Backlash Decision
By Brennan G., Stockbridge, GA
Environmental control agencies have tried to regulate animal reproduction and habitat by introducing non-native animals. By doing this, the natural cycle and the Darwinism effect cannot exist.
Six years ago in southern Illinois, the Department of Natural Resources introduced a foreign predator, the bobcat, to control the population of quail, rabbits, squirrels and other small animals, but this predator reproduced more quickly than imagined. As the smaller animals decreased, so did the number of wolves and hawks because they also feed on the smaller prey. These other predators are now in direct competition for food, especially during the harsh winters.
Rabbit and quail, major hunting game, have decreased, resulting in angry sportsmen who flock there. These hunters, who donate millions of dollars to environmental programs to support wildlife, now must travel to other states to hunt which in turn depletes Illinois’ revenue.
Therefore the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ decision to introduce a non-native animal to a new habitat was misguided, culminating in damage to the organization. The bobcat’s introduction completely offset the balance of the ecosystem. The best decision for Illinois should have been to let nature take its course and not try to play God, because nature sustained itself long before man intruded.
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