The Ghost Cats Ninth Life Essays - Leopardus, Ocelot,

The Ghost Cats Ninth Life Title: The Ghost Cats Ninth Life Author: Wendy Williams Source: Audobon, July/August 2000 This article, The Ghost Cats Ninth Life, is about the fate of the Ocelot in South Texas. Not much remains of the ocelot. They are a wild member of the cat family; just a little bigger than a big housecat Although scientists know little of this rare and reclusive cat, they have estimated that only about 80 ocelots remain in the United States, mostly on federally reserved land. Ocelots have been listed on the endangered species list since 1982. The primary cause for their decline is thought to be habitat loss; the only area they are known to exist anymore is a small area of the Rio Grande delta at the tip of southern Texas. Ocelots are very tough to observe in their native habitat. Their markings blend nearly perfectly with their environment. Because they are similar in structure to a bobcat, observers often cannot tell from tracks or other evidence whether an observed animal is a bobcat (which are plentiful in the area,) or the rare ocelot. Since 1990 though, a lot more information has been gained about the life of the ocelot. Long ago, the southern most tip of the Rio Grande delta was a beautiful area, lush with native vegetation. In the last 150 years though, this area has become economically depressed. The poorer people that have settled here, took up farming as a means to survive and prosper. Cotton, the crop of choice in this area, has been overgrown and now the previously rich soil is barren. Their cattle and other farm animals have destroyed any remaining vegetation . The ocelot requires low brush cover in order to thrive. Ninety-five percent of their native land cover has been altered. Ocelots have not been able to adapt to the wide open spaces that have resulted from excessive agricultural use. What remains of suitable ocelot habitat is over highly productive farmland. Compounding this problem is that much of the remaining habitat is not interconnected. This means that there is not sufficient room in most of the prime habitat for the species to spread out. The busy highways and roadways of the Rio Grande delta are the ocelots greatest predator. As the ocelot moves about in the remaining habitat, it must cross highways and the success rate has not been good. Since 1994, 10% of ocelot deaths have been due to being hit by vehicles while trying to cross these highways and the state wants to build more. Many people, now aware of the ocelot and their dwindling numbers are beginning to take action. The Texas Department of Transportation has tried to build culverts under the highways for the ocelot to use, but the culverts, being below road grade, filled with rainwater and the cats would not use them. What they need to do is build 3-5 foot box type runways at ground level. This solution would require a lot of money to repeatedly raise the roadway at every location they feel they need to put a runway. The federal government has approved a plan to acquire enough land to double the size of the Altascasa Refuge, the last stronghold of the ocelot. The government has done this by purchasing easements on 108,000 acres of farm/range land. They will restore this land to its natural state. Some large ranch owners are also making efforts to preserve habitat for the ocelot. They have set aside hundreds of acres of their properties to natural vegetation. One of the best hopes for the ocelot habitat is a booming eco-tourism in South Texas. Bird watching in this area now brings in more than 100 million dollars annually for the region. Bird and Breakfasts are springing up all over the area. The fate of the ocelot is one familiar story. Man comes in and uncaringly destroys all the native land in order to prosper. I dont believe this is truly the case though. As the article stated, no one knew much of the ocelot, scientifically, before 1990. By that time, the land had already been converted to agricultural uses and roads had been built. Modern man has a need to thrive also. It is encouraging

