same fate they faced that originally pushed them to near extinction. This reintroduction must come with crucial protections for grizzlies, otherwise, what's stopping callous hunters from shooting them for fun / sport and plunging them back towards extinction?

As I said, if you look at the plight of the grey wolf in the United States, it's clear that without continued protections, there are enough people who just don't care about their survival and would happily shoot and kill them for fun. Will this reintroduction of grizzlies come with guaranteed protections? If not, I fear that we will funnel our energy and resources in to something that is doomed to fail grizzlies and the North Cascades.

​Learn more about this story by visiting the link at the top of this post.