Wildlife prey on humanity
Published 23 May, 2008, 12:00
Our civilisation is blamed for the extinction of many species on Earth, but it seems that sometimes wildlife gets a chance to strike back. Crows in Tokyo, cane toads in Australia and Burmese pythons in Florida are just some of the animals that cause huge problems due to human actions.
Probably nature has declared a war on us, but we fail to notice.
Tokyo: sky is falling
Japan’s capital is plagued by quite ordinary birds – crows. They are very aggressive and attack pets, children and even grown-ups. Don’t look through the windows into their eyes, say experts, or the cunning beasts will remember you and ambush you later in the street.
Tokyo crows are also notorious for damaging the IT paradise’s communications. They easily rip coating or optic wires with their beaks and use it to build their nests.
The city is trying to curb the infestation but with little success. The crow population in Tokyo is expected to reach 150,000 by the end of 2008 – almost 10 times larger then the estimated optimum of 18,000. With plenty of food and no natural enemies, crows flourish.
Australia: croaking invaders
Australia has its own problems: cane toads. The amphibians were imported in 1935 from Hawaii to fight native pests. But the cure turned out to be worse then the disease.
Cane toads can grow the size of a deflated soccer ball and weight up to two pounds. They have no trouble with local predators and devour everything in their way like locusts.
The toads found their new environment most favourable and bred with astounding speed. By now they have occupied almost 75% of Australia, ruining native ecosystems.
The Australian government offers a reward to anyone suggesting an effective way to exterminate cane toads. So far the money has not been collected.
Florida: alligators’ bane
While alligators wear the unofficial crown of Florida’s swamp king, a new pretender for the royal jewels is coming. A dozen years ago exotic pet lovers had a fever for Burmese pythons – one of the largest snake species in the world.
Not surprisingly the trend soon changed, and owners had the problem of disposing of the 200 pound reptiles. With no zoos interested in taking them, the snakes were often released into the wild, and the southern state turned out to be quite as good for them as their native Asia.
The number of pythons in Floridian swamps is estimated at 30,000 now, and they are challenging local alligators for their place in the food chain. Three years ago a python was reported to burst apart trying to swallow whole an alligator.
The Burmese python is not venomous, but due to its size it can easily constrict a man if it manages to get a grip.
Germany: furry thieves
Good old Europe is under attack by an army of cunning thieves. They ignore cars and purses, targeting garbage cans instead. The criminals are easily recognisable by their black faces and stripped tails – they are raccoons.
Racoons were first introduced to Germany in 1934. They were bread on farms for their fur, which was quite popular at the time. During WWII many of the animals slipped away into the wild.
Today the propagated racoons are forced by hunger to find new habitats, and cities with their plentiful food waste are a natural choice. Racoons can invade a garage or an attic, and driving them away is a real challenge.
Pessimistic forecasts suggest that racoon infestation could be a big problem for the whole Europe in several years.
Materials from the Novye Izveskia newspaper were used in writing this report.
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