Ugly plants and animals deserve love, too
Used to be only the good looking plants and animals would get onto the federal government's endangered species list, even though officials claimed to try and save everything.
But a story in today's Washington Post says scientists are noticing some of the less lovely ones are getting some attention these days. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says money now goes to the most at risk.
There are 1,318 U.S. species listed as endangered or threatened. And only 15 have been declared recovered, including the gray wolf, pictured above. (Though, today Fish and Wildlife reinstated protections for the gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes.)
There are 31 species listed as threatened or endanged in Maryland, including the Indiana bat, the leatherback sea turtle, finback whale and the small whorled pogonia.
So, do we save them all, or stick with the pretty ones?
AP photo of a gray wolf
Comments
Save them all. And the gray wolf should still have protection. Really sad that they don't.
Posted by: bdc | June 29, 2009 11:07 PM
It's really sad that animals should be protected more than others just because they are considered "cute". All animals should be protected and each servers their own purpose. I would hope that there policy has always been to protect the more at risk animals...
Posted by: Patrick | June 30, 2009 4:35 PM