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Ear to the Ground

One-Fourth of Mammals Face Extinction

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Posted on Oct 6, 2008
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wikimedia commons / Samuel Blanc

According to a new report, roughly a quarter of the world’s mammal species are at risk of extinction. Deforestation, loss of habitat and hunting are to blame for declining mammal populations around the world.

BBC:

This year’s Red List looks at 5,487 mammals, and concludes that 1,141 are currently on the path towards disappearance.

This may be an under-estimate, the authors caution, as there is not enough data to make an assessment in more than 800 cases. The true figure could be nearer to one-third.

“Within our lifetime, hundreds of species could be lost as a result of our own actions, a frightening sign of what is happening to the ecosystems where they live,” said Julia Marton-Lefevre, director-general of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) which publishes the Red List.

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By samosamo, October 7 at 7:56 pm #

As an after thought because not only has this post lost its importance and fallen off the map back into the archives, but there is now more meaning to not just losing a bunch of animals that basically don’t have a right to inhabit the earth anymore, but out right getting rid of them as now with the climate changing the spread of diseases will increase and these animals will be the reason why humans will contract more deadly diseases unless we start killing these mammals off the earth. And it couldn’t happen any sooner either because there is a lot of habitat and land that needs opening up for development so that developers can make more money and make more room for more humans which there just aren’t enough of.
So here is proof from an article from msnbc that we need to take sarah palin’s actions and start blasting this filthy creatures to hell and back. Shoot them all, get rid of them so humans can live in safe steril environments. So clean those guns and start shootin boys and girls.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27072184/

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By KDelphi, October 7 at 12:52 pm #

It is true that, if you are going to eat meat--it makes alot m,ore sense to hunt than to “raise beef”. I majored in Ag when I first started college---it was bad then--it has to be worse , now. It was all Agri-Business, and, I lasted one quarter and switched.

I dont hunt, dont eat meat , in general (chicken rarely, no fish anymore, since I learned to dive).Here, alot--well, maybe most,--people that hunt around here, dont bother to get licenses, kill anythin gthey see, etc. When I lived in New Hamopshire, sure, there were rednecks, and people who hunted with bows--I thought that made it “more fair”, so I thought that that was good, until I tqalked to a friend of mine and heard how long it ttok them to die!!

Hunting is not about endqangered species. Killing animals for fur is ridiculous. Finning sharks and throwint them back, is disgusting. Eating dolphin or whales is, for hte most part, illegla.

Yet, when Sea Shepherd, triesa to stop the Asian fishermen, from breaking the law in intl. waqters (with smoke bombs, heading off ships, etc) they are thrown in jail!! They are on the Homeland Security list, and they held Captt. Watson;s wife for 3 mos, for refusing to show them membership lists. (I am on it)

I would prefer no animal products at all. That is not going to happen.

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By Frank, October 7 at 11:41 am #

Also, hunting juvenile animals for fur only and wasting the meat is a travesty and something most real hunters abhor,

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By Frank, October 7 at 11:39 am #

Hunting and Poaching are not the same. Poaching is certainly to blame with endangered species, but well-managed hunting in many countries plays a vital role in preserving healthy species populations, particularly where natural predators have died out.  Deer hunting in the US is a prime example.

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By Allan Krueger, October 7 at 9:02 am #

Most animals that I have known are much nicer than humans.

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By Hulk2008, October 7 at 5:32 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

As Oliver Twist said, “More please, Sir.” What is really at the heart of the disappearing animals and global warming and putrification of water supplies and loss of a protective atmosphere is GREED.  Humans have taken the Biblical phrase about dominating Earth to extremes - domination without proper stewardship (also Biblical) is downright evil.  Why do humans kill everything in sight?  .... because they can - not because they need to.  There are ways to properly feed the world (mostly with vegetables, not animals), extract necessary minerals and raw materials for industry - but typically the least costly, most GREEDY approaches have been used.  Some day humans will put themselves on the endangered species list - but not before selfish generations of profit-without-conscience-robber-barons have passed on.  What does a CEO who makes millions per year pass on to later generations?  Intense sensless GREED. 
To paraphrase the old joke goes about the deceased millionaire wearing a tux in his coffin:  “All dressed up with no place to go.”

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By octopus, October 7 at 5:26 am #

The only upside to this is if the human species was part of the hypothesis.

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By KDelphi, October 7 at 1:12 am #

Big B--the “cute baby animal” is to get people’s attention(didnt work very well, so far did it? I mane, not many peole here--we’l see) Did you click on the other pics?

The real issue is the extinction of 25% of the mamamls on our planet. That will likely adversely eaffect everyone, children included.

I have always been somewhat of an animal rights person (????LOL) But, I do think that “people come firt”. Not to just hunt and kill with impunity. But, like, places wher e gorillas or chimps or elephants are going extinct, we should supply works or food for people so that they dnot have to eat bushmeat. We cannot expect them to let their kids starve for animals.

It isnt just about “cute bay animals”

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By samosamo, October 6 at 8:41 pm #

Far far too many people on this planet and money is the most important thing in the world.
I hope everyone enjoys eating money because it just doesn’t seem to taste or digest too good.

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By Big B, October 6 at 6:19 pm #

Aww, that baby seal is soooo cute! He’d look even better with crow bar embedded in his skull. Hey, if he didn’t want bludgeoned, he should have evolved with thumbs so he could build rifles and defend himself.

No this isn’t funny, but hey, our politics starve thousands of children around the world every day, so what odds do cute little animals have?

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By purplewolf, October 6 at 6:11 pm #

Check out: http://actionfund.defenders.org/palintvwolf

This person(Sarah Palin)along with the policy changes done the last 7+ years of the Republican regime to eliminate species they feel are lesser than that of human being, who by the way, tend over populate the earth and cause more destruction all in the name of their misguided religious views.

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