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comment by briandmyers
briandmyers  ·  4238 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: A conservation story gone bad - The Advanced Apes

But isn't it also true that pandas would not be threatened, except for human intervention? I was under the impression that loss of habitat was the primary reason for panda endangerment (as a species).

Are you arguing that human encroachment upon habitats of other animals is "nature" doing its job? By that logic, we should never be concerned about any species loss, ever. It's just "nature" !





khaaan  ·  4238 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Humans are an environmental force

briandmyers  ·  4237 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Exactly, and intervention to prevent the extermination of pandas (for example) is an exercising of that force.

khaaan  ·  4237 days ago  ·  link  ·  

So why pandas and not all the others? not that i want to see pandas die or anything

briandmyers  ·  4237 days ago  ·  link  ·  

That's a very good point - the real answer is 'because pandas are cute', of course. But I'd wager that it's more often the less-known, less-cute species that are more important, in terms of retaining a healthy ecosphere.