naturalist for NWF. “It’s important to understand species require different eco- systems. When we quit draining swamps and rerouting rivers and leave them alone in a proper habitat, alligators will come back. Eagles have fewer young, so it’s not easy for them to recover.” The success in restoring popula- tions of the bald eagle, our national symbol, during the second half of the last century was significant. Measures that included ban- ning the poisonous DDT pesticide that contaminated their food and affected reproduction, improving native habitats and prohibiting hunting of the bird allowed its removal from the endangered list in 2007. They are still protected by the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Another raptor, the peregrine falcon, has adapted to
The 1966 Animal Welfare Act improved the lives of many commercial animals, but more laws are needed.
See
SustainableTable.org/ 274/animal-welfare.
passed to lim-
importation was revoked within weeks due to claims of cultural bias by politicians lobbying for Asian food markets that
sell live turtles and bullfrogs. As the only Association of Zoos
urban living in order to survive. Nests adorn tops of buildings and pigeons are a plentiful food supply. Bears, mountain lions and wolves have been dwindling, hunted as dangerous, a nuisance or for sport. With fewer of these natural predators, whitetailed deer can overpopulate their habitat and starve. Deer and other displaced animals may migrate into suburban areas in search of food, prompting hurtful human reactions to reduce their numbers. The American Bear Association provides safe, seasonal
habitats for black bears (
AmericanBear.org). Located near Orr, Minnesota, the 360-acre sanctuary also hosts white-tailed deer, bald eagles, beavers, mink, pine martens, fishers, timber wolves, red squirrels, bobcats, blue jays, owls, ducks, songbirds and ravens. Among movements to protect smaller en- dangered and threatened animals, the Ameri- can Tortoise Rescue lobbies for legislation to ban the importation of non-native species (
Tortoise.com). “Turtles and bullfrogs are imported as pets or as food, and many end up in streams or lakes, where they kill na- tive species,” says co-founder Susan M. Tel- lem, in Malibu, California. “They can carry salmonella, parasites and tuberculosis,” she explains. Unfortunately, a California law
and Aquariums-certified wolf facility in the world, The Endangered Wolf Center, in Eureka, Missouri, has been breeding and reintroducing wolves into the wild for 40 years (EndangeredWolf
Center.org). Founded by zoologist and television host Marlin Perkins and his wife, Carol, they helped increase both the Mexican gray wolf population from nine to 235 in managed care, plus at least 75 in the wild, and the red wolf population from 14 to 160 in managed care, with more than 100 in the wild. Every pack of Mexican gray wolves roaming the Southwest and 70 percent of North Carolina red wolves can be traced back to the center. Wildlife protection laws vary by state. Key conservation successes typically begin with local and regional initiatives pro- moted by farsighted individuals that care enough to get the ball rolling and back it up with supportive legislation. Christian Samper, Ph.D., CEO of the Wildlife Conser-
vation Society, observes, “Zoos and aquariums help the public better understand the natural systems that make all life possible. The hope is that what people under- stand, they will appreciate and what they appreciate, they will work to protect.” One person’s care can make a difference. For an animal, it can mean life itself.
Sandra Murphy is a freelance writer in St. Louis, MO. Con- nect at StLouisFreelance
Writer@mindspring.com.
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