It's been a long time since I posted here, and I've been pondering whether or not to simply let this blog go. But today, in one of my classes, we discussed a subject that made me affirm my decision to resume posting regularly.
We (at least, those of us who read thous sort of blog) all love apex predators. Big cats, bears, wolves, eagles, they all inspire a sense of awe and wonder in us. Even the less well-liked ones like sharks and crocodilians have their role in our society as emblems of ferocity and power. They are the celebrities of the animal kingdom. But like any celebrities, they are something most people in the developed world are only familiar with from a distance.
There are parts of the world where crocodile attacks are a deadly reality for people living along rivers, and where lions and leopards regularly kill livestock--and humans too. A strong argument could be made, then, that to destroy these "dangerous" animals is only a natural action of humanity, and the people who oppose it are hypocrites who have never truly experienced the wilderness that they claim to value.
Is there a way to make these ends meet? Potentially. One idea that has been tried out with some success is to use these large dangerous animals as a renewable resource, be it for tourism or for their products. This idea has found particular success with the crocodilians, with crocodile and alligator "farms" now existing in many parts of the world. In addition to ensuring the continued existence of crocodiles and alligators, these farms generate profit from hides and meat, which are sold at high prices as luxury goods.
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