National parks are designed to protect animals and their environment. However, hundreds of plant and animal species have already disappeared due to human-caused environmental change. Today, people are bringing certain animal species back into the national parks that they had once lived in. So far, park rangers have done quite a good job at restoring the natural balance, and the program has gone smoothly, especially with elk and wolves. These were important factors of the food chain in many ecosystems. Without them, the food chain in most places in North America would be thrown out of order. Introducing new animals into national parks turned out to be a good idea most of the time, as they stabilized many native animal populations.
The ecosystems in North America have gotten into big trouble with the arrival of the Europeans. At first, the elk population on the continent was 10 million, but it shrank tenfold, and there were no more elk in North Carolina 150 years ago. Thankfully, 52 elk were reintroduced to North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Canada. Elk, wolves, and other animals are important parts of the food chain in the northern regions of North America. If we want to preserve the environment instead of harming it, we need to start by protecting the animals. Albert Einstein had once quoted: “Our task must be to free ourselves... by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” The best way to prevent animals from going extinct would be to maintain steady numbers of each animal species.
There are many factors contributing to the current problem. One of them is overhunting. Many goods in the past came from animals. Most of the time, hunters get too greedy and over hunt animals to obtain as many items as possible. Another factor was urban sprawl. People continuously built new farms, roads, and cities, occupying 2 million acres per year. Animals started running out of pasture to graze on, and with less food available, the animal population spiraled into a rapid decline. Humans are the cause of this problem. In fact, Fyodor Dostoyevsky had quoted: “Man, do not pride yourself on your superiority to the animals, for they are without sin, while you, with all your greatness, you defile the earth wherever you appear and leave an ignoble trail behind you -- and that is true, alas, for almost every one of us!” In order to stop the situation from deteriorating, it will be necessary to cut down on hunting and limit the human population.
One good strategy to bring stability to an ecosystem where one or multiple species are low in numbers is to reintroduce animals into the area. So far, programs have tried bringing elk and wolves into various ecosystems. Most of the time, the outcome was positive. This is mainly because of these two animals’ roles in an ecosystem. Elk would clear away trees and allow smaller plants to sprout. These would provide food and shelter for small animals, which are consumed by large animals. On the other hand, wolves, being apex predators, have most of the animal population under their control. Still, other animals also play an important role in their habitats. Every animal has some kind of significance to its environment. In fact, Tricia Helfer once quoted: “Animals are just as important as we are.” Animals, no matter their role or size, are key elements in any ecosystem.
For much of human history, people have been unaware of how they had been harming the environment. During the industrial phase of human history, people have been polluting the oceans, ejecting harmful greenhouse gasses, filling landfills up with trash and leaving the waste to rot, and much more. Humans have tried to reverse this negative effect, but for some animals, it is already too late to save them, as they have gone extinct. It will be necessary to prevent the same thing from happening to more animal species in the future since every animal plays a vital role in its ecosystem. One way to bring stability to the environment is to introduce foreign animals into new habitats. While this strategy has been highly successful with some animal species, it is not always a good idea. If we accidentally transport new species into a foreign habitat, it may turn into an invasive species and crowd out other animals as they have no natural predators there. My opinion is that we should be more careful about what species we introduce into other ecosystems in order to avoid any damage.
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