Persuasive Speech On Amur Leopards

ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHT

TV

WILD AUSTRALIA

Famous for its dangerous predators, arid landscape, unique indigenous art, culture, and remarkable reefs, it feels as though everything on Australia has been said and done. This new four-part series on Nat Geo Wild however, endeavors to show the continent in a new light. In this visual extravaganza, Wild Australia will document the lives of the nation’s most iconic – and secretive – animals. From the brightly colored cassowary to Australia’s beloved tree-kangaroo, dingo and platypus, this show gives you the chance to witness the extraordinary lives of these exceptional, versatile animals like never before.

DOCUMENTARY

LUCENT

This multi-award winning documentary is not for the fainthearted. One

of the most acclaimed feature-length documentaries of 2014, Lucent shines a spotlight the darker side of Australia's pig farming industry in hopes of educating consumers on the disgusting and inhumane practices that plague most abattoirs and large-scale livestock pens across the world. Venturing into the deep underbelly of the industry through a combination of hand-held and hidden camera footage, the documentary highlights the day-to-day cruelty these pigs endure, and the normalization of the brutality they face.
Narrated by Lindsay McDougall, the film contains footage from over 50 farms and slaughterhouses across Australia.

BOOK
WHY WE LOVE DOGS, EAT PIGS, AND WEAR COWS

Ph.D holder and Harvard alumni Melanie Joy explores the invisible system that shapes our perception of the meat we eat, teaching us to love certain animals and eat others relatively guilt free. In her pioneering book Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows, she discusses this belief system—a system she calls carnism. “Carnism is the ideology that allows us to selectively choose which animals become our meat, and it is sustained by complex psychological and social mechanisms.” Like other "isms" (racism, ageism, etc.), carnism is most harmful when it is unrecognized and unacknowledged. Unlike many other books on the subject, Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows examines this meat-eating phenomenon, and guides us through the reasoning behind our culinary choices rather than listing the reasons why we shouldn’t consume meat. By discussing the hidden mechanisms which dictate our eating habits, Joy hopes we can make more informed choices as citizens and consumers, and see that we do have a choice when it comes to our food.

THE AMUR LEOPARD

The name "leopard" comes from the Greek word leopardus, which is a combination of leon (lion) and pardus (panther), according to PBS Nature.
Leopards can’t go for a month without water. Most survive from the moisture they get from eating their prey.
They are incredible athletes. They can run up to 36 mph (58 kph), jump forward 20 feet (6 meters) and leap 10 feet (3 m) straight up – San Diego Zoo.
The leopard's spots are called rosettes because they look like roses.

The word leopard conjures images of lithe, golden figures prowling through the long grass of the savanna, or the forests of India. The Amur leopard – also known as the Far Eastern leopard – however, lives in quite a different environment. This Panthera subspecies thrives in the frozen climates of southeastern Russia and Jilin Province of northeast China, and once roamed as far as the Korean peninsula.
One of the most successful solo predators, all nine subspecies of leopard could be found across the globe, and although most subspecies continue to flourish in parts of Africa and India, the Amur leopard has become the world’s rarest cat. A recent consensus places the entire Amur leopard population between 7-12 in China and 20-25 in Russia.
Let that sink in for a moment.
27 to 37 individuals.
There are more students in your average college classroom than there are Amur leopards extant in the wild. Critically endangered in both their chief remaining ecosystems, scientists and environmentalists across the globe are racing to preserve what remains of this fragile population.
MY WEAKNESS IS WEARING TOO MUCH LEOPARD PRINT – JACKIE COLLINS
What causes such drastic population decay?

Like many creatures, Amur leopards are threatened by poaching, diminishing habitats, climate change, encroaching humans, fluctuating food sources and competition with other predators.

Before conservation efforts were put in place, the Amur leopard was hunted for its distinctive coat. Their unique pelts, which changes from a pale yellow during winter to a darker auburn color during the rest of the year, can also grow from 2 to 7 cm long in preparation for frigid temperatures. Their widely spaced rosettes patterns lined by thick, black borders sets them apart from other leopard subspecies, and makes for an attractive throw or coat for neighboring human populations.

In addition to poaching, human developments and habitat destruction have grossly impacted the Amur leopard. Given the nature of their landscape, the harsh seasons and finite resources, predators must command huge, fertile territories to sustain themselves. Shrinking habitats means less prey, water and shelter to provide for the existing population. Leopards that fail to win prime pieces of land are ousted onto less inhabitable territories where they eventually die

