Formosan clouded leopard extinct

[Grandpa Greenman]

That just stinks.

http://www.livescience.com/29236-clouded-leopard-extinct-taiwan.html?cmpid=514627

[freetoroam]

From the article:

"There may be a few of them, but we do not think they exist in any significant numbers."

So are they extinct or not?

-------------------------------------------

Formosan clouded leopards, which were not thought to be a separate species, have been driven to extinction by habitat destruction and illegal hunting for their skin and bones.

The usual selfish reasons once again!

[BlueBomber]

[Lilly]

Poor beautiful creatures.

[Ashotep]

That is a bummer. What species will be next? If this animal is really gone its too late to do anything to help it. I think there are others that should be given help by laws protecting them and prosecuting people that hunt them before they are also extinct.

[Coffey]

The Human race seriously needs to step back and think more about what we are doing.

Yes I know that there is lots of us who didn't cause this, but we also didn't stop it.Our species is becoming a serious problem on the planet and we need to start doing something about it. Education is the best start. I want schools to teach childrne about extinction and how it's selfish greedy humans who have been responsible for a lot of extinctions.

Sad day, faith in humanity has dropped down again today.

Edited May 3, 2013 by Coffey

[jpjoe]

Reality, a lot of 'Chinese' (I know this is Taiwan) business people don't care whether they destroy natural ecosystems or not, as long as there is money in it. This tradition of money-first is sickening and it really needs to end!

[ancient astronaut]

Another F for mankind.

[BlueBomber]

Reality, a lot of 'Chinese' (I know this is Taiwan) business people don't care whether they destroy natural ecosystems or not, as long as there is money in it. This tradition of money-first is sickening and it really needs to end!

That sums up almost the entire planet.

[jpjoe]

That sums up almost the entire planet.

Indeed. But on our side of the world, traditional Chinese are way more blatant and barbaric. It's not a coincidence that every time forest/ocean rangers in ours or a neighboring country's catch poachers, it's almost always a Chinese or supported by a Chinese. You have no idea how much we are sick of hearing them in the news. Illegal trades go all the way from Africa to South America, all of which can be traced back to the Chinese black market. Search the net for news, they're everywhere. This article is just the tip of the ever-growing iceberg.

[TheSpoonyOne]

I don't like this 'we humans need to look at what we've done' approach, I haven't done a thing, a lot of us haven't, the countries that these places happen in are the ones that need to take some responsibility for what's happening, saying 'we all are guilty' is excusing them for not doing enough to stop their country's problem.

[CRIPTIC CHAMELEON]

This is one of the type of topics that I hate to see on UM or anywhere else for that matter. [hopefully they have stored plenty of DNA for when people learn how to live with animals]

[Marcin]

I don't like this 'we humans need to look at what we've done' approach, I haven't done a thing, a lot of us haven't, the countries that these places happen in are the ones that need to take some responsibility for what's happening, saying 'we all are guilty' is excusing them for not doing enough to stop their country's problem.

As was already said above - yes you haven't done a thing, a lot of us haven't - and THIS is exactly the problem. This is the prevailing mentality around the globe, I haven't done a thing... but it cuts both ways.

Sure, you, me, us, we haven't done anything WRONG to cause this... on the flip side, we haven't done anything to stop it either, we all pull sad faces, throw comments around, point fingers in other direction and move on, hoping that someone somewhere will do something so we don't have to... in mean time, plenty of other fellow species to this cat are being hunted down to dead beat because there never was enough pressure from anywhere in particular to really put a stop to it, just a lot of small talk.

[RigDigman]

According to the theory of Evolution, because our pray has died out, only those adapted to other diets will live, and the rest will die off. Which means that Mountain Dew and Hot Pockets will save us all in the end.

[Lava_Lady]

They are beautiful.. or were.

[Bavarian Raven]

To be fair, are they not just a subspecies of the mainland clouded leopard (while still sad, not as sad as a whole species going extinct).

As was already said above - yes you haven't done a thing, a lot of us haven't - and THIS is exactly the problem. This is the prevailing mentality around the globe, I haven't done a thing... but it cuts both ways.

We'll get right on with invading China.

[TheSpoonyOne]

As was already said above - yes you haven't done a thing, a lot of us haven't - and THIS is exactly the problem. This is the prevailing mentality around the globe, I haven't done a thing... but it cuts both ways.

Sure, you, me, us, we haven't done anything WRONG to cause this... on the flip side, we haven't done anything to stop it either, we all pull sad faces, throw comments around, point fingers in other direction and move on, hoping that someone somewhere will do something so we don't have to... in mean time, plenty of other fellow species to this cat are being hunted down to dead beat because there never was enough pressure from anywhere in particular to really put a stop to it, just a lot of small talk.

