Thinning of the Herd?

[ExoByte]

SolSkye's Post about the bees reminded me, that the bees disappearances are only the top of the barrel. Its only one issue of many. Put together via information on another forum, its not secret that there have been massive mammal die offs lately. While following the massive unexplained deaths of bats in the NE, one begins to wonder what could be found with respect to other unexplained mammal die-offs. Nearly all of the following examples were pulled from articles published within the last 90 days: Hare-less: Yellowstone's Rabbits Have Vanished, Study Says A new study by the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society found that jack rabbits living in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have apparently hopped into oblivion. The study, which appears in the journal Oryx, also speculates that the disappearance of jack rabbits may be having region-wide impacts on a variety of other prey species and their predators. According to the study, historical records from more than 130 years ago indicate that white-tailed jack rabbits were once locally abundant in Greater Yellowstone, a 60,000 square kilometer (23,166 square mile) ecosystem that contains both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. However, the WCS study found that no jack rabbit sightings could be confirmed in Yellowstone since 1991 and only three in Grand Teton since 1978. No one knows what caused the rabbits to disappear, according to the study's lead author, Dr. Joel Berger, a Wildlife Conservation Society conservationist, and professor at the University of Montana. "It could be disease, extreme weather, predation or other factors," Dr. Berger said. "Since the rabbits blipped off without knowledge, there has simply been no way to get at the underlying cause." More... The case of the missing Minnesota moose Scientists say that the moose are dying from "tipover disease," less a diagnosis than a description of how moose simply weaken and crumple to the ground, often to be finished off by wolves or other predators. Minnesota moose seem to be dying when and where they shouldn't -- in the prime of life, or in the fall, when they should be fat, and amid plenty of food. The causes are still largely unknown. Minnesota's moose are dying "These are animals in the prime of life that just look like they laid down and died," said Mike Schrage, a wildlife biologist with the Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe. ... "The vast majority of them are dying from some unknown malady. We just have not been able to identify what that is," said Lenarz. "Some are dying from what's called brain worm. Some are probably dying from winter ticks. Some are dying from who-knows-what disease or parasites out there, but it isn't any single smoking gun." More... Local marine mammal mortality rate alarms fisheries officials With the total number of dead, decomposing dolphins washing up on Southeast Texas shores increasing to 64 this month, National Marine Fisheries officials Wednesday have declared an "unusual mortality event" for the entire Texas coast. Biologists looked back at other cases along the coastline, and found 45 more similar to those found on Jefferson and Galveston coasts, bringing the total to 109, said Blair Mase, marine fisheries Southeast Regional Marine Mammal Stranding coordinator. Last year, an unusual mortality event for the north Texas coast was called after 68 dolphins washed up in March, according to Enterprise archives. A cause for the die-off wasn't found because many of the dolphins were so decomposed, according to the archives. More... Sea Otter Deaths in California Alarm Officials An unusually high number of sea otter deaths this month off the California coast has state and federal wildlife officials worried that the sea otter population, in decline since the mid-1990's, may be experiencing troubles more serious than previously thought. Six dead sea otters have washed ashore in the last several days, bringing to 45 the number of dead or stranded otters in California in April. That is more than double the average number for the month in the last decade, the officials said. ''We have had other times when mortality was high, but we attributed it to various things, and it tapered off,'' said Greg Sanders, the southern sea otter recovery coordinator for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. ''But at this point we are breaking all previous records and we have not found a pattern.'' More... See also, Why are California sea otters dying? Crystal River Colorado bighorns in trouble Young bighorn sheep along the Crystal River near Redstone aren’t surviving to adulthood. ... The population of about 100 adult sheep ranging from just south of Carbondale to Marble are reproducing, but 85 to 95 percent of the young aren’t surviving to adulthood, according to Colorado Division of Wildlife Officer John Groves. “We’re not exactly sure what’s causing it,” Groves said, but bighorn lambs are dying off at about four to six weeks old. More... ----- See also, Disease claims Nev. bighorn sheep herd There are also these other, mostly non-mammal, die-offs also found in recent articles published over the last couple of years. Chinook salmon vanish without a trace Mystery Disease Killing Bats: Could Force Extinction Mystery killer silencing honeybees Rapid loss of aspen forests prompting research Mystery over mass deaths of starfish Mysterious American Eel Decline The starvation of the grey whale Dying salt marshes puzzle scientists Bird toll mounts on Richardson Bay Mystery virus taking toll on city crows Makes you wonder...

