Hannah Orloff Problematic Stereotypes in Wildlife Conservation

 Last Friday CNU hosted a "petting zoo" on the great lawn and a friend of mine had a picture of her posted on CNU's instagram page holding a ball python. For the weekend following, I kept hearing these comments that people were making to her about that picture. "Wow, you are so brave" or "disgusting" for holding the snake. "Ew, I can't believe you touched that." And a personal favorite, "snakes belong in the woods on the ground not in your hands." If you ask anyone that has actually spent time with a ball python they would probably say (for the most part- yes there are exceptions they are animals) that these snakes are very docile and most have great temperaments, which is why many people have them as pets. However, snakes are bad. They are a sign of deception or evil. They are reptilians who have wreaked havoc on people for centuries and must be eliminated. As someone told me on my last day at work this summer "the only good kind of snake is a dead snake".

 Now lets talk about cats. Cats are cute, they are furry, they are mammals like we are, they have tiny noses and are our companions. What nobody talks about is how destructive cats are when they are not kept inside, because cats are cute and they are our friends. A quick google search says that cats kill 1.3-4 billion birds each year in the U.S. alone, with 69% of these killed caused by feral or unowned cats. "Cats are second only to habitat loss as the largest human-related cause of bird deaths," (Cornell Lab, 2016). But seeing a cat outside is cute, and they love being outside so we should let them stay. You know who also eats birds but in addition eats the mice we have the cats for and other small prey so that they do an excellent job at population control but not over-consuming and destroying native bird populations? Snakes. But snakes are ugly.

I think you get the picture. Snakes and cats are just an example, but if we reflect on our stereotypes and classifications there appears to be a common trend in misconception. As human beings, in order to understand the world around us we label and sort and make judgements to better organize and control our environment. It is how we have survived as a species, and although it is instinctual it can be very destructive, especially since we are not hunting and gathering anymore. In wildlife conservation, the cute or cool animals are the ones that are saved. Every year in New Jersey (where I work) there is a protest for the bear hunt on whether to hold it or not, ran by citizens who aren't hunters but find the bears "cute". Ever read what an adult black bear can do to you, your kids, or your tiny dog? Their population numbers are also high and safe enough to initiate a hunt, but nobody is reading research when the cute bears may be hurt. Also, you know what animals never get a protest and were on the blink of extinction just a few decades ago? Wild turkeys. But turkeys are ugly. 

Using cute animals as poster children towards getting funds for wildlife conservation can be very effective, but it also has many drawbacks because of the neglect that happens to the animals that don't fit the bill but are extremely important in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. As someone who is passionate in wildlife protection, I learned how to remove these preconceived notions about certain wildlife and look at a creature as it is, a living, breathing organism that has survived evolution just as long as you have and deserves a fair chance at survival. They deserve respect, not to be called "cute" or "ugly". Because our species holds such an impact on this planet, we have to consider other species we share it with if we are going to continue to survive. To be successful at conserving the environment, people have to understand why it is important to protect all kinds of species, and learn how to knock down stereotypes to better envision our world. This concept doesn't just apply in wildlife preservation, but in other aspects to life, and by stepping back and not letting stereotypes or definitions determine what something is it can also help make that person a more well-rounded individual. In addition, there is also an overall lack of knowledge on the importance of environmental protection amongst the general population, which then causes these types of stereotypes to dictate decision makings. So not only do stereotypes needs to be squashed, but people also need to be educated on this subject so that they are less likely to succumb to these ideas. 

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