To many of the regular followers and supporters of this Facebook page, you will have noted that I include a great deal of input relating to the conservation of endangered wildlife and the consequences of mankind not putting a stop to the wholesale slaughter that is going on with particular reference to the poaching of rhino and elephant for their horns and tusks. And then a conversation earlier on today got me thinking; does anyone really give a damn if there are no longer any rhinos or elephants wandering around free in the wild? Us conservationists bang on about leaving the heritage of wildlife to our children and grandchildren, but do they really care, has anyone bothered to ask them? I do not know the answer to this, when, in this age of technology 3 year olds are waking their parents at 04:00 demanding access to their IPads! (As reported in the UK press this week). Then I was reminded of a survey in the UK a few years ago when City based kids were asked where milk came from. The majority had never heard of a cow, let alone ever seen one. The assumption was it came out of a bottle or plastic container! So what chance does the rhino or elephant really have? Once they are extinct, then the users of the by products of their horns and tusks will find other so called cures for hang overs, cancers and impotence. But there is hope for these magnificent creatures and this can be witnessed in Kenya every day. It is called education. Children are being taught that their future prosperity is learning to live alongside the wildlife and to develop methods of domestic livestock living in harmony with the wildlife. They are learning that the wildlife is a means to prosperity, because the tourists bring in big bucks which they directly benefit from through employment opportunities, schooling, health care and welfare, without changing their traditional values. Tourist revenues are helping to treat and eradicate malaria, provide treatment and prevention of HIV, better understanding of birth control, improving supplies of fresh water and sanitation. Yes a Lion will continue to kill cattle, thats what they do, but it does not mean that the whole of the pride has to be poisoned in retribution. Instead a percentage of the revenue from your safari goes to replacing the cattle killed and to provide better protection for the domestic cattle and goats and better animal husbandry and disease prevention in cattle stocks, thus producing better yields of milk and meat, thereby producing increased income and prosperity. The older I get, the more aware I am becoming of the plight of these endangered species and the more that I want to contribute in order to protect and preserve our heritage in the hope that future generations actually want and appreciate it.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 23:39:08 +0000
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