If you care about wildlife, you have to stop eating meat.
You have undoubtedly heard about Washington state's recent decision to kill an entire pack of wolves --10% of the entire wolf population in the state -- from Profanity Peak in order to appease a welfare-rancher on public lands whose calves have been killed. But did you know that wolves are not the only animals killed to protect livestock?
In 2014 alone, the United States Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services shot, poisoned, snared or trapped 4 million animals including 75,326 coyotes, 866 bobcats, 528 river otters, 3,700 foxes, 12,186 prairie dogs, 973 red-tailed hawks, and 419 black bears at the behest of ranchers.
In March of 2016, Yellowstone National Park began shipping its famous wild bison to slaughter in response to concerns by the livestock industry over a disease that is carried by the bison, which has never actually been transferred to cattle. This irrational fear is not just isolated to the United States either.
Since 2013 in the United Kingdom, thousands of badgers have been inhumanely killed in order to protect livestock from potentially contracting Tuberculosis (TB) from the small animal. According to The Independent, "None of the badgers killed have been tested for TB and the vast majority (over 85 per cent) are likely to be TB-free. Many of the badgers have been killed by the cruel "free shooting" method, which results in them taking more than five minutes to die from blood loss and organ failure caused by multiple gunshot wounds. Even though this particular culling method has been condemned by the Government’s own Independent Expert Panel and the British Veterinary Association, it continues to be used."
And in Australia, kangaroos are being culled by the thousands because they are competing with livestock for scarce forage during the drought-season.
If you care about wildlife, please stop eating meat. Try our free 30-day vegan challenge today.