Sunday, November 13, 2005

Another consequence of global warming

The wolves are starving in Canada due to global warming. Here's an article entitled, "Wolves suspected in northern attack" that explains why and how their behavior has changed as a result:

Wolves are striking fear into miners and residents in northern Saskatchewan, where encounters have become frequent as the animals lose their fear of humans.

Bill Topping, who makes routine hauling trips to the hinterland regions near the Northwest Territories border, spoke with two men from Ontario during supper Sunday at a camp community in Points North, west of Wollaston Lake.

The men, who were conducting aerial surveys for a private company, had spoken excitedly about a close encounter with a wolf pack. They took digital photos of the animals from just five feet away.

Two days later, one of those men was found dead. His mangled body was located Tuesday after he failed to return from a walk. An autopsy confirmed the 22-year-old man's injuries are consistent with an animal attack, says an RCMP release.

"They thought it was quite an experience being that close to a pack of wolves," Topping said in an interview. "Bet they don't think that today."

According to Saskatchewan Environment and other government agencies in North America, there are no documented cases of wolves killing a human in the wild. That may change. Despite the autopsy results, the RCMP are continuing to investigate the cause of death and the type of animal involved. There is no doubt in Topping's mind that wolves are to blame.

"I've been up there three or four times in the past week and I've had some close encounters with wolves. They're everywhere," he said.


So why are the wolves coming close to humans and attacking them? Simple. It's a lack of their normal prey:

On the east side of Wollaston Lake, the Hatchet Lake First Nation has issued a wolf warning for the area because of its own problems. Although no one has been attacked, the animals are more prevalent than ever, says Rosalie Tsanni-Burseth, the reserve's director of education.
...
She partly blames the presence of wolves on the changing environment. Lakes up north should already be frozen to allow for migrating caribou, a diet of wolves. But unseasonably warm weather has kept the water open, forcing the wolves to find food elsewhere.


Soon we will have human "climate refugees". We are destroying the balance of nature. Our own demise is inevitable if we don't do something to stop the destruction.

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