Why Is It Difficult For The Human Race To Coexist?
Interaction or connection between humans and animals is a crucial part of the history of human evolution. We have reached the top of the food chain because we were the best at enduring challenges amongst species. We managed to keep our distance from the dangerous species and tamed and petted the species that aren’t as dangerous. There has been a dispute among humans and wild animals as far back in time as you can go, and various species have gone extinct because of this conflict. So: what causes this conflict, and can it be managed? Is it even possible for humans and wildlife to co-exist in harmony?
Humans and animals come up against each other in various ways. These conflicts often result in humans wanting to hurt the animal in question. This usually happens when humans feel threatened by wildlife because of physical safety, livelihood, etc. Living in closer vicinity to each other may have more risk and may also worsen the conflict. The worst-case scenario in this situation would be the extinction of a species.
Numerous wildlife species are near extinction or if nothing else, threatened due to human encroachment. The typical strategies of co-existence are to bind more and more habitat of wildlife to small reserves, parks or other fenced zones, to ensure the survival of the rest of the wildlife in the area as well as that of the human settlers. Where hundreds of years prior, wild animals represented a genuine risk to humankind, these days it is the other way around. It is us humans who are headed to eradicate an enormous number of wildlife species from this planet. It is our perception of human rights to dominate all other creatures.
Human beings are one of the most invasive species on planet earth. Our need to keep advancing and evolving has given us a misconception that it is alright to destroy the environment and encroach wildlife areas for our own benefits. Human activity over the years has resulted in the mass destruction of habitats, which eventually leads to mass extinction. Over the course of history, humans have been responsible directly or indirectly for the extinction of almost 1 million species. According to a study, 87% of the oceans and 77% of land have been altered by anthropogenic activity, and only 23% of the landmass remains as wilderness. The numbers are horrifying. How can we destroy animal habitats and then complain that wild animals are in conflict with human living spaces?
The sooner we understand the importance of co-existence, the longer we can ensure our survival on earth. It is still not too late to create an environment where humans and animals can live side-by-side. We need to accept the challenge of balancing development with sustaining natural habitats. Various governments all over the world have been making efforts to cause very little inconvenience to wildlife because of human development. Restricted wildlife areas, effective wildlife crossings and underpasses, etc are fairly simple to implement and are a nudge in the right direction to make an effort to co-exist. Infrastructure development is on an all-time high. It is the right time for such solutions to be implemented in the projects, to prevent further conflict and the loss of life.
We need to understand that, Human wants are unlimited, and the means to satisfy them are scarce. We cannot go around our lives disregarding the environment and expect no backlash. We need to find a way to develop and simultaneously protect the environment to avoid any conflict. This is a challenge that we have the ability to tackle. We are the most advanced beings on the planet after all.