out.
Human encroachment also puts pressure on the existing balance between Amur leopards and the predators and prey it coexists with. While leopards are capable predators with a vast array of prey at their disposal – from large to medium-sized deer and elk, to small rodents and mammals – they are not the main apex predator in the region. Dwarfed by the largest big cat in the world, the Amur tiger (also known as the Siberian tiger) commands immense territories and feeds primarily on large herbivores. When the population of prey is low and territories too small to support both, confrontation between tigers and leopards are inevitable, and given their superior size and strength, tigers will easily eliminate their only competition for these resources. This is a common trend in Africa as well. When territories are scarce, the dominant regional predator, the lion, maintains its habitat by encroaching on smaller predators, like leopards and cheetahs. While the lion population remains constant, those lower down the pecking order suffer. The same can be said of their eastern cousins.
Lastly, an acute threat to the survival of the Amur leopard is the potential for inbreeding. Even without direct human interference, with only a handful of Amur leopards extant in the wild, genetic degeneration is unavoidable. What’s more, recent studies conducted by the WWF indicate that the Amur leopard already has a history of inbreeding—several generations in fact. Low genetic diversity has been associated with dire deformities and reproductive abnormalities that hamper the survival of the population. With remaining Amur leopards localized in a small area of Russia and China, the possibility of inbreeding with close kin is high.

A WWF PRIORITY SPECIES
“The Amur leopard is a WWF priority species. WWF treats priority species as one of the most ecologically, economically and/or culturally important species on our planet. And so we are working to ensure such species can live and thrive in their natural habitats.” – WWF
Many would argue that wasting money, time and resources to preserve this diminutive population is folly. It’s simply too little too late. Even without the Amur leopard, the food chain would still have its top predator, the Amur tiger, so what difference does it make to the environment? Potentially a massive one, according to several leading papers and conservationists. With Amur leopards out of the picture, tigers would dominate the landscape and, theoretically, thrive as there is more room and provisions to accommodate a greater population. An increase in tigers will suppress the population of animals further down the tropic level—in this case, the deer and elk that compose their diet.
Conversely, the roe and sika deers, wild boars, hares, and badgers which are the main prey of the Amur leopard will flourish. Though this doesn’t sound particularly ominous, if left unchecked these populations can spiral out of control, and have repercussions on the subsequent tropic level.
MEASURES
The Russian government has invested more than ten million pounds into a 262,000-hectare 'Land of the Leopard National Park', which will protect all the Amur leopard’s breeding grounds from human interference. While the inner most regions of the park are inaccessible, to promote awareness and familiarity with the plight of the Amur cats there will be eco-tours and other sustainable economic enterprises. Several industry plans including an oil pipeline and pit coal mine, which would run through the heart of Amur leopard territory, have also been scratched thanks to conservation efforts.
One of the planet’s most striking and secretive creatures, the Amur leopard requires our help if it is to find a foothold in its shifting environment. While some conservationists consider the resurgence of the Amur leopard an impossible dream, the recovery of the Amur tiger, whose population was as low as 30 in the 1940’s, inspires hope. With anti-poaching teams, united campaigns to promote awareness, regular habitat assessment using G.I.S techniques, and successful reintroduction of captive leopards into the wild, it’s possible that this elusive creature may witness the renaissance it deserves.

WHY WE NEED PREDATORS – TROPIC CASCADES

The theory of tropic cascades has become a hot environmental topic of late thanks to George Monbiot’s video How Wolves Change Rivers and allied TED Talk appearance. On both occasions, Monbiot romantically explains the interconnectedness of nature, and how reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone National Park after a 70-year drought catalyzed a “trophic cascade”.

According to the Encyclopedia Brittania, a tropic cascade is:

“an ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators and involving reciprocal changes in the relative populations of predator and prey through a food chain, which often results in dramatic changes in ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling. In a three-level food chain, an increase (or decrease) in carnivores causes a decrease (or increase) in herbivores and an increase (or decrease) in primary producers such as plants and phytoplankton.”

After the 1920s and 30s nationwide massacre of the grey wolves population, which extirpated the Canis lupus from several states including Wyoming, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995 to moderate the inundated white-tailed deer and elk population that flourished during the absence of their chief natural predator. What Monbiot goes onto say is that since their reintroduction a three-tiered trophic cascade has been reestablished between the wolves, herbivores and plant life (including species such as aspen, willows and cottomwoods). Deer, in response to the threat of predation, altered their feeding habits and relocated to areas of the park less infested with wolves, allowing trees and vegetation to regenerate and grow in regions that been overgrazed. Great numbers of trees and vegetation attracted scores of new herbivores – beavers, rabbits, and other small rodents – which in turn lured eagles, bears and coyotes back to the park. Even Yellowstone’s rivers stabilized as a result of the deer’s movement.

“Life finds a way.”
Monbiot considers himself a “rewilding campaigner” – an advocate for conservation efforts aimed at restoring and protecting the natural interconnectivity that governs an ecosystem. Reintroducing apex predators and other keystone species will return balance to lopsided ecosystems as seen with the wolves of Yellowstone Park. While there has been some debate over the depth and scope of tropic cascades and its impact on different bionetworks, apex predators play a crucial role in overseeing tropic dynamics and maintaining the health of their ecosystems.

