It’s official - The Monk Seal is extinct
Sat, Jun 7, 2008
The Caribbean Monk seal (or West Indian seal) has been announced extinct on Friday. This comes as a shock (at least for me - and many others), as this is the first seal species announced extinct due to human activities; now, it will only be seen in drawings.After five years of futile efforts in which not even a single sighting has been reported, the U.S. declared extinct, and also declared that no other seal species has been extinct because of us. This probably (and sadly) opens the way for more such species to become extinct - unless something changes.
The Caribbean Monk Seal was a relatively small seal (6-9 feet) with rolls of fat around its neck and brown pelage that faded to a yellow-white color on the stomach. The last recorded sighting occurred in 1952.
Perhaps what’s even more important here is the lesson that must be learned. Humans left the population unsustainable due to overhunting. To how many other species have we done this? This will (and already is) ultimately affect us! Take just 10 seconds and think about that.
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June 7th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
10 seconds to think about it? I’ve been thinking about it for 30 of my past 39 years.
Just our past stupidity - omitting our current stupidity - affects us in ways we barely understand.
For example, we used to have a phosphorus transport system called passenger pigeons that travelled in flocks of up to one billion birds. In just a few hours of rest, one flock making a stop would provide 50 years worth of phosphorus for the local vegetation. It is likely that much of the blight suffered by North American trees in the past 150 years has been due in part because the trees were weakened due to the loss of their nutrient delivery system. All this because “shootin’ stuff is aw’ful fun!”
This sort of foolishness is hurting us, as you say; and it will continue so as we rush headlong towards the abyss. Insistence on ignoring evidence of unpleasant outcomes stemming from our actions is pretty much a species characteristic that all but 10 to 25% of us possess. Our species as a whole is determined to learn the hard lessons first hand.
June 7th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
This is very sad news. It is time for a wake up call, but it will likely take our own extinction to realize that change was necessary.
June 9th, 2008 at 10:21 am
This is neither sad nor unexpected; it is a natural result. I find it funny that the same liberals who scoff at Creationism are unable to cope when natural selection rids the Earth of a species which is no longer fit to survive.
June 9th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Although I am not surprised that someone who calls himself Squirrelpants and who would try to turn this into a political debate would not grasp this, there was no inherent weakness in this species that led to its downfall. It was a victim of being found by a culture that has proven itself quite incapable of being good stewards of nature.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
May botflies infest your anus and your balls sting with the pain of a thousand porcupines……You sir are a BAD MAN.
June 12th, 2008 at 7:10 am
The Caribbean Monk seal was a bit stringy, and fishy tasting. Manatee flesh is much yummier!
June 13th, 2008 at 6:44 am
That’s pretty lameass, man. Show some respect :<
June 21st, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Shut up T.P. I cant take you seriously or help but laugh after reading your comment and looking at your stupid profile face pic. What are you talking about “show some respect”? Were talking about a dead seal… The seal’s family isn’t going to be offended that some people are making fun of its taste. But hey, maybe you should try expressing your point to an oncoming train and see if it stops to listen.
June 22nd, 2008 at 4:53 am
You’ve got some serious moral issues. It’s clear to me you haven’t understood anything from neither the article itself or the other comments. It’s about respect for nature. It’s because people like you, who don’t give a shit about what’s happening around them and care only about themselves, that species, like the monk seal, are now extinct. Ego-centric individuals, like yourself, should mind their own business and maybe get closer to a railway, maybe the incoming train will ’show’ you the proper respect you deserve… Now, let the trolling begin!
August 6th, 2008 at 3:13 am
Good Riddance