Protecting wildlife, habitat, and people

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As I was setting out Amdro® for fire ants yesterday, I got to thinking about how I have a great interest in flora (habitat) while my brother, wildlife illustrator Roger Hall, has a greater interest in fauna (wildlife). And that put me in mind of our recent visit to the zoo.

Don't get me wrong, I like the animals at zoos a lot. But if you're interested in fauna, like I am, there is a lot more to see at the zoo than just the animals. Animals are not just shut up in cages, they are surrounded by natural-looking environments, which includes trees, flowers, and bushes. And so when I saw that the palm trees at the zoo were untrimmed, I was thinking, "wow, they should trim those - untrimmed palm fronds are home to wasps, scorpions, and other dangerous critters."

But to be fair, it's a zoo. Where, exactly do you draw the line of animals that are "pests"? Are mosquitos not wildlife? Bees? Wasps? Do you destroy the habitat of every animal that annoys you? What about wolves?

I'm not proposing something ridiculous like a wildlife preserve for mosquitos (besides, they already have that, it's called Minnesota), I just think it's worthwhile thinking about the balance between wildlife, habitat, and people.

Comments

Roger Hall said…
Good post! Fire ants are a non-native species, so regardless of my love of animals, they have NO place anywhere in Arizona! They should be exterminated when encountered, hopefully using as few chemicals as possible.
February 14, 2013 at 12:45 PM
Brad Hall said…
Amdro is a powerful poison, but it is specific to these ants. It is applied as granules, and the ants bring it back to their mound, which is then destroyed. No other insects are affected. It needs to be applied every spring as new colonies of fire ants get established.
February 14, 2013 at 5:42 PM
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