wirelessguru1 Wrote:
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> > 1) Because seeing as how it's criminal that
> humans HAVE already driven some species to
> > extinction, ARE driving countless others in
> the same direction, AND the Tasmanian devils
> > occupy a vital (scavanger) role in the local
> ecology....
>
> Fascinating! I am also curious how you feel about
> all the other species that were driven towards
> 'extinction' before humans?

1) We didn't do it, so it's not our fault, hence we're not morally OBLIGATED to try to rectify the situation (which since they're long gone, would have involved cloning naturally preserved DNA samples, etc).

2) We don't HAVE to try bringing them back (see #1, above), but it would still be a nice thing to do. Diversity is fascinating! Wouldn't YOU give your eyeteeth to see a herd of mastodon in the wild? Or a terratornis overhead?

> > .....I'd consider it criminal to NOT save a
> species when we have the ability to do so.
>
> OK. What about when a species is extinct by
> nature, do you also consider that to be
> 'criminal'?

No motive, often no perp per se, hence no "crime" involved (accident or random happening only).

But I do consider it a bad thing.

> > 2) Besides, White settlement of Tasmania has
> already decreased TD numbers & put
> > pressures on them. They'd have stood a better
> chance of surviving this on their own
> > if the settlers hadn't interfered with them
> over these last few centuries (aboriginal
> > Tasmanian humans coexisted with them
> peacefully for tens of thousands of years).....
>
> Well, nature always re-balances itself one way or
> another. In my opinion, if the TD's are suppose to
> become extinct, they will become extinct one way
> or another. I am sorry, but I do not believe in
> changes!!!

Maybe not.... but this DOES make you sound like you believe in predestination?

> > so it's only fair that we give them an
> assist, seeing as how we'd (speaking as a fellow
> > human here, that is) already given them the
> boot a few times.
>
> I agree with that, I am not against assistance
> either, specially since humans already interfered
> as you say. However, please note that many foreign
> predator species do interfere with other native
> ones and many times do take over. That is how it
> goes in Nature...
>
> wirelessguru1

Yup. But "nature" doesn't consciously introduce exotic species into a new habitat.

We are sentient, we have free will...... thus we ALSO have responsibility for our actions, and a (lesser) obligation to assist even when it's not our fault, "if" we have the opportunity.

Kenuchelover.