Radical Avenue

Hunters love the forest. Fishermen love the sea. These brave animals have shown a willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of conserving habitat for their species.

Rocky Mountain Elk
It’s no small feat to bring down one of these beasts with a bow and arrow. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s mission is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. They protect and enhance elk country, support conservation education and restore wild elk herds.

Bluefin Tuna
According to BigMarineFish.com, bluefin tuna are in fact the toughest of all big-game fish. Capt. Jack Cashman of Toms River, New Jersey - who’s probably caught more than anyone says, “It’s like hooking up to a car doing 50 miles an hour… Big marlin are spectacular, but their jumps and acrobatics wear them out. Giant bluefin have more power and stamina than any other species. And once you’ve caught one, it spoils you for other big-game fishing.”

However overfishing has endangered the bluefin.

The species in the greatest danger of slipping into extinction is the western north Atlantic population (stock) of bluefin tuna. Thanks to 4 decades of overfishing, it has been driven to just 3% of its 1960 or pre-longlining abundance - a decline of 97% - as shown in ICCAT’s figure at left. (ICCAT is the international commission that claims management authority over all tunas, marlin, swordfish and the other big fish of the Atlantic) In comparison to bluefin, Atlantic white marlin abundance has been driven to 6% of its pre-longlining abundance, and Atlantic blue marlin has been driven to 20% of its pre-longlining abundance.

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People are fickle. Some will find you cuddly and adorable while others will consider you despicable. These wild animals need an image makeover.

Bats
Bram Stoker’s Dracula first began terrifying us in 1897, and a long string of vampire movies followed. Actually there are just three species of vampire bats in the world and they all live in Latin America. Many bats help out farmers by feasting nightly on crop eating insects. But the spooky, blood sucking stereotype seems to never die.

Bat Conservation International is devoted to conservation, education, and research initiatives involving bats and the ecosystems they serve.

Rhinoceros
We know rhinoceros as hard headed, easily agitated animals who like to charge straight ahead. With large horns on their foreheads, these guys are definitely not the soft and cuddly type. But that testosterone laden image got them a company logo gig with Rhino linings. So if you need spray on protection for your pickup truck bed, look for the Rhino. It’s not the same as having a malt liquor or muscle car named after you, but it’s a start.

The International Rhino Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the worldwide conservation of the five living species of rhinoceros: Black, White, Indian, Javan and Sumatran.
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It’s hard to match the public relations skills of warm blooded animals, but don’t underestimate the ability of egg laying creatures to capture the human imagination. Human’s being the soft hearted types, we’ll even fall in love with cold blooded beasts. You may have seen some of these critters at the mall.

Parrots
The Rare Species Conservatory Foundation and the Dominican government have partnered to research Dominica’s Sisserou and Jaco parrots, and to conserve the Sisserou, Dominica’s national bird, rarest of all Amazon parrots, and flagship species for the eastern Caribbean’s largest, intact oceanic rain forest ecosystem.

Blue Iguanas
The Blue Iguana Recovery Program is a partnership of local and international conservation groups, who share a commitment to ensure the survival of the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana. In addition to these long-term partners, the Program is extremely fortunate in receiving financial and volunteer support from local and international corporations, along with service clubs, local government agencies, and many private individuals.

Turtles
It is the mission of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation to ensure the survival of sea turtles within the Wider Caribbean basin and Atlantic through research, education, training, advocacy and the protection of the natural habitats upon which they depend.

Turtles are also protected on the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Conservancy, formerly known as the Charles Darwin Foundation, Inc., advocates for the lasting protection of the Galapagos Islands through programs of constituency building, education, and fund raising in North America.
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I wonder if dolphins hate drift nets as much as manatees hate unguarded boat propellers. By now every other species on the planet must despise at least one human invention. It’s fortunate that some of our wild friends have powerful advocacy groups looking out for their interests. These animals, for example, have all their ducks in a row when it comes to public relations:

Chimpanzees
The objectives of the Jane Goodall Institute are to:
• Increase primate habitat conservation
• Increase awareness of, support for and training in issues related to our relationship with each other, the environment and other animals (leading to behavior change)
• Expand non-invasive research programs on chimpanzees and other primates
• Promote activities that ensure the well-being of chimpanzees, other primates and animal welfare activities in general

Koalas
The Australian Koala Foundation has no trouble generating positive publicity for these cuddly creatures.

Whales
The American Cetacean Society protects whales, dolphins, porpoises, and their habitats through education, conservation, & research. The Cousteau Society also promotes oceanic conservation and research.

Red Pandas
The Red Panda Project educates and empowers local communities to serve as active partners in the conservation of wild red pandas and their habitat.

Wild Horses
The Wild Horse Sanctuary’s mission is to protect and preserve America’s wild horses as a “living national treasure” in a publicly accessible and ecologically balanced environment with other wildlife for future generations.
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The Caribbean Manatee had a sweet life three hundred years ago. Back then, Blackbeard and the other pirates bandied about in noisy sailing ships like sloops, brigantines and schooners. A manatee could survive a bump from one of these vessels. And the sailors were mostly harmless, except for the lackeys who dreamt of falling in love with a mermaid.

Then someone invented the outboard motor and everything changed for our manatee friends. When a slow swimming mammal collides with the propeller of a cruising speed boat, it usually results in major trauma for the lumbering mammal. So manatees now swim in troubled waters.

It didn’t exactly require a scientific breakthrough for engineers to fit a cage around the propeller of an outboard motor. Propeller guards have been on the market for years. Our state and federal governments should take better advantage of this important safety innovation.

SPIN, an advocacy group dedicated to preventing propeller strikes, has petitioned the Coast Guard, which regulates recreational boats and equipment. The Coast Guard has requested public comment. In the meantime, that manatee surfacing underneath your boat might actually be a young swimmer or a disoriented diver.
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