Over the past several months of the pandemic, the conversation in the media has understandably focused on individual health, the economy and the vaccine. However, one part of the conversation that has been missed is the fact that COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease (infectious disease passed from other animals to humans), as are many other diseases. I fear that once we begin to get through this pandemic (and we’re not there yet), people will forget about the important interaction between humans and wildlife.
Scientists estimate that there are nearly 1.7 million unidentified viruses in wildlife species. That’s 1.7 million chances for another COVID-19 pandemic…or worse. Because of this threat, it’s important that we protect wild places as secure habitats for wildlife. In intact, functioning ecosystems these viruses are not an active threat to humans. When we breach these natural areas by destroying habitat, removing animals from habitats through poaching, or allowing significant human expansion into them, we greatly increase the potential for disease spillover by bringing humans and wildlife in close and repeated contact.
Habitat and wildlife issues like this may appear to be out of our control, but things like habitat destruction and illegal wildlife trade occur because of consumer demand. You can have an impact. That is why Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has developed our
Make a Difference program. Making a difference is as easy as A-B-C (Advocate, Buy Responsibly, Contribute).
Buying responsibly - choosing if, where, and what you buy - can have a major impact. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is a proud supporter of AZA’s Wildlife Trafficking Alliance. The Alliance’s
Be Informed, Buy Informed campaign, is a great way to learn about how your purchasing decisions can affect wildlife. Imagine yourself shopping at a souvenir stand while on a tropical vacation. Products like ivory, coral, or turtle shell may all seem like benign purchases, but they create a trade that damages wildlife populations beyond repair. If vacation seems like a fantasy during this pandemic, there are other responsible purchases you can make.
We often talk about the importance of purchasing products with no, or responsibly-sourced, palm oil around Halloween. Millions of acres of forest have been cleared for palm oil plantations, resulting in drought, fires and species extinction. Many zoos push out palm oil awareness around Halloween, but as Valentine’s Day approaches, it’s important to keep those responsible purchasing practices in mind. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has a great resource on our website for
palm oil awareness. By purchasing responsibly, we can reduce the amount of tropical forest that is being destroyed for palm oil plantations and thereby reduce the impacts on orangutans and many other species.
As the world gets smaller and the amount of wild space is reduced, protecting wildlife and habitat is no longer an act of altruism. Protecting wildlife is a step toward protecting ourselves. If we’ve learned nothing else from the past year, we should recognize that wildlife and habitat are directly tied to our health and wellbeing…and as a consumer you can take positive steps toward protecting them with the choices you make.
~Dr. Chris Kuhar, Executive Director of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo