How many of us are really aware of the ongoing occurrence of species extinctions, more specifically, of the Giant Fruit Bat? Judging by the number of comments to the blog titled “Saving the Flying Fox,” there aren't many. Or perhaps, there just aren’t many who really care.This blog can be found on Andrew Revkin’s Dot Earth blog. Leslie Kaufman tries to educate people about the endangerment of a species of bat found in Malaysia. In her introduction, she uses words like “furry critter” and a nickname of “flying fox,” to describe this species of bat. Overall, I don’t see much information about these bats as either pests or beneficial members of the environment, but she tells us that saving them from possible extinction would be an ideal goal. She mentions both the disappearance of this bat "could have profound effects on the ecology of the entire region," but also that they are pests to farmers and can carry viruses. While I do agree with and appreciate her message, I do not find her writing to be very emotionally charged or really convincing.
However, the first post comment adds a sort of balance to the blog in that it includes some emotionally charged words and description. The commenter relates the problem of fruit bat extinction more to human interactions and blames people for causing the endangerment of not only the species mentioned in the article, but to all animals. She uses words and phrases like “beautiful, diverse members of our planet ecology” and “irreplaceable creatures” to make us care more about these animals. She provides a good narrative frame, describing her feeling of helplessness and deep concern.
The second response is a somewhat smaller version of the first post. It also puts the blame on humans and adds an almost sarcastic general description of how we can help the species population.
The third post started to veer off topic, but also gave a good narrative description that adds to the audience’s sense of need and importance. The two responses following this one do not relate directly to the blog.
None of these posts use any sort of aggressive language, probably because the problem isn’t really part of most people’s immediate lives. If we don’t see it, the problem doesn’t really exist. Species are being endangered and extinct every day, but overall, I find that this blog is evidence that many of these species extinctions are not seen as real problems.
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I think there's two primary reasons why the possible extinction of the flying fox is disregarded as important.
ReplyDelete1) It seems to me that large predators (tigers, bears, orcas, etc.) are considered more of a necessity to their ecosystems than smaller animals, even if sometimes the opposite is true.
2) Bats are rarely labeled as beautiful/cuddly/majestic/whatever. They have been stereotyped as bloodthristy, ugly, and devilish due to folklore. Thus, people are less likely to take concern in them. This also applies to many other animals -- amphibians, reptiles, etc. Most people are drawn to certain families or species. (I mean, how often is it that you'll meet someone whose favorite animal is the gulper eel? I doubt you ever will.)
I hope for the best in terms of bat conservation, even if their extinctions are seen as trivial. Let's be positive!