GOOBYE WILDLIFE
A Thousand Years of Extinctions
Over the last millenium,man has made gigantic leaps forward in virtually every field(and that's why you can read this page!).He has recently come to realise that his thirst for advancement has had disasterous consequences upon the ecosystem of the planet he lives on.The natural world around him is steadily disappearing.The human population is growing at an alarming rate,with the consequent need for more space,more food and more consumer goods.The population explosion has had devastating side effects..It has been calculated that,every 15 minutes,some form of life becomes extinct.Many of these life forms have never been seen by man,let alone given names.Plants,birds,fish,reptiles and mammals wiped out by greed.

As Homo Sapiens spreads across the planet like an oil slick ,all before him is at risk.Deforestation,and the subsequent loss of habitat for many species, goes on unchecked(but chequed!).Hundreds of square miles of rainforest are destroyed every year.

Recently,some of us have begun to regret our destructive habits,the less egotistical amongst us have striven to protect wildlife in sanctuaries and halt the slaughter of endangered species.Man has begun to realise that he has fallen in deep, muddy water but he cannot swim.

This tremendous mistake has a very long history.The Roman Empire,in need of lions for their bloodthirsty spectaculars did not wipe out Christianity ,but they did virtually wipe out the lion population of North Africa! Man, in the early days for necessity,but later purely for pleasure,hunted and exterminated all kinds of wildlife.As he took to the seas, he discoverd new lands and more innocent beasts were massacred by the thousands to fill hungry sailors bellies.

Only recently have we come to realise that a living species does not have an infinite number.Firstly it becomes rare and finally extinct.Unfortunately it has taken a very long time to understand this ridiculously simple equation and the danger it entails.

QUOTE

"We most cetainly would not have birds if their predecessors had disappeared without discendents.Much more important the insects,already from many points of view the greatest predetors and competitors of homo sapiens,would probably be far more abundant and adept. It is reasonable to believe that without birds,in a world dominated by insects,life for human beings would be a great deal harder and the agricultural revolution and consequent growth of civilisation would not have been possible."

(From the book:Paul and Anna Erlich,Extinctions:The causes and consequences of the disappearing of species)

UNQOTE

A species which has become extinct, by definition can no longer be seen.The disaster caused by man has left virtually no trace of it's victims.Only one remains.The evolution of scientific research and the subsequent collection of hundreds of life forms for study are all that remains.Stuffed memories of beautiful wildlife are to be found sadly gathering dust in museums and universities around the world. They are the last proof of what man has done to this planet.

These few photographs are a tiny statement about those traces of disaster.
extinct wildlife images
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