Free Essays on Most Dangerous Game

A person is unable to empathize with another unless he has shared a similar experience. Often one will come to realize the feeling of another. In, â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† by Richard Connel, the characters are both skilled hunters who find themselves pitted against each other in the ultimate game of cat and mouse. When Sanger Rainsford meets the formidable General Zaroff, he learns what true fear is and discovers the resources needed to overcome his foe. General Zaroff is a cruel and heartless hunter. He tells Rainsford that he must hunt an animal that can reason and that humans are the only thing that can, so he hunts them. Zaroff must be mentally ill to hunt humans. He must feel a sense of superiority when he makes a kill. In addition Zaroff placed lights in the ocean to indicate a false channel full of jagged rocks which will tear metal like its paper. Zaroff must have a strong need to keep his human â€Å"stock† in high numbers. To destroy ships and have survivors swim to his island is the only way he can keep hunting humans. Furthermore, Zaroff keeps the men he will hunt in a training camp in his basement. Because the sailors are not used to being on land Zaroff must put them in training camp to let them get used to the land so he can hunt them in a dangerous game. General Zaroff likes his opponents to be physically fit. General Zaroff’s hobby of hunting humans is sick and ruthless. Sanger Rainsford is a cunning and resourceful opponent. For example, while playing the game with General Zaroff, Rainsford digs a deep hole and puts large, sharp sticks in the bottom and covers the hole with brush. Rainsford is good at making good use of what he has. Rainsford doesn’t give up when he might be considered the underdog. In addition, Rainsford ties a knife to a vine and makes a booby trap for Zaroff, which misses Zaroff and hits his assistant Ivan. Although Rainsford misses his opponen... Free Essays on Most Dangerous Game Free Essays on Most Dangerous Game A person is unable to empathize with another unless he has shared a similar experience. Often one will come to realize the feeling of another. In, â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† by Richard Connel, the characters are both skilled hunters who find themselves pitted against each other in the ultimate game of cat and mouse. When Sanger Rainsford meets the formidable General Zaroff, he learns what true fear is and discovers the resources needed to overcome his foe. General Zaroff is a cruel and heartless hunter. He tells Rainsford that he must hunt an animal that can reason and that humans are the only thing that can, so he hunts them. Zaroff must be mentally ill to hunt humans. He must feel a sense of superiority when he makes a kill. In addition Zaroff placed lights in the ocean to indicate a false channel full of jagged rocks which will tear metal like its paper. Zaroff must have a strong need to keep his human â€Å"stock† in high numbers. To destroy ships and have survivors swim to his island is the only way he can keep hunting humans. Furthermore, Zaroff keeps the men he will hunt in a training camp in his basement. Because the sailors are not used to being on land Zaroff must put them in training camp to let them get used to the land so he can hunt them in a dangerous game. General Zaroff likes his opponents to be physically fit. General Zaroff’s hobby of hunting humans is sick and ruthless. Sanger Rainsford is a cunning and resourceful opponent. For example, while playing the game with General Zaroff, Rainsford digs a deep hole and puts large, sharp sticks in the bottom and covers the hole with brush. Rainsford is good at making good use of what he has. Rainsford doesn’t give up when he might be considered the underdog. In addition, Rainsford ties a knife to a vine and makes a booby trap for Zaroff, which misses Zaroff and hits his assistant Ivan. Although Rainsford misses his opponen...

The long term effects of washington's up from slavery Research Proposal

The long term effects of washington's up from slavery - Research Proposal Example He will carve his place in history if he can travel a considerable way in removing racism from the American psyche. I often find the issue of my color an uncomfortable one and am even tempted to ignore it but things that keep happening in the social, cultural and political life of my country keep reminding me of the divisive force of racism. It is in the treatment of the black prisoners and discrimination in the matter of justice, job opportunities and suppression of rights. I find it difficult to accept the differential treatment only because of my skin color, only because I look black, and the way it reduces my relevance as a human being. That, however, does not terminate my dream of a color-free world where humanity will be the only reality. And that reality I don't want to born out of any compassion of the white people for the black people or out of a conscious demonstration of liberalism of the whites for the non-whites but out of an established system of equal opportunities for the black people in every sphere of life like education, employment and other rights to have their rightful place in society. Racism is not something that will stop if the people stop talking about it. Jack Dovidio, a University of Connecticut professor and a researcher of racism for over three decades, estimated that "approximately 80 percent of White Americans have racist feelings they may not recognize" (Shabazz 2007). It may have changed form but is very much there in the new millennium when for similar offence, a black is imprisoned and the white escapes with civil charges. This kind of experience produces in me a critical sense of contradiction that now for over a century has been haunting the black community. Is not our approach to our struggle for equality with the whites with regard to social, political and economic rights by itself the very antithesis of our success in this endeavor In my view, the conflict started from the time Booker T. Washington started the process of compromise with the white to secure a place for the black in America. I do not say that the policy of compromise with the objective of uniting the races followed by Washington was without worth in the context of the institutionalized racism prevailing in America at that time. He needed the cooperation of the white as also their sympathy to see that such appeasement could at least check racism of all kinds against the black. His intention to achieve white sympathy and cooperation is no more pronounced than in the "Atlanta Compromise" (1895) where he spoke of working together for mutual progress. It was received by the radicals "as a complete surrender of the demand for civil and political equality; the conservatives, as a generously conceived working basis for mutual understanding" (DuBois 1903). I find echo of this compromise I am talking about in the autobiographical account "Up From Slavery" (Washington 1901) portraying an optimism that never materialized in future race relations. 3 Washington in his effort not to ruffle the white feathers overlooked the need for a more aggressive approach to empower the Negroes by making them politically and educationally strong which could make their movement against racism self-sustaining and not dependent on the white accommodativeness. I find it simultaneously painful and