Let’s take a turn away from mothering and faith and look at a scientific question. How can we best address the biodiversity crisis? (The loss of diverse lifeforms)
One of my summer jobs, during college, was cleaning hotel rooms in Yellowstone. I met a variety of different people during that time from different countries, educational, and social backgrounds. One employee that I worked with made a comment that has stuck with me. He wondered why people were making such a big deal about saving the polar bears (or any animals) in the wild. ”Why can’t we just rescue the rest and put them in zoos?” he asked. I tried to explain why that wouldn’t work, especially for all the animals on earth. I don’t think I did a very good job explaining it then, but I am hoping to do a better job addressing that question today.
Some animals we have studied extensively. This knowledge allows us to breed and sustain a population in zoos. Many large mammals have successful captive breeding programs being coordinated across many zoos. Captive breeding programs have been very successful for some species, even leading to the reintroduction of some species in the wild. California Condors were on the brink of extinction before we began breeding them in captivity. Having been reintroduced, they are now thriving.
However, most species have been successfully bred in captivity. Sometimes we fail because of lack of knowledge, other times we fail because we cannot replicate the ideal conditions. Species that we can’t breed in captivity will become extinct if no effort is made to preserve their natural habitat and natural climatic conditions. We don’t even fully understand human reproduction. Imagine trying to have that depth of knowledge for every creature on Earth!
Additionally, almost all biologists will admit that we have only scratched the surface of even naming all life on earth. We are still discovering new species of plants, bugs, and bacteria, among others. We can’t journey down the road of captive breeding for species we have yet to name and describe.
Financially, the cost of captive breeding is significantly higher than conserving the original habitat. Zoo habitats are designed and built to mimic the animal’s natural environment. However, they have artificial support systems to be able to maintain the correct conditions. For example, misters to keep the correct humidity or filters to keep the water clean. These vital support systems are at risk when zoos must weather more intense climate events. Think about zoos in Florida that must be built to withstand hurricanes and you will begin to understand how costly this “solution” would be.
Then, there is the issue of the space needed to preserve breeding populations of all life on earth. If you think about it….the space required would be roughly equal to the actual planet we live on. Are we playing God by deciding which species to save and which go extinct?
I’ll admit that zoos are some of my favorite places to visit. No where else can you see such a wide variety of animals from all over the world in a single day. They definitely have their place in maintaining the biodiversity of our planet. But they are not the solution. As a Christian, I believe that the natural environment was “good” at every stage of God’s creation, even before day 6. It is us, humans, that have degraded that environment through our own actions. We now need to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
So what can you do?
Visiting and supporting your local zoo is still important. Funds from entry fees go directly into conservation programs or support captive breeding programs. Knowing the animals we are trying to protect will inspire greater action to protect them.
You can also advocate at the local level to protect wild space from humans in a leave no trace kind of way. Not banning our presence, but limiting the impact of our visit. This may also require clean up of trash, replanting of native species, and stopping pollution. Almost every community can establish healthy wild spaces that will benefit local species. All it takes is effort and time.
If you take action, I’d love to hear about it!
Creation Care Mom 
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