It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Nowhere does that seem more true than in the relationship between people and nature.
And conflicts with wildlife may be at the top of the list.
The struggle with Canada geese has raged for some time in grassy backyards, at public parks and on lakeshore beaches, and the squishy messes they leave behind can turn even the most docile animal lover into a raging waterfowl exterminator.
Then there are mute swans, on which the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has declared war—in Barry County, among other places—planning to kill thousands over the next five years to reduce their numbers in the state. The birds are an invasive species, they say, and have a destructive impact on vegetation.
Now comes a Bellvue-area farmer, who tells us about the damage sand hill cranes are doing to his crops. He says he’s able to legally shoot them as nuisances, when necessary, but complains that state law does not allow him to harvest and eat them. “That’s stupid, he says.
It doesn’t seem to matter whether we’re talking about wolves, wild hogs, deer, raccoons, or any other species that have found themselves at cross purposes with humans. Some folks want them protected, while others insist they can’t be eliminated quickly enough.
Workable solutions to these dilemmas do not come easily—particularly in this day-and-age when we can’t seem to sit down with others and discuss anything rationally.
In a weird sense, it’s biodiversity run amok.
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