THE DOMINO EFFECT

Exploitation of wild populations has been a characteristic of modern man since our exodus from Africa 130,000 – 70,000 years ago. The rate of extinctions of entire species of plants and animals across the planet has been so high in the last few hundred years and it is widely considered that we are in the sixth great extinction event on this planet.

Destruction of wildlife does not always lead to an extinction of the species in question however; the dramatic loss of entire species across Earth dominates any review of wildlife destruction as extinction is the level of damage to a wild population from which there is no return.

The four most general reasons that lead to destruction of wildlife include overkill, habitat destruction and fragmentation, impact of introduced species and chains of extinction.

Nature as it is:

The nature as it is makes heaven. Wildlife is one of the most admirable parts of the earth. Animals hunting each other are never considered a mistake instead it is the stability and balance of the ecology, until man entered the game!

Hunting and the animals being hunt have their own beautiful dwelling place on land. The adult tiger goes in search of food with its usual grace. Whereas its cub shows no part of its braveness and it is still immature to fight with even the flying leaves with full energy as if hunting its prey.

Deer, a simple and calm vegetarian grace over the land with patience; one of the harmless creatures on land.

The funny giants, elephants have their own piece of land. The big elephants fight and play wild with their trunks. While the babies fight, with their head dashing on each others back, fall in pond and struggle hard to get out of it.

Monkeys, the funny part of man play their own humor wildly. They care no cause, just live as they love. They show love, care, anxiety, anger, revenge, irritation and almost everything just like how man does, making us feel ashamed that we still resemble monkeys.

These are just the animals that come to our mind for easy imagination and the earth is all about more than 1.6 million species!

The hunt:

The hungry tiger goes in search of its prey and witnesses it too. A deer!! Both the tiger and the deer notice each other and make slow movement from their place. The speed gets its phase slowly and at a point the tiger starts the chase. The deer runs in rescue of its life and somehow cheats the tiger. The baby deer which is not as fast as his mother finds his own way of surviving by hiding behind the grass that is taller than him.

The tiger, the baby deer and its mother are in pause, each striving for their own survival. The hungry and fooled tiger senses the baby deer. He makes larger steps and moves closer to it. The mother tries hard to distract and save her baby from the tiger. But, the tiger was too fast. He fetches his prey.

The mother deer weeps in the place were her child was last seen.

The tiger pulls the prey home. He shares it with his family. The restless tigers start to rest one by one.

Soldiers wear crown when the King is asleep! A monkey, hanging from a tree decides to play fool of the tigers knowing its restless state. The monkey continuously irritates the tigers until they get vigorous. But they were too lazy to get rid of the monkey! Every second passes on with no continuity and certainty; that’s wild life!

Man, the Eco-logical disturbance:

That was the uncertain certainty that prevails in nature, until man enters! The smooth wildlife seeks its disturbance now in the form of man. He slowly causes the destruction of the wildlife step by step. Hunting is the practice of pursuing living animals (wildlife) for food, recreation or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law

Man carries on hunting which is greater than the rate of wildlife reproduction, which endangers the existence of many species. He kills elephants for its tusk and tigers, cheetahs, deer’s for their skin. Some pursue hunting as a hobby or entertainment. Already most of them are endangered and in verge of its extinction. If this rate continues, soon there will be too much extinction.

Man started invading almost all parts of the world. Forests are never an exception. He moves on to forest areas, kills the animals and makes theirs, his habitat. He cuts down all the trees, destroying shelter and food for many species. He makes the fertile land infertile. Apart from all these he creates as much pollution as possible, causing all sorts of threats for the wildlife species. The increased global warming, carbon emissions are playing their own role in this destruction.

Man captures animals from forest and brings them town for making money, conducting tests, using in circus and for many other selfish reasons.

Due to the change in habitat these animals suffer for life and die one by one due to non availability of habitual needs. These species will never be able to grow abundantly in places where they are not used to. Thus each and every species are getting endangered day by day because this selfish action of man.

The hunt was graceful, until man replaced the tiger!

The life cycle:

Man interferes in the life of every species on land and tries to rule over them. The destruction of any species by man will naturally create loss of food for the other species. Nature links all the species beautifully forming a stable life cycle. With the poke of man it has almost started losing its stability causing ecological imbalance. This chain of extinction destroys every species one by one leading to the domino effect.

It has been stated that about 40% of the total living species are endangered (IUCN). All these collectively endanger many species and even destroy some. If this goes on, man will be the only living creature on land!

Remember, that all species have equal rights on our earth as man does!!