Wolves as Endangered Species

[Thoran]

Originally posted by Nachtrafe: Erm...I'm especially fond of Raven;s. They're scavengers, does that count? [img]smile.gif[/img] And really, I think it might be fun to be the villiage idiot in a past life. It really takes the pressure to perform off. [/QB]

Quoth the raven:
NEVERMORE!

I've always like Ravens and Crows. Smart birds.

[Nachtrafe]

Originally posted by MagiK: quote: Originally posted by Nachtrafe: Hiya Magik. I saw this and just had to comment. I've read, and even enjoyed some of the fiction you're talking about. But I too get extermely irritated when these fluffy-bunny types begin ranting about how bad we humans are and how wonderful the Horse/Eagle/Wolf/Three-Toed Sloth is. I'm thinking that they should all be sent into the woods for a little real life survival drill. I've noticed that a whopping great dose of reality tends to change people's world views in a BIG hurry.

Howdy Nachtrafe, [img]smile.gif[/img] haven't seen many posts from you in a while. I guess I should ammend my statemnet a little, I enjoy the fiction well enough (like the Elfquest and other fantasy works) but it is when real humans start to believe in the fantasy and try to apply it to the real world thats what irritates. I think it is dangerous to blur the line of reality and fantasy and it can cause people to get hurt.[/QUOTE]Howdy yourself Magik. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Yeah, I haven't been posting on IW...Or is it EG? Anyway...I haven't been posting much. Been too busy job hunting. But I decided to come back and play a bit more. I miss you guys...*GROUP HUG* HEHE

I agree with your point. [img]smile.gif[/img] Intelligent horses and birds and wolves and bears and whatever are *fine* in a fantasy novel, but people need to realize that those same 'cute fuzzy aminals' will cheerfully rip you stomp, peck, bite and rend you in the real world. They're *animals*, and too many people forget that.

[Nachtrafe]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: Nactrafe: Tigers are endangered. Their population has been thinned to the point that the gene pool is too small for the species to evolve. Left alone, with no predators or interference, it will still fall subject to the genetic drift that affects small populations sooner or later. Same with the Leopard. Except for zoos and other managed areas where the species is cared for, Tigers will be gone from the face of the planet in 25 years. But, just the other day I saw a nightly news show where they found a dozen tigers hacked up and lying about in various shops on one street in Vietnam. Teeth were sold in one place, oils in a few others, etc etc. So, the living trophies may live on as some perverse life-under-glass form that allows us to at least view the animal, but for all intents and purposes, it *is* extinct. Poor example, my friend.

Actually, if you look at pure numbers, Tigers are *not* endangered. Yes, in the wild, there are very few of them left alive. But purely on a 'number of animals alive' basis, Tigers are doing just fine.

The same gentleman that started the tiger farm is also cross-breeding his tigers to reduce their genetic viability. It does his bottom line no good if his species dies out. He even plans to re-introduce a select percentage back into the wild eventually. So I say again...Tigers are in NO DANGER of becoming extinct.

Oh, and lest you think I'm heartless...I saw a blurb about the Tigers and it thoroughly pissed me off. I happen to think Tigers are beautiful animals and I'm glad that this tiger farm guy is doing what he's doing. I CANT STAND trophy hunters. It pisses me off to no end! Every animal I've ever hunted, I ATE! That's not to say that I didn't keep the rack of the 5 point buck I shot, since I did, but I used as many of the various bits of the animal as I could. I even tanned the hide and gave it to my Dad as a present. But hunting simply for the thrill or the trophy really is a despicable practice.

[Nachtrafe]

Originally posted by Thoran: quote: Originally posted by Nachtrafe: Erm...I'm especially fond of Raven;s. They're scavengers, does that count? [img]smile.gif[/img] And really, I think it might be fun to be the villiage idiot in a past life. It really takes the pressure to perform off.

Quoth the raven:
NEVERMORE!

I've always like Ravens and Crows. Smart birds.[/QB][/QUOTE]LOL. [img]smile.gif[/img]

When I lived in Illinois I was friends with a Falconer. I found a Raven with a broken wing on the way home from work one night and took him the bird. Together we nursed it back to health. We tried to release it, but the silly thing had become so fond of the easy food that she stayed. [img]smile.gif[/img] Her and the guy's two hawks actually got along pretty well.

And yes, they are smart birds. They picked up on several little tricks with almost no prompting. And the Raven didn't even need jesses to sit on our wrists. She would perch quite calmly. She would even sit in the transport cage unhooded. Anyone who's ever worked with raptors will know that a hawk or eagle would NEVER do that.

[Sir Krustin]

Wow...to think an offhand comment by myself started this. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Well, I've pretty much said my piece, I'll continue following this discussion with interest, and I may jump in again...but I will say it's been interesting!