How Far Will We Go?

The California least tern is an endangered species of shorebird. In fact, it was one of the first species declared endangered by the federal government in 1970. More than half of the world's population of least terns breed in San Diego County. The past 28 years of protection of this species have caused its numbers to increase 20 times over. Is this great news for this species and another victory for wildlife in the state of California? Or is it a nightmare in the making? I'll let you decide.

To digress a bit, the peregrine falcon was a highly endangered bird of prey. Our government and concerned citizens working together studied this raptor's habits, habitat, etc., and discovered that the cause for decline was primarily due to the use of the pesticide, DDT. Ingestion of DDT caused the falcon's eggshells to be too thin to allow for incubation of the eggs. Thousands of egg clutches were laid but never hatched, resulting in the loss of many generations of peregrines. With that discovery, the use of DDT was banned, never again to be sold in this country. Along with this ban on DDT, a captive breeding program was begun. Peregrine falcons are now found again in habitats from which they had disappeared for so many years. This is a remarkable success story.

Will the least tern be as lucky? Unfortunately, the answer is "not likely". In our attempts to preserve this species, another question must be asked: "What price are we as taxpayers and animal lovers willing to pay to save the least tern from extinction?"

The least tern has become endangered for one reason only: Loss of habitat. Unless we demolish all the structures built on California's sandy beaches, the least tern will never have a habitat in which to flourish. It has not and apparently cannot adapt to these environmental changes as so many other native wild species have. Consequently, least tern nest sites are heavily protected and monitored from April to September - the nesting season. Without human intervention these nest sites would cease to exist and unfortunately, they will always have to be guarded. Without question, the least tern will become extinct without our help. Keep in mind, we are not talking about just a couple of generations that need our help, we are talking forever. We humans, in our over-development, truly did an injustice to this lovely little bird.

"Okay," you're saying right now, "I don't mind a few of my tax dollars spent on saving this bird. I love wildlife and it's a shame that this happened and it's our duty to prevent another species from becoming extinct!"

I hear what you're saying and I know what you mean. With the extinction of any animal from this planet, we humans are diminished as well.

Just what does