The Global Invasive Species Program, funded by the World Bank, has declared invasive species as one of the “top three threats” to the future of  life on our planet–another blow to feral horse and cat advocates in North America and a handful of scientists who have claimed that invasives are not all that bad.  A global survey of 57 countries found that, on average there are 50 invasive species per country that are having a deleterious impact on native biodiversity.

Control of invasive species populations is one of the primary sources of conflict between animal rights adocates and conservationists. Rights organizations, such as HSUS and others engage in legal action or protest in virtutally every case that control efforts are proposed. Finding solutions is the key to the future of life on our planet, including the many native endangerered species that are currently threatened with irreversible extinction due to the impacts of exotics. Wildlife professionals must do everything they can to educate the public about the need to eliminate or control populations of especially destructive exotics, such as feral cats, Burmese pythons and nutria.

Michael Hutchins invasive species, wildlife conservation