George Coletrain, age 15, of Coward, South Carolina, for his question:
Have we saved any wild animals from extinction?
Some regard mankind as a bloodthirsty savage, bent on wiping out all animals except his domestic breeds. Others regard mankind as a perfect angel, ready and eager to die to save a small sparrow. It is true that too many species have been wiped out by human greed and stupidity. But it also is true that other species have been saved from extinction by human wisdom and this list grows longer.
Today's question compels us to consider the tricky concepts of blame and responsibility. Pessimists stress the errors and crimes of past history and strive to make us feel guilty for what our ancestors did. The animals that mankind has made extinct are on their favorite list and they are sure we intend to add to it. If we fall for this gloomy point of view, if we believe that mankind is too weak and cruel to save himself, there is no point in working toward a more wholesome world. On the other hand, let's never forget that mankind indeed has wiped out many animals, and still endangers others.
Every year, more ordinary folk take their first small steps toward preserving the earth's ecology. The big cats are being saved by women who refuse to buy or wear their furs. Our wild alligator is being, saved by men who refuse to buy or wear shoes made from his skin. Numerous women resisted non degradeable detergents ¬and demanded safer ones. Nobody knows how many plants and animals were saved by this protest. Tough minded farmers are demanding safer methods to cope with insect pests. Who can guess how many world wide species they will save?
This civilized program has been gaining ground through the past hundred years. It started when a few far sighted naturalists saw what the human population explosion was doing to the balance of nature on this planet.
Most countries began setting aside tracts of unspoiled territory, where their native wildlife could be protected. One by one, laws were passed and international agreements signed to save various species from the very brink of doom.
Australia saved its koalas, China saved its pandas, the Galapagos turtle has been saved from extinction. In 1911, Canada and Russia, The United States and Japan signed a treaty to protect the few remaining sea otters. Herds of these furry charmers now enjoy life along our Pacific shores. In the 1890s, the vast herds of American bison were reduced to a few hundred. Plans were made to rescue them and the bison was saved from extinction. In the 1960s, the thriving herds were struck by anthrax and other diseases. This time the species was saved from extinction by man's medical knowledge. The complete list of species saved by mankind goes on and on and on.