章 146: Chapter 712: TV Explanation
Lin Hai Television Station!
The host began, "Good morning, dear viewers! Welcome to 'Lin Hai Hotline,' where we focus on the most pressing social issues.
Today's topic is the relationship between viruses and wildlife during the pandemic. How should we treat the wildlife around us? This concerns everyone's health and safety, as well as the ecological security of our society.
We have two distinguished guests today to discuss this topic. One is Director Fang Ye from Lin Hai Zoo, and the other is Researcher Wang Yan from Xinghe University. Welcome!"
The host gestured towards Fang Ye and Wang Yan on the sofa, and both nodded in response.
Due to the pandemic, fewer people were going out, and most spent their weekends at home.
They were either on their phones or computers, or watching TV.
At Liu Xueqing's Home
Ying Ying was playing with building blocks on the floor, while her grandfather watched TV from the sofa, and Liu Xueqing was on her phone.
She was discussing with colleagues when the pandemic might end. Hearing the news, she immediately looked up.
She put down her phone, called Ying Ying's father over, and they focused on watching the TV.
This was a topic she was very concerned about!
The host continued, "You can send questions via text message to interact with our experts live."
Turning to Fang Ye and Wang Yan, the host asked, "Recently, people have been very worried about COVID-19 and have many questions about wildlife. For instance, can we still eat crayfish? Is it safe to keep Brazilian turtles? And what about bats appearing in residential areas? Many people are frightened by bats near their homes or neighborhoods. Can they be killed?"
Fang Ye sighed, "Our zoo staff has indeed been very busy lately, going to various neighborhoods to help drive away bats. We can sense the extreme fear people have towards bats, with calls to kill them to feel safe."
Wang Yan added, "This fear of bats isn't limited to Lin Hai; other major cities have also seen a rise in bat-related panic.
Actually, whether bats can be killed isn't the main issue. The core problem isn't which animal is the intermediate host or whether it can be eaten.
I think this reflects a few points: First, people know very little about wildlife; second, there's a lack of understanding that wildlife will inevitably appear in urban areas; and third, even those who love wildlife often don't grasp the broader ecological system.
The ecosystem is a whole, where everything is interconnected. The concept of ecological extermination isn't new. Killing bats or similar actions have occurred on many continents.
Take the prairie dog, for example. It's a very common prairie animal in North America.
Today, we know a lot about prairie dogs, such as their complex language system. They can even create new words. If you show them a new object, like a phone, a group of prairie dogs will come up with a word for it and pass it down.
But over a hundred years ago, prairie dogs were considered useless pests that covered the prairies. People thought killing them would improve the grasslands for livestock.
In the 1940s, large-scale poisoning, shooting, flooding burrows, and using dogs reduced prairie dog populations by 98% in many areas.
Surprisingly, people found that prairie dogs actually helped grass grow faster and more nutritious after grazing. Their burrowing enriched the soil, making the grasslands healthier and more diverse, benefiting animals like bison and pronghorns.
This led to the realization that there are keystone species in ecosystems. However, such mistakes continue."
Fang Ye nodded, "Visitors to our zoo or those who enjoy documentaries about animals like Tibetan foxes and Pallas's cats might know about the pika, which is like rice on the plateau, often bullied by other animals.
Pikas faced a similar fate as prairie dogs. People thought they contributed to grassland desertification and poisoned them en masse, resulting in the deaths of many birds of prey that ate the poisoned pikas.
Long-term monitoring showed that grasslands without pikas deteriorated. Pika burrows increased soil permeability, preventing erosion. Tall grass hid predators, so pikas preferred shorter, sparser areas, not causing desertification."
Wang Yan concluded, "Every large-scale extermination of keystone species often fails and has the opposite effect. Altering ecosystems requires far more effort to restore them.
The only justified extermination is for invasive species."
Fang Ye added, "In natural ecosystems, every species has its role."
The host recalled, "This reminds me of the wild boar that entered a milk tea shop and was caught by your zoo."
Fang Ye smiled, "The wild boar has been released.
Wild boars are often misunderstood. News of them entering cities gives the impression they're rampant and harmful, damaging crops and potentially injuring people.
But wild boars play a crucial role in forests. Their rooting mixes fallen leaves, air, and soil, speeding up decomposition into humus and aiding seed germination, benefiting forest succession.
In winter, they clear snow, helping birds and small mammals find food."
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