That's you speaking, my family and I have made donations to organisations that aim to help preserve endangered animals in the past, I'm not a millionare so I can't donate masses of money, but I do what little I can spare that isn't needed for bills etc....

Sorry, but that's all I, a random Englishman living in his little part of the world, can do, I don't have the power to make much more of an impact than that, but the governments of the countries where these animals actually live...lived...could have done more, and can still do more. All I'm saying is that I am getting tired of adverts and donations, which I'm fairly certain aren't shown in many parts of the world that aren't in the Western hemisphere, while the countries that these animals are indigenous to never seem to be able to stop their extinction, that's what annoys me.

[Still Waters]

The next thing we'll read in the news will probably be about scientists trying to clone them. Why can't things be done to try harder to SAVE them while they're still alive instead of trying to bring them back once they've gone extinct. It's a sad state of affairs when we allow any creature to die off.

[Mnemonix]

Clouded leopards are becoming rarer here, hopefully they won't share the same fate...

[redhen]

Sorry, but that's all I, a random Englishman living in his little part of the world, can do, I don't have the power to make much more of an impact than that, but the governments of the countries where these animals actually live...lived...could have done more, and can still do more. All I'm saying is that I am getting tired of adverts and donations, which I'm fairly certain aren't shown in many parts of the world that aren't in the Western hemisphere, while the countries that these animals are indigenous to never seem to be able to stop their extinction, that's what annoys me.

I've seen some academic and popular articles about the cultural differences that are seen when it comes to environmental issues. Sad to day, but it seems that animal welfare and environmental concerns in general are a "white thing".

I wish I still had access to scholarly databases, there are many papers with titles along the line of "Racial/Ethnic Group Attitudes Toward Environmental Protection in California: Is “Environmentalism” Still a White Phenomenon? "

This problem goes beyond just the regular, routine government corruption and ineptitude in many 3rd world nations.

The solution? Dammed if I know. Maybe some serious attachments to the usual financial and military aid the West gives these countries? That might be a start. But that doesn't address the racial attitudes found in the above Western studies.

[Hawken]

I don't like to sound gloomy but we humans are responsible for animal extinctions and deforestation of our planet and can't seem to live in harmony with nature. Our population keeps increasing while other species decrease. We destroy habitat for urban development for a growing population. I believe that nature will take care of that problem and someday thin out the herd.

[redhen]

I believe that nature will take care of that problem and someday thin out the herd.

By destroying biodiversity we are sawing off the tree branch that we're sitting on.

[Hawken]

By destroying biodiversity we are sawing off the tree branch that we're sitting on.

Good link. Yes a lot of people are unaware of what's happening to there planet. They go about there daily lives

and don't give any thought about their children or grandchild's future. I know in some western countries family

sizes have been reduced to 1-3 children but their are 3rd world and developing nations that have large families.

And migrants come to western countries increasing the populations there.

I've notice on tv shows that in Florida housing development has encroached on the Everglades and the new

residents there are always calling pest control specialist yo remove alligators and snakes that venture around their home.

[TheSpoonyOne]

I've seen some academic and popular articles about the cultural differences that are seen when it comes to environmental issues. Sad to day, but it seems that animal welfare and environmental concerns in general are a "white thing".

I wish I still had access to scholarly databases, there are many papers with titles along the line of "Racial/Ethnic Group Attitudes Toward Environmental Protection in California: Is “Environmentalism” Still a White Phenomenon? "

This problem goes beyond just the regular, routine government corruption and ineptitude in many 3rd world nations.

The solution? Dammed if I know. Maybe some serious attachments to the usual financial and military aid the West gives these countries? That might be a start. But that doesn't address the racial attitudes found in the above Western studies.

Interesting, thanks for the links!

[evancj]

I've seen some academic and popular articles about the cultural differences that are seen when it comes to environmental issues. Sad to day, but it seems that animal welfare and environmental concerns in general are a "white thing".

I wish I still had access to scholarly databases, there are many papers with titles along the line of "Racial/Ethnic Group Attitudes Toward Environmental Protection in California: Is “Environmentalism” Still a White Phenomenon? "

This problem goes beyond just the regular, routine government corruption and ineptitude in many 3rd world nations.

The solution? Dammed if I know. Maybe some serious attachments to the usual financial and military aid the West gives these countries? That might be a start. But that doesn't address the racial attitudes found in the above Western studies.

I wonder if it is not so much a racial/ethnic thing and rather more a financial/economic thing. There is definitely an educational component, or lack there of here, which also translates into a financial/economic thing.