The top news stories over the weekend was a leopard attack on several unfortunate residents of eastern India. The attack resulted in the death of one and the massive laceration of another’s head. Despite the mayhem that arose, Indian officials managed to sedate and cage the animal, before transporting it to the zoo. It wandered into the area from the forests, a result of rapid deforestation to develop land. This leopard in this story isn’t to blame, it’s the advancement of human civilization that is causing habitat destruction and animal displacement.
The problem
Displacement of wild species affects every region of the world, as the human populations demand for development increases. Whether it’s to harness the Earth’s natural resources or construct roads and housing, development of wildlands effectively destroys many species habitats. The eradication of entire ecosystems isn’t uncommon when lands are developed, leaving the native species nowhere to live. This is what opens the door for incidents such as the one that occurred in India.
Related article: Common Causes for Destruction of Animal Habitats
Ironically, the native species are not the only ones affected. Although it may not seem immediately apparent, humans also rely on these ecosystems to provide us with the necessary means of survival. Wetlands provide water, rainforests provide the air we breathe and grasslands are essential for food cultivation. The more these areas are transformed according to unsustainable needs, the greater extremes people and animals will have to go to in order to simply get by.
The result
Environmental conservation is a hotly contested subject in nearly all parts of the world. As the world becomes increasingly modernized, the focus has been shifted away from nature to the expansion of industrialization. Animal and plant species, lands and seas, even people are the unwitting victims of this global exploitation. And when those resources run out, a new breed of desperation and suffering will certainly emerge for all the species on Earth. It may seem like a means to an end, but if the rate of destruction continues at its current rate, that end may come sooner than we think.
For more on the issue of habitat destruction, check out: The Human Role in the Destruction of Wildlife Habitat!
Featured Image from Nikola Markelov/Unsplash