[Sornaensis]

They're disapearing because they are dying off.

[nina]

christ

[Mes Tarrant]

Wow. Too bad I won't be around long enough to see what sorts of creatures will replace these if they all die off like the dinosaurs. If any, that is. Do you think this mysterious "malady" is something that could affect humans as well?

[ExoByte]

Easily. Most animals rely on a balance. Deer and Wolves for example. If there becomes an overpopulation of wolves and all the deer die out, the wolves will die out. We also rely on this balance. Even if the mysterious cause of animal deaths itself doesn't effect us directly, it could easily effect us if it disrupts the balance that keeps us all in check. They're disapearing because they are dying off. Uhhh... Put together via information on another forum, its not secret that there have been massive mammal die offs lately. While following the massive unexplained deaths of bats in the NE, one begins to wonder what could be found with respect to other unexplained mammal die-offs. Nearly all of the following examples were pulled from articles published within the last 90 days: There are also these other, mostly non-mammal, die-offs also found in recent articles published over the last couple of years.

[Sornaensis]

There is an upset balance because of human overpopulation, of course. Once humans reach the apogee or population, a wave of something will, at first slowly, then quickly, then back to slowly, kill off many humans and animals directly affected by us.

[Mes Tarrant]

Do you mean in terms of food running out for us? It doesn't seem like farm animals are in danger yet... in any case, we can survive on fruits and vegetables just fine.

[Sornaensis]

Actually becoming vegetarian can cause loss of brain development and sterility.

[Mes Tarrant]

Actually becoming vegetarian can cause loss of brain development and sterility. Yeah, maybe if you're a vegetarian as well as a complete dumb ass. We have plenty of very good vitamin supplements.

[Sornaensis]

...Which make it worse.

[Mes Tarrant]

...Which make it worse. Oh really? Do enlighten me, health guru.

[Sornaensis]

My aunt and Unlce are vegetarian? Both are on a all kinds of supplements. Result? They can't have children.

[Black_Eagle]

China + India + Supervirus = millions dead. Problem solved? ...Which make it worse. Elaborate. I wanna hear more on this.

[Sornaensis]

Not to mention the fact that vegetarian animals will never surpass an omnivorous animal in intelligence. Why? Because the protiens and other vitamins recieved from eating flesh boots brain development.

[ExoByte]

Sources... After of which it'd be nice to go back on-topic rather than using the thread as your own personal Health Help Desk.

[Sornaensis]

Not my fault, I swear!

[Taosaur]

More of Seis's "Great logic skills" at work It seems a fair bet that most or all of these die-offs originate with chemicals released by human industry climbing the food chain.

[Xox]

More of Seis's "Great logic skills" at work It seems a fair bet that most or all of these die-offs originate with chemicals released by human industry climbing the food chain. Yeah seems most likely.. I just started to read about this stuff happening now.

[Mes Tarrant]

To test that hypothesis, it'd be interesting to see if animals who live in places devoid of humans are suffering the same effects.

[Spartiate]

As far as I know, drop in the population of certain species is mostly due to climate change, invasive species and destruction of habitat. It's all pretty preventable.

[Taosaur]

To test that hypothesis, it'd be interesting to see if animals who live in places devoid of humans are suffering the same effects. Yeah, so let's look at animals from... ... ...the moon?

[Mes Tarrant]

Yeah, so let's look at animals from... ... ...the moon? Funny. Not really. Antarctica. Many places in Africa. Corners of New Zealand. Areas of Australia. Etc.

[Moonbeam]

The penguins are dying in Antartica. I don't think chronic wasting disease, found in white-tail deer, was mentioned. Farm animals aren't safe--CWD is a prion disease, like mad cow and scrapie in sheep.

[Gastone Mojaisky]

You know the world is going in the wrong direction when people start coining phrases like "Faster then a drowning polar bear" for example. Human development has been extremely negative on animal populations all over the world, why i just saw a bit on the BBC about how Plastic is being ingested by sea animals and animals like albatrosses. The island of Mid way for example is having large amounts of plastic routinely washing ashore on its beaches, MidWay also happens to be a major nesting ground for Albatrosses who invariably injest the stuff. This is the end my friend

[Sornaensis]

More of Seis's "Great logic skills" at work It seems a fair bet that most or all of these die-offs originate with chemicals released by human industry climbing the food chain. ...Which is caused by human overpopulation... Which is caused by food surplus... which is caused by intelligence... Which is caused by evolution... Which is a natural process. Do I need to spell everything out for you?