What if we do nothing? The population of
peacocks in the Country is rising to proportions, where it is becoming a nuisance,
doing more harm than good. We can get the experts to confirm or deny my
hypotheses, using tried and tested scientific methods. This may be broken down
by District, if we need to know if there is a dearth in some and excess in
others if the need arises.
The same scientists and zoologists can
give reasons as to, ‘why it has happened’, to explain their natural increase,
such as the decimation of the jungle cats who used to kill small pea fowl for
their food. This may give credence to the circle of life being put out of
equilibrium, as an argument for their culling.
I believe I saw a clip of Professor
Kotagama, the expert on birds of Sri Lanka, putting forward an argument for
their population control, as they may have a detrimental effect on our Endemic
Bird survival or for that matter of other biodiversity. I don’t know if this is
an introduced species to the island, as it may arrived in the island a few
thousand years ago, with migrants. I wonder if historians have definitive
knowledge of this. As this species is very resilient surviving in temperate
climates like the UK, this is a possibility.
We then arrive at the topic here of
species management. I can now imagine how some conservationists may believe
that the subject must not be tolerated, because they will say it is the
beginning of the end! That means if we allow culling of peacock, when will the
culling of elephants begin? I believe that is not an excuse to begin our debate
on this subject, a much less controversial subject, if we are to begin
intelligent discussion on long term biodiversity survival.
We will have a whole set of stakeholders
who wish to express their views. They include religious beliefs, where the
peacock is considered sacred and inviolable.
In today’s world there are so many
opinions arguments, now fake news being spread around, to back one’s opinion,
which is intended to cloud the original argument. You will even have a set of
people saying “with more land cleared for farming, the traditional land of the
peacocks have been encroached upon by man and so we cannot allow this.” This is
because they don’t know that the likely population of peacocks when the country
was covered in forest. It is likely that we have more peacocks in the Country
today, than we have ever had in the whole history of Sri Lanka. The circle of
life kept this population in check due to other species that was their natural
predator having a much bigger presence!
So let’s concentrate on answering if
there is a problem. If so what is the solution and what are the consequences
arising from implementation?
So now is the time to begin talking,
getting a plan of action and state sponsorship, using our State Universities to
use their knowledge to begin this discussion without delay. The whole world has
begun, we are as usual not on the page yet!
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