Unshelved by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum
comic strip overdue media

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Speaking of animals

You might want to take a look at 'Last One', an article by Verlyn Klinkenborg, with photos by Joel Sartore.

Did you know there were only 195 ocelots left in the US, with less than 100 in the wild? How about only 300 wolverines left in the lower 48 states? There are only 3,500 polar bears estimated left in Alaska, and less than 2,000 Mexican spotted owls. There are only 40 of the woodland caribou in the lower 48 states. And of the 320 Mexican grey wolves left, only 60 are in the wild.

We should all care about this. Oddly enough, I write this as a fur advertisement airs on the radio. We can't let the loss of environment send these species and others into the oblivion of history.

The photographer's wife developed cancer a few years ago and although she's healthy today he said, 'Kathy’s cancer made me realise how little time any of us really has.' National Geographic Editor in Chief Chris Johns adds, 'Time, our most precious currency, is the most valuable thing we humans can spend.' Well said, and it applies equally that what we do with our time matters, especially if it's aimed at making the world a better place for it. Conservation of endangered species and support of efforts to do so are one of those things that we can do to make the world a little better.

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