BUGS INSTEAD OF BURGERS
Did you know: Pound for pound, crickets offer as much protein as cows?
With the global population set to rise to 9 billion by 2050, the U.N calls for industries and governments to rethink their sustainability policies, particularly when it comes to food.
In order to accommodate our burgeoning population, a report by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization states “that our current food production will need to almost double. Land is scarce, so increasing our conventional farming methods is not a viable or sustainable option. Oceans are overfished, and climate change in addition to related water shortages could have profound implications for food production. To meet the food and nutrition challenges of today – there are nearly 1 billion chronically hungry people worldwide – and tomorrow, what we eat and how we produce it needs to be re-evaluated. Inefficiencies need to be rectified and food waste reduced. We need to find new ways of growing food.” According to the U.N.F.A.O the solution to this momentous problem is small and simple: insects.
Although it is practically unheard of in Western civilization, over 2 billion people worldwide are avid insect-eaters, with over 1900 different types devoured across Asia, Africa and Latin America, and with good reason. Lacking the space, finance and technology to cultivate widespread agricultural settlements, many countries rely on insects for their nutrients. A natural source of essential carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins, and lysine (an amino acid that grain-reliant individuals tend to lack), fast growing, and comparatively cheap to purchase, insects can sustain impoverished nations with relative ease, as well as nourish their pets and livestock. In comparison, crops and farm animals require substantial land—land which is becoming increasingly scarce and polluted because of our current agricultural techniques.
In developed countries replacing traditional livestock with minilivestockis would also be a sound environmental choice.

Insects require less land and food to grow, reproduce quickly, (obviously) do not require harmful chemicals like pesticides, and moreover, do not carry the growing social stigma meat-eating has garnered in recent years. Density rich and quick to multiply, they already nourish millions of people currently living below the poverty line, and what’s more, can be used to fatten livestock should the global demand for beef, pork and poultry persist. Tainted rain-runoff, often laced with pesticides and nutrients from the fertilizer would become less common, which would help regulate pollution levels in rivers, lakes and other freshwater bodies. Furthermore, instead of drowning crops in insecticides, which have been linked to several neurodegenerative diseases, insects that are attracted to crops can be harvested as meat sources.

While entomophagy will be hard stomach, plans are already underway to implement this culture in western society. Due to their high-protein to mass ration, low-fat content and ability to sustain people, pets and farm animals, it is safe to say that edible insects will become a crucial component of sustainability in the years to come. In addition to their huge potential to feed the masses, substituting beef for bugs will reduce greenhouse gases – including harmful methane emissions – pesticide dependency, and will create jobs for developing

nations who have already formed a culture around entomophagy.
For more information on the topic, browse through the U.N’s Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security study.

NEWS
IRON TEETH
Do you want stronger teeth? Beavers may not have access to fluoridated water or floss, but a recent study into this rodent’s iconic teeth reveals that they do have a natural defence against decay: iron. Their unique, pink-pigmented enamel is remarkably durable and resistant to acid, stronger still than human enamel treated with fluoride. Scientists suggest that studying what makes beaver teeth so impervious may lead to a better understanding of human tooth decay, and help us improve current dental practices. Coke-drinkers and sugar-fiends rejoice!
MEGA-DROUGHT FUTURE
Brace yourself—if you thought this year was hot, new research claims its only going to get hotter. Over the last decade, US states like California have complained of unrelenting high temperatures, increasing forest fires and persistent drought. However, compared to the dry spells of the 12th and 13th centuries, our current conditions are relatively mild. 20, 30, or 50-year droughts sound like impossibility, but recent studies suggest that such a cataclysm may be on the horizon. Ben Cook from Nasa’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, who has been comparing earlier droughts with the climate simulations of coming decades, has issued a warning: the mega-droughts of the past may return sooner than expected.
PLANT DEFENSES
Jack Schultz and Heidi Appel have been mapping plant genes for years, and have concluded that plants respond to the threats of different insects accordingly. One of the largest and most comprehensive studies of its kind, their studies has proven that some plants, including Arabidopsis, recognize the attacks of different insects. By attacking the plant, the insects cause changes on a genetic level, triggering proteins that inhibit and promote certain genes to protect them from future attacks.
WORLD SPARROW DAY
Get out your binoculars and bird-books to celebrate World Sparrow Day on March 20th 2015! Designed to raise awareness of the house sparrow and other common birds in urban environments including the dangers they face. Started by Mohammed Dilawar, an Indian conservationist, the concept has been adopted by the Nature Forever Society of India in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France) and several other national and international bodies across the globe. The notion behind the event was to allocate a day for society to celebrate and appreciate the splendour of creatures who, because of their prevalence and ‘commonness’, are passed over and ignored. Mark this day on your calendar and treat yourself to a leisurely stroll through the park. Keep an eye out for the little birds whose existence we often take for granted.
Check out worldsparrowday.org for more information on how to participate and celebrate these adorable pintsized birds.