Problems with Pythons
The Burmese Python has become a huge problem in the Florida everglades. This is a non-native species that has been brought to the everglades by people who thought this would make a great pet for their home not realizing that the python grows to up to 26 feet and a massive 200 pounds. These "pets" are cast out by their owners long before they reach these sizes because they can no longer house the massive size of the snake. Once they are thrown to the side they flourish in the hot humid climate the Florida everglades has to offer them increasing in size on the occasional snake of the family cat or dog, even alligators and some reports of children. In my opinion the government needs to step in on this growing problem with the population estimated to about 1,900 pythons as counted by the National Park Service. Regulations need to be set for restricting the sales of the python to anyone not accredited with the proper licensing like a zoo. Without government control and policies set in stone I feel like the problem will continue to grow into an uncontrollable level that is on the brink of throwing the ecosystem of the everglades into a downward spiral. These snakes are single handedly decimating the population of many small and even medium sized mammals. As stated in the article linked above this entry the populations of the opossum, raccoon, and deer have dropped off to more than 90% of the typical sightings and bobcats are down below 80% typical sightings. This obvious threat to the delicate ecosystem that is the everglades needs immediate attention and it all starts with government stepping in and putting a stop to the import of the python. Only once people stop abandoning their pet pythons in the everglades can they then be managed and hopefully permanently removed from the everglades and the natural balance be restored.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Halt to Conservation Efforts
In an article posted by CBS news the attempt of restoring a lost Atlantic flyway of the Whooping crane has been stopped because FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) says it is an illegal payment or employment of the pilots to guide to cranes to their wintering destination. The rule stats that only commercially licensed pilots can be paid to fly any form of aircraft and the pilots being used to fly the sport aircraft have the license to fly just such an aircraft. That is the rule placed by the FAA to prevent businesses and charities from flying clients on risky planes as the article puts it which does make sense, but having said that I think it is a sad day when a conservation effort is halted because of some rule implied to prevent passenger transport on risky planes. There are no passengers on this flight the only person on the aircraft is the pilot who is guiding the young cranes down the path of the flyway to be established. This to me shows the big business' attitude towards wildlife and conservation efforts. They show little importance to the efforts to restore this species to healthy levels. The group responsible for the attempt to restore the flyway (Operation Migration) has put in for a waiver allowing them to pay the pilots for their time to continue the journey but the FAA has stated that it will more than likely not be examined or considered until after spring which will delay if not completely miss the time they cranes need to leave for their journey back north. The FAA has once again shown us how little they care about the world of wildlife conservation in their lax approach to looking at a simple waiver that will in no way delay them in their other tasks. I think this is a reflection of what the majority of the world's out look on wildlife conservation is at this time. Unless someone has a background or interest in the subject it usually gets passed up as not important. I think that this shows us what people think about the efforts to restore species populations as it only matters to "tree hugers" or naturalists and they have little to no importance to the economy and is therefore not important. The fact that efforts to restore a population of an endangered species and an extinct flyway have been stopped because of a regulation that really does not apply to the situation and could easily be back on track by simply passing a waiver is very disappointing as well as disturbing.
In an article posted by CBS news the attempt of restoring a lost Atlantic flyway of the Whooping crane has been stopped because FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) says it is an illegal payment or employment of the pilots to guide to cranes to their wintering destination. The rule stats that only commercially licensed pilots can be paid to fly any form of aircraft and the pilots being used to fly the sport aircraft have the license to fly just such an aircraft. That is the rule placed by the FAA to prevent businesses and charities from flying clients on risky planes as the article puts it which does make sense, but having said that I think it is a sad day when a conservation effort is halted because of some rule implied to prevent passenger transport on risky planes. There are no passengers on this flight the only person on the aircraft is the pilot who is guiding the young cranes down the path of the flyway to be established. This to me shows the big business' attitude towards wildlife and conservation efforts. They show little importance to the efforts to restore this species to healthy levels. The group responsible for the attempt to restore the flyway (Operation Migration) has put in for a waiver allowing them to pay the pilots for their time to continue the journey but the FAA has stated that it will more than likely not be examined or considered until after spring which will delay if not completely miss the time they cranes need to leave for their journey back north. The FAA has once again shown us how little they care about the world of wildlife conservation in their lax approach to looking at a simple waiver that will in no way delay them in their other tasks. I think this is a reflection of what the majority of the world's out look on wildlife conservation is at this time. Unless someone has a background or interest in the subject it usually gets passed up as not important. I think that this shows us what people think about the efforts to restore species populations as it only matters to "tree hugers" or naturalists and they have little to no importance to the economy and is therefore not important. The fact that efforts to restore a population of an endangered species and an extinct flyway have been stopped because of a regulation that really does not apply to the situation and could easily be back on track by simply passing a waiver is very disappointing as well as disturbing.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Wolves in Yellowstone
CNN:Brad Lendon, Wolves in Yellowstone
Brad Lendon from CNN news wrote about the contribution to the ecosystem of Yellowstone that the wolf brings with its return. With the reintroduction of the Gray Wolf to the Yellowstone area they brought with them a balance to the ecosystem that was once lost. I think this is a good example of how past unregulated hunting or extracting still affects our world to this day. The idea that the wolf was a nuisance to livestock and killed off the grounds for this reason shows the great need for management or conservation efforts. This relationship between wolf and environment reminds me of what we have in the southeast with the coyote. Sure it attacks and kills the white tail deer which angers pretty much any and all deer hunters and has lead to a kill on site management plan, but what if the coyote is the only thing keeping the deer population at a healthy level. Too many deer lead to over grazing and the starvation of not only the deer but other species that eat the same things or that live in the cover that is under the browse line. Growing up on a farm and being a hunter I can see how coyotes can be a nuisance but at the same time I can look at the coyote on a conservationist level and see that maybe they are doing more good than bad on a larger more long term scale just like the benefit found with the presence of the wolf in Yellowstone.
Brad Lendon from CNN news wrote about the contribution to the ecosystem of Yellowstone that the wolf brings with its return. With the reintroduction of the Gray Wolf to the Yellowstone area they brought with them a balance to the ecosystem that was once lost. I think this is a good example of how past unregulated hunting or extracting still affects our world to this day. The idea that the wolf was a nuisance to livestock and killed off the grounds for this reason shows the great need for management or conservation efforts. This relationship between wolf and environment reminds me of what we have in the southeast with the coyote. Sure it attacks and kills the white tail deer which angers pretty much any and all deer hunters and has lead to a kill on site management plan, but what if the coyote is the only thing keeping the deer population at a healthy level. Too many deer lead to over grazing and the starvation of not only the deer but other species that eat the same things or that live in the cover that is under the browse line. Growing up on a farm and being a hunter I can see how coyotes can be a nuisance but at the same time I can look at the coyote on a conservationist level and see that maybe they are doing more good than bad on a larger more long term scale just like the benefit found with the presence of the wolf in Yellowstone.
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