I am not an environmentalist, nor a vegan, but a recent animal encounter has made me think differently about the cohabitation of humans and animals on this planet. As Thanksgiving was approaching, I was rolling along the roller-coaster hills on the back roads of Wayland, MA at 40 mph when I was stopped by a series of rather large turkeys crossing the road.
I say stopped, but what I really mean is that I watched two turkeys cross far ahead of me, slowed down and, not seeing any more, continued at 20 mph.I had begun to accelerate when a large turkey with a death wish came out of the woods to my right. I braked as hard as I could, and barely stopped in time. The turkey, terrified, flapped vigorously to escape from under my front left-hand bumper.
Out of this experience I learned two things: animals need their space and their space needs to be well-removed from human civilization. I am not saying we should put animals in zoos, as the confinement of an animal seems unnatural. What I am saying is that we need to provide them with space in which to live.
As a seasoned hiker I have discovered many reservations, but all of them are shockingly small and surrounded directly by busy roads. Part of the problem is that people build housing developments and commercial areas right next to these reservations, not respecting the need to keep space between human residence and animal habitation.
If you reflect, I am sure you will find that you spot roadkill daily, if not multiple times a day. It is not the fault of the animal that it found its way to a main road. We have been constructing buildings and roads since we called this country the United States. The animals have little choice about where they live, as we have taken most of the land for ourselves. The least that we can do is to allow them space to live, room to breathe, and keep our roads, condos, and factories at a greater distance from their homes.
I agree with you that animals need their space. I too am a hiker, I spend a few weeks on the Appalachian Trail every summer. I've been around wildlife enough notice the negative impact humans have on habitats. But honestly, and I hate to be pessimistic about this, I don't think humankind is wired to be compassionate about species other than homo sapiens. Most of the time, man takes priority over beast. Occasionally we make exceptions for cute, fluffy things, but only infrequently. I really wish things were different, and I actively try to make a difference, but we're very self-centered. As far as I can tell, that's an intrinsic genetic trait. That might even be what put us at the top of the food chain.
ReplyDeleteExactly how do you wish to change the zoning laws to enforce a separation between animal habitats and human spaces? Are you proposing that humans clump up into little enclaves, surrounded by a 100 yard wide buffer zone of asphalt watched over by predator drones with death lasers? Because I can't think of any other way to keep animals from building their homes close to us.
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