Pyrenean Ibex Went Extinct Because of Us

The UK Telegraph is reporting on the Pyrenean Ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica), an extinct subspecies of the Spanish Ibex.

These beautiful animals used to reside along the Pyrenees in France and Spain. Just a few short hundred years ago, these animals were numerous, but through extensive hunting is done during the 19th century, fewer than 100 animals remained.

The last known Pyrenean Ibex was a female named Celia. She was found dead on January 6, 2000, making the subspecies extinct.

From the article:

“Shortly before its death, scientists preserved skin samples of the goat, a subspecies of the Spanish ibex that live in mountain ranges across the country, in liquid nitrogen. Using DNA taken from these skin samples, the scientists were able to replace the genetic material in eggs from domestic goats, to clone a female Pyrenean ibex or bucardo. It is the first time an extinct animal has been cloned. Sadly, the newborn ibex kid died shortly after birth due to physical defects in its lungs. Other cloned animals, including sheep, have been born with similar lung defects. But the breakthrough has raised hopes that it will be possible to save endangered and newly extinct species by resurrecting them from frozen tissue.”

Are you kidding me? They say, “sadly, the newborn ibex kid died,” but we’re the ones who killed out the subspecies in the first place!

Here, check out this content.

Go on. I’ll wait.

The folks who run Ameri-Cana Expeditions had this to say about hunting:

“Hunting provides an opportunity for very close contact with the natural environment of which Spain has some of the most unspoiled when compared with the rest of Europe. Finally, the extensive hotel facilities and the state-run Paradores in Spain are guarantees to the tourist of a really confortable stay while engaged in hunting.”

Hey humans! You get to be “really confortable” (I think they meant comfortable) during your stay so you can be refreshed to go and kill things. I mean, the animals aren’t comfortable, but you will be.

I can’t even bring myself to talk about the absurdity of the statement, “Hunting provides an opportunity for very close contact with the natural environment…”.

I lied. Walking in the woods also provides close contact with the natural environment (and no one dies for the pleasure of it).

Do you know what I’d like to see?

How about these so-called hunters fight fair? Drop the guns, camo clothes, jeeps, helicopters, whistles, dogs, and hunt like the animals do. If we truly are the superior species, then this shouldn’t be a problem.

Get ’em, tiger.

“Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow-creatures is amusing in itself.” ~ Charles Darwin