I think the issue everyone is missing here is the solution proposed which is to use the often wasted funds in buying habitat for species - more biodiversity. There have been amazing discoveries of new species or species that have biodiversified faster than scientists predicted. Most of these have happened in environments that humans had not found or are inhospitable to them.

Habitat is vital for biodiversity and that is why I thought this proposition was worthwhile. The rate at which humans are encroaching into wilderness and wild habitat has to be addressed.

Maybe everyone else loves wildlife as pets. I prefer to see them living wild and free in their natural habitats as they were born t...

I think the issue everyone is missing here is the solution proposed which is to use the often wasted funds in buying habitat for species - more biodiversity. There have been amazing discoveries of new species or species that have biodiversified faster than scientists predicted. Most of these have happened in environments that humans had not found or are inhospitable to them.

Habitat is vital for biodiversity and that is why I thought this proposition was worthwhile. The rate at which humans are encroaching into wilderness and wild habitat has to be addressed.

Maybe everyone else loves wildlife as pets. I prefer to see them living wild and free in their natural habitats as they were born to be and if it means I never see one with my own eyes so be it, as long as I know they "have habitat that is genuinely a home" for them where they can thrive.

I have posted this article about zoos elsewhere I can't remember what clip. I post it again - reflections are interesting things:
http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0208/cd0208-1.html

This article still has an impact upon me, it cuts through the crap, at least for me.

HABITAT, MORE HABITAT, ALL SPECIES NEED MORE HABITAT - humans as well, they just can't see it as yet. But the earth is already sorting it all out.

Check out the story of the Kakapo, that wonderfully eccentric parrot that by now must be quite famous for the video of one mating with a biologist's head, there's even a clip on clipmarks about it.
Once there were only 22 of them in existence, mostly males, now there are 124.
The story of it's fight for survival, aided by a lot of very dedicated people, is one of success and failure, of despair and inspiration, but it shows that sometimes we can simply do what is right if we try.
A good place to start,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakapo

It's never right to let a species die out because of our intervention while we have the means to prevent it.

I completely agree that we must buy l...

Check out the story of the Kakapo, that wonderfully eccentric parrot that by now must be quite famous for the video of one mating with a biologist's head, there's even a clip on clipmarks about it.
Once there were only 22 of them in existence, mostly males, now there are 124.
The story of it's fight for survival, aided by a lot of very dedicated people, is one of success and failure, of despair and inspiration, but it shows that sometimes we can simply do what is right if we try.
A good place to start,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakapo

It's never right to let a species die out because of our intervention while we have the means to prevent it.

I completely agree that we must buy land and set it aside for natural habitat. There are other ways to raise the money though, the extinction of an animal loved by many millions is too great a price to pay.

Ha! LOL. I love the "intrinsic" value of all animals, including the extinct ones.
It seems some only see value in animals when they can be exploited for the purposes of serving materialist ends. The natural inclination of the Panda in it's current state is extinction. If not for humans, it would be long extinct. There are animals that go extinct all the time. Why should one care more for the panda than any other?

Every species dies out though not at the rate they have been disappearing since human industrialization.

You are right, celestialdancer, past extinction rates likely far surpass current extinction rates. And your idiotic assertion is quickly seen as idiotic to anyone...

Ha! LOL. I love the "intrinsic" value of all animals, including the extinct ones.
It seems some only see value in animals when they can be exploited for the purposes of serving materialist ends. The natural inclination of the Panda in it's current state is extinction. If not for humans, it would be long extinct. There are animals that go extinct all the time. Why should one care more for the panda than any other?

Every species dies out though not at the rate they have been disappearing since human industrialization.

You are right, celestialdancer, past extinction rates likely far surpass current extinction rates. And your idiotic assertion is quickly seen as idiotic to anyone who knows the earth has undergone many mass extinction episodes.