Stewardship of our Savannahs, of our Earth

Stewardship of our Savannahs, of our Earth

I originally shied away from blogging in general because I felt and still do feel that the Internet is far too awash with information, and most of it is useless. Who would both to read such a vast accumulation of egotistical ramblings and useless junk? 

This article caught my eye today and motivated me to shed light. 

Rhino population driven to extinction in Mozambique, expert says

Published May 02, 2013

Associated Press

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  FILE - In this undated photo supplied by International Fund For Animal Welafre (IFAW), orphaned black rhinos square up after their release into a holding boma at Addo National Park, 50 miles north-east of Port Elizabeth, South Africa after each was abandoned at birth. (AP/IFAW)

  
  

JOHANNESBURG –  Mozambique's rhinoceros population was wiped out more than a century ago by big game hunters. Reconstituted several years ago, the beasts again are on the brink of vanishing from the country by poachers seeking their horns for sale in Asia.

A leading expert told The Associated Press that the last rhino in the southern African nation has been killed. The warden of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park -- the only place where the horned behemoths lived in Mozambique -- also says poachers have wiped out the rhinos. Mozambique's conservation director believes a few may remain.

Elephants also could vanish in Mozambique soon, the warden of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, Antonio Abacar, told AP. He said game rangers have been aiding poachers, and 30 of the park's 100 rangers will appear in court soon.

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How many more of our planet's species will we allow to die out under our watch? Our tyrannical watch?

We, as a race of human beings, are meant to be stewards and guardians of this planet. To our present knowledge, we are the ones capable of attaining technological, civilizational, and societal sophistication. At the very least, we believe we hold this supreme position. 

Yet, we have facilitated a systemized destruction of natural ecosystems and consistently infringed upon native cultures and societies in species both human and non-human. This has continued to the extent that we have selfishly hoarded material goods and allowed our civilizations and societies to expand in such a way that accountability is ignored. 

Can we realize accountability and responsibility? We should and we must.

Can we attain balance with ourselves and with our planet? It would not be an end, but it would certainly create a paradise on this planet. 

Let us make Earth a haven, not only for our species and our civilization, but for the good animals and plants we share this space with, and for any others who may exist beyond the borders of our current knowledge.

We can begin with ourselves and with our localities. To actively discourage and seek to disrupt any actions taken by others that would unsustainably destroy or deconstruct natural habitats is a first step. Look at the African Black Rhinocerous, Diceros bicornis, as a case in point.

First, we can discourage hunting of these beautiful creatures in their natural environments. This involves working through existing international organizations, like the World Wildlife Fund, the United Nations and African Union, to encourage politicians at the senior administrative levels to steer their governments on courses that would initiate conservationist policies. The potential for these movements is cultural, political and economic. 

Second, we can actively discourage the purchasing of illegally harvested animal product -- specifically meat, pelt, bone and tusk -- which would otherwise incentivize poachers and hunters to make such an effort. How to discourage purchase? By enabling purchase of legally harvested animal product. How to legally harvest animal product in a sustainable way?

For that we can look to our recent ancestors of the great lands of North America, the Native Americans of the Cherokee, the Sioux, and the Crow. Of course, there were many other tribes, but there is little space here and naming them all is not the purpose of this essay. How did the Native Americans practice conservation of animal populations? By harvesting only the oldest members of the population and utilizing every part of an animal carcass.

The meat was used for food. The fats for oils and medicines. The organs for various tonics and medicinals. The pelts for clothing. The bones all for tools and jewelry. 

Population culling is a good practice when used with right intention, right action and right effort. We are capable of such intention, action and effort. We are capable of acting rightly. Selecting only a few animals to be removed from the population and doing so in a way that harmonizes with natural balances can sustain a population, maintain the value of animal products, and produce enough animal product to satisfy a market.

This knowledge exists in the Western civilizations. Let it be spread to Africa, where it is most needed; and to Asia, where it can help to manage overfishing of oceans, particularly whale, dolphin and shark populations. 

May this post find you and motivate you to take action today against the paralysis of the status quo, in an effort to make improvements and refine our system into a more sustainable stewardship of our planet.