Buried alive: cruelty for commerce
According to this article in the Florida Sun Sentinel, gopher tortoises occupy land coveted by developers. These gentle creatures are not considered "threatened" and therefore do not get even the slightest exemption from human greed and cruelty. In exchange for a modest fee to go towards future habitat restoration, developers are able to secure permits which allow them to kill thousands of tortoises by burying them alive. According to wildlife officials, the slow metabolism of this species means that they could take up to three months to die underground. Some developers attempt to relocate the tortoises to other areas of the property. But they are not obligated to, and some do not.
"In planning a new store in Lake Park in northern Palm Beach County, for example, Wal-Mart recently obtained a permit to kill five gopher tortoises, in exchange for paying $11,409 to buy and protect 1.49 acres of habitat. Other developers, including Centex Homes Inc. and DiVosta and Co., received permits in the past few years to kill gopher tortoises while building housing developments in Palm Beach County."
Clearly, the permitting protocol that even allows this must be changed. Wildlife biologists are attempting to change the status of the gopher tortoise so that they will be better protected in the future. But this status change is far from a sure thing. Public comment periods are allowing local residents to voice their objections to this appalling policy. Developers will likely oppose any change that would force them to change their hideous practice.
So what is the solution to the habitat/development tug of war? In order for people to have their shopping malls and housing developments, land must be sacrificed, and no doubt animals of all types die in the process (of course, shopping malls are not a necessity at all but that is an entirely different discussion). But the particularly hideous nature of the tortoise killings has to make all of us think about the alternatives. Some biologists believe that a respiratory infection in the tortoises would make relocating them environmentally inappropriate. What about relocation for the healthy animals? Sanctuary placement? Adoption? Even the extreme measure of mass euthanasia is better than bulldozing over them, leaving the animals to die a long, agonizing death.
The HSUS has a good overview of the issue, as well as recommendations for action. You can read it here.
With all of the technological and scientific capabilities of the industrial age, surely this isn't the best we can do.
"In planning a new store in Lake Park in northern Palm Beach County, for example, Wal-Mart recently obtained a permit to kill five gopher tortoises, in exchange for paying $11,409 to buy and protect 1.49 acres of habitat. Other developers, including Centex Homes Inc. and DiVosta and Co., received permits in the past few years to kill gopher tortoises while building housing developments in Palm Beach County."
Clearly, the permitting protocol that even allows this must be changed. Wildlife biologists are attempting to change the status of the gopher tortoise so that they will be better protected in the future. But this status change is far from a sure thing. Public comment periods are allowing local residents to voice their objections to this appalling policy. Developers will likely oppose any change that would force them to change their hideous practice.
So what is the solution to the habitat/development tug of war? In order for people to have their shopping malls and housing developments, land must be sacrificed, and no doubt animals of all types die in the process (of course, shopping malls are not a necessity at all but that is an entirely different discussion). But the particularly hideous nature of the tortoise killings has to make all of us think about the alternatives. Some biologists believe that a respiratory infection in the tortoises would make relocating them environmentally inappropriate. What about relocation for the healthy animals? Sanctuary placement? Adoption? Even the extreme measure of mass euthanasia is better than bulldozing over them, leaving the animals to die a long, agonizing death.
The HSUS has a good overview of the issue, as well as recommendations for action. You can read it here.
With all of the technological and scientific capabilities of the industrial age, surely this isn't the best we can do.
posted by LC at 8:59 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home