A Thought or 2 - Just Wondering . . . Wildlife

The poaching death of a well-known elephant in South Africa got me thinking about the future of wildlife in general.  A few years ago I came across the mid-19th century story of Seth Kinman who was personally responsible (and locally famous) for practically eliminating the indigenous grizzly bear population in Humboldt County, California.  

(Publicly accessed / www.bing.com / May, 2014)

Looked at within an historical context of, say, the last 100 to 200 years, Kinman's case is not an isolated incident regionally, nationally, or internationally. Natural extinction is not abnormal, but the man-made elimination of wildlife populations and species certainly is. Progressive groups such The WWF are helping to balance the historic ignorance and counteract the ongoing destructive processes. However, its mission and vision can appear to be somewhat idealistic and the organization's objectives lead directly into a long, difficult struggle: "WWF's mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Our vision is to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature." Still, the World Wildlife Fund and similar groups' efforts warrant support from every human who appreciates wildlife.

'Mountain Bull' (c.1968--2014) R.I.P.

(Photograph courtesy Lewa Wildlife Conservancy 

via www.newswatch.nationalgeographic.com . . .)

Will any wild elephants exist when my grandchild is my age?  How about during the lifetimes of her grandchildren?  Just wondering . . .