A pet peeve of mine (one of many) is that of elevating wildlife and animal safety to that of fetish. I came across a snippet from USA Today about a rancher defending his cattle in Montana from a furry cute-as-a-teddy-bear wolverine. My description not theirs.
The rancher shot and killed the beast. Turns out wolverines are vicious and...oh yeah...a protected species. Everything is protected nowadays except private property.
Too many 'conservationists' think wildlife exists to photograph and rope off on federal land. Private property is suspicious to them, especially in the American West. Ranchers and farmers understand wild living better than city folks.
The rancher posted a picture of the dead wolverine (he shot) on his Facebook page. Wildlife photographer Ray Rafiti who has taken pics of the creature in the past, re-posts images of this poor rancher holding up his prize.
Comments from followers of Rafiti's page prove the unrealistic understanding people have about the 'wild' and those who live in it.
"wasteful shameful act"
"Anger, that is all I have to say before I say something I'll regret."
"So, so sad"
"Horrible!"
"Would someone please shoot this moron"
"Such a great loss"
link
A good deal of the comments are nasty barbs about the rancher's lack of intelligence, lack of manliness and lack of culture. I realize this is a Facebook comment section and therefore a cesspool, but ignorance about how fellow Americans live is disconcerting. Is this rancher supposed to care that wolverines are endangered while it terrorizes his cattle?
There were a few supportive comments of the rancher buried under an avalanche of nastiness. One women described the damage that wolverines will do to a herd of cattle. This is like explaining compounding interest to toddlers. They won't understand or care. They see nature as a well-regulated federal park with hiking paths and restrictions on hunting, fishing and alcohol use. Oh, and that summer internship at Yellowstone where they got to feed the baby grizzly bear, that made them a 'nature' expert.
I enjoy the outdoors. The Grand Canyon is an incredible sight that anyone would enjoy; the sheer majesty of God's creation is on display in countless landscapes around the world, it demands respect. Let's also respect the rugged individuals who depend on farming and ranching to sustain their life. They make tough choices everyday and understand what real conservation is all about.
To those who imagine that every private concern needs a public response, MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS.
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