Editor:
People living on the Sunshine Coast are blessed with abundant wildlife and glorious natural spaces only dreamed of in the highly urbanized communities where most of the world's population now lives.
There are many ways to learn how to coexist with wildlife. Most important is learning about their ways, and adapting our own so as not to create a conflict. Negative human-wildlife interactions usually occur due to behaviours the wildlife learned from us (i.e. bears eating garbage, and coyotes habituating to human feeding). In both cases, the animals can end up dead, shot by a conservation officer, for simply doing what we taught them.
Killing wildlife does nothing to address the root causes of the conflict, because they will simply be replaced by other wildlife that moves in to fill the gap. Education campaigns and humane coexistence are the most ethical ways to exist with these majestic creatures. If we use our creativity, common sense and compassion, it is possible to meet our needs as well as theirs. A community that has a place for wildlife is richer in both species and spirit and leaves an invaluable legacy to the next generation and the global community.
Roslyn Cassells
Vancouver
