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THEY MAY BECOME AS DEAD AS A DODO
... by Frazer Irwin

"This first article on Natural History by Mr Irwin, was typed for him in 1964 by the 20,000th member of the RSPB. Something of a coincidence. It would be interesting to see what other ‘Net’ readers have to say about it after all these years? Perhaps it could be used by a local school working on environmental issues."

Because of the stupidity and selfishness of Man throughout the ages he has lived on this earth, he has wiped out many of our wild animals. Since the time of Christ one hundred and six species of animal have been exterminated and, in the last hundred years sixty eight were lost to the world. Even more devastating, in the last fifty years thirty animals have gone.

Many of those killed in the last fifty years have gone for sport, food and by toxic chemicals. Neglectfully, as civilisation marches on, it bulldozes wild life from it’s natural haunts. Deprives it of food, water, shelter and living space, much the same as The American Indian suffered under the white settlers.

From jungle to hedgerow, tragedy stalks the living wonders of the world.

The Giant Tortoise of the Galapagos Islands, The Asian Bactrian Camel, The Ceylon Elephant, The North American Whooping Crane and even the butterflies and song birds of Great Britain are among the startling number of creatures on the danger list.

In Britain alone, wild life is on the rise and fall. Many predatory birds have been killed by air pollution, toxic sprays and chemicals, pollution of rivers and seas. But in some cases we are seeing a return of species, especially birds, to breed once more in this country. The Avocet, for example, a beautiful black and white wader has built up a large colony on the South Coast. It has become the logo for the RSPB. the Osprey, known in Scotland as ‘Iolair Iasgair’, has been making frequent attempts to settle once again in the Highlands. The Osprey is probably the most guarded bird in the British Isles.

The are many societies devoted to the study of wildlife. To mention a few, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Audubon Society of North America and The World Wildlife Trust.

One of the many British rodents which are on the danger list is the Harvest Mouse. Owing to mechanisation in agriculture, their numbers have been vastly reduced. These small animals, as their name indicates, are found in cornfields, where their nests look like miniature tree houses wound round large ears of corn. When cereals were cut by hand, reapers would leave the nests, so enabling them to rear their families in peace. Mechanisation does not allow for such husbandry of nature.

An expert from the quarterly RSPB magazine, shows the extent of damage (death or injury), to animals and birds by toxic chemicals used on the land.

Between September 1962 and August 1962, showed one hundred and nineteen incidents of mortality due to toxic chemical use in both Agricultural and Horticultural sprays and dressings. These were reported to the committee which works in collaboration with the Game Research Association. Forty of the one hundred and nineteen incidents were thought to be due to sprays, and fifty nine to seed dressings, with twenty one of unknown cause.

Bodies of Owls, Hawks and Falcons were found to contain mercury and one or more chlorinated hydrocarbons such as DDT, BHC, ALDRIN, DIELDRIN and HEPTACHLOR. The last three have been withdrawn by the Government. These are things which must be looked at in the future if we are to stop losing ever more species.

Besides birds and animals, wild flowers, trees and shrubs, not to mention waterborne life are all being affected. One example the Lady’s Slipper Orchid, found somewhere in the ‘North of England’, is on the brink of extinction due to persons ( so far unidentified ), picking not only the flowers but removing rooted specimens too. These Orchids could at one time be found in their thousands, but due to Man’s greed are now reduced to a few very isolated places.

Another Orchid in the South of England is also scarce. The Monkey Orchid. Looked after by one man in a closely guarded field in Kent, who during flowering, pollinates each flower by hand. Five years ago there were only four plants surviving. Today ( 1964 ), there are one hundred and forty five which hopefully will continue to increase. A success story for one specie but for our remaining members of the Plant Kingdom, life looks dismal. ancient heath, peatlands and forest are all being lost to industry and housing.

Not only in the British Isles may this problem be seen. America for instance nearly lost the Buffalo, Sequoia, Beaver and Florida Alligator. As settlers and railroads crossed America’s heartland’s, so those who travelled in their wake needed food and clothing. Millions of Buffalo were slaughtered. As too were Beaver for coats and muffs, Sequoia for the ‘New’ nation’s mansions and Alligator for handbags, belts, shoes and wallets.

true Americans took pot luck of what was left. Some did not make it. America and the World’s last Carrier pigeon ( a female ), died in captivity, I believe in the thirties. Sole survivor of over thirteen million plus birds at the turn of the twentieth century. It is said skies darkened as flocks, ( sometimes tens of miles long), passed overhead.

The sky darkens today, but for a very different reason