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Thomas Cramer
Mrs. Gardner
English 10
3 May 2014
Urban Extinction; Natures Fatality
In 2011, 23,000 Canadian geese and 13,700 raccoons were killed in the United States
because they were considered a nuisance (Sterba). The deaths of these nuisance animals
arent occurring because of hunting, but because our society cant stay within its limits of life.
Urbanization, or taking on the characteristics of a city, has pushed the habitats of many animals
to miniscule quantities. If humanity believes that hunting is forcing animals to extinction and not
urbanization, our planet will begin to lose all habitats and consequently, we will lose the animals
that coincide with our actions today. In order for our society to coincide with animals and live
with these wild animals, our communities must agree to stay within its boundaries and allow
nature to intertwine with our everyday lives. Urbanization is the extinction of animals by
crushing their habitats, by diminishing the nuisance animals that live among us, and by
allowing people to poach and be able to excel in our present society.
Even with the views against urbanization, hunting is the killing of an animal in its natural
habitat (Thesaurus.com). The death of an animal in its natural habitat however, is still better than
diminishing its very existence within nature and our planet. Hunting can be seen as the death of
one individual, where urbanization can be seen as destroying both the homes and lives of
animals. Hunting also creates opportunities for nature preserves and more opportunities for
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endangered species to be protected. It is understandable to some individuals that hunting cannot
be an environmentally friendly activity (Anderkam); however, a hunt for a specific white rhino
male, one extremely old individual that was being bullied by younger rhinos, allowed the
$120,000 that the permit cost to be funded into the protection of this endangered species
(Sterba). The death of one animal allowed for the entire species to benefit as well as the habitat
that these animals affect. In total, yes, hunting does cause the death of an individual, but hunting
provides opportunities for the conservation of species and their habitat instead of their homes
being compacted and depreciated by urbanization.
Additional conservation will help our society to be able to protect our endangered species
effortlessly. In our present communities however, poachers-- a person who trespasses on private
property to catch fish or game illegally-- have found a new way to cash in on our poor support of
local habitats (Thesaurus.com ). In 2011, over 400 endangered rhinos where killed for their rare
horns that cost up to $30,000 per pound (Wilson). There were even bounties for wolves for up to
$500 dollars in Alberta which would lead to over 600 bounties to be paid out (Weber). In our
present society, poachers have ways to kill for a living because of our lack in conservation in the
many different habitats located around the world. For example, society must decide whether 60%
of the wolves in Wyoming will be targeted for elimination, or is their homes are to be protected
from the ruthless poachers (Gibson). With less urbanization, our protected habitats will remain
and the opportunity for these illegal killers to make a profit will dwindle.
This profit however leads to another separate killing because of urbanization.
Urbanization has caused cities to expand into local habitats, causing animals to be killed because
they are a nuisance. These deaths continue to add up as a recorded 23,700 geese were killed
within our city streets (Sterba). These deaths occur because the over expansion into nearby
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habitats, which is accountable for 60% of Massachusetts to be off limits for hunting because of
road laws (Sterba). The little restrictions on animals have them running wild with coyotes
beginning to attack small dogs and deer reaching death tolls of 4,000 each day as they will be hit
by passing drivers (Sterba). If communities allow nature to coincide and live within our lives, it
would reduce the deaths of these poor animals and reduce their chances of extinction. If society
and nature are joined together, a decrease of extinction for animals will occur as well as an
increase in population for endangered species. If the animals we pass everyday were left alone
instead of being killed, the density and impact of wildlife on society would change and increase
in immense amounts. This growth in animals will also allow children in later years to learn about
conservation, limits, and not read about animals that once lived and were crushed by the
skyscrapers they live in.
These nuisance deaths also join with these species loss of habitat, from shrinking their
homes to completely destroying them. This loss of habitat has progressed to the death of 13,700
raccoons in our home towns, and for 2,000 coyotes to call the bustling streets of Chicago their
home. The loss of habitat in Africa has also led to the decreased population of lions because of
loss of habitat and human interference (Sahara Deserts). As cities grow, the habitats for the local
animals are rarely regarded and are destroyed for new parking lots and housing units. With 7,600
skunk deaths, it is urbanization that has cause the destruction of habitats and the increase of
animal extinction (Sterba). In order to live amongst nature and have different habitats for years to
come, humanity must learn the limits of life and understand that there are other living things on
our planet. Laura Anderkam, know writer for USA Today, proclaimed how geese take up
residence on golf courses, and feral Hogs roam the woods. This is yet anothere case where a
wild animal has found a home amongst people because its original habitat was destroyed. Not
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only do these animals continue to grow, but wild animals have become comfortable with our
human actions and activates. This epidemic has led to an outright war as William J. Gibson,
writer for the Los Angeles Times, would announce as he speaks about wolves and their new
found friendliness with society. Furthermore, in order to decrease the extinction of animals, we
must stop our need for expansion, be thankful for what we already accommodate, and realize the
beauty of nature and its importance in our lives. Without closure on this subject, the difference
between the wild and New York City will be the amount of death within communities, the death
of children as coyotes maul them while playing hop scotch. The loss of a home and habitat from
urbanization will push these animals to rural areas where they will find ways to terrorize and
disturb those who already accompany the area.
As we look deeper into urbanization and its problems, one realizes how it will affect
society for many years. The more we destroy and deconstruct, the more we change and modify,
the more we grow and expand is the difference between a world with wildlife and one with total
death. Society today will destroy a forest for a new shopping mall, kill hundreds of animals in
order to build a water park, enslave thousands of animals for the pleasure of young children.
These aspects will create an overall endangerment to the wildlife within our cities and will create
problems for the communities in these establishments. An accumulation of nuisance deaths,
loss of habitat, and pushing people to poach has caused urbanization to become a major problem
for present society. In order for these problems to subside, we must incorporate nature in
everyday life, we must realize our boundaries, and we must understand the meaning of a
nuisance. These actions will push humanity to fight against the warm bodies they see dead on the
freeway. It is humanitys decision to either watch a bald eagle on a summers day, or, to pass a
withering dog on a road, sheathed in smog and decomposed habitats.
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Bibliography
Anderkam, Laura. "Bring Nature Back to the Holiday Table." USA TODAY. 04 Dec. 2013: A.8.
SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
Gibson, J. William. "The New War on Wolves." Los Angeles Times. 08 Dec. 2011: A.25. SIRS
Issues Researcher. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
"I Found Great Synonyms for "dimension" on the New Thesaurus.com!"Thesaurus.com. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 08 May 2014.
"Sahara Desert's Large Mammals Slipping Into Extinction." Environment News Service. 05 Dec.
2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
Sterba, Jim. "America Gone Wild." Wall Street Journal Online. 03 Nov. 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues
Researcher. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
Weber, Bob. "Global Science Group Criticizes Alberta Wolf Bounties, Says They..." Canadian
Press. 11 Feb. 2014: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
Wilson, Gretchen L. "South Africa Rhino Hunt Sparks Debate." Los Angeles Times. 08 Jan.
2012: A.8. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.