Well now I'm depressed...

[uberreiniger]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070912/ap_on_re_eu/endangered_gorillas

I love how everything that happens on the African continent gets ignored by the Western world. Until it's too damn late.

Comments

[germsama.livejournal.com]

Wow... that's. Really depressing. Imagine a world without gorillas. D: I hope some serious consideration toward this matter. People are getting way too wrapped up in menial things and really aren't given a second thought to what we're doing to our planet and the other animals we share it with.

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

Imagine a world without gorillas

I don't want to live in that world.

[chade66.livejournal.com]

Huh, I knew about this a long time ago, but then, being a primatologist was something I considered doing at the time.

Truth of the matter is, extinction is the rule, survival is the anomaly. 90% of the species that ever walked the earth are already extinct. Probably a good thing in some ways, I don't think I would want to dodge a triceratops on my way to work!

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

True, but since humans took over the planet I don't think there have been many species that have gone extinct due to anything other than human interference.

[rob-rants.livejournal.com]

Well in the BIG picture, we are just another animal that uses up resources other animals need to survive. It's not pretty or right, but it's the truth. But you can't blame it all on the western world, quite often we try to save species, but the 3rd world countries and peoples of the world are often ignoring whats going on and slaughtering these creatures (which ever they may be) for profit. Whether it is powdered rhino horn, ivory, or bears gall bladder. There is always a profit to be made in 3rd world killing animals to sell parts to other 3rd word.

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm saying. We don't bother to make ourselves aware that these practices go on elsewhere in the world until someone shouts "OOPS! There's only a thousand of these critters left! Better do something!"

[chade66.livejournal.com]

Perhaps, but the same could be said about mammals pushing out the dinosaurs. Still while man is playing his part in this particular drama with illegal poaching, Ebola is killing off far more gorillas than humans are. And it wouldn't surprise me if something a kin to Ebola eventually wipes us out as well.

[chade66.livejournal.com]

Not true at all. Gorillas have been on the downslide for well over thirties years and most people in the scientific fields have known for a long time, but getting the governments to do something about it is a whole different story.

Its like the Fisher (small mammal related to river otters), most people have never heard of them or never seen one even in a zoo. Are they extinct now? No one is quite sure.

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

Yes, but without the damage done to gorilla populations by humans in recent decades would the Ebola outbreak be hitting them so hard? That's the question. I don't think you can call mammals pushing out dinosaurs the same thing because habitat destruction for fun and profit is something that's pretty unique to humans. Poaching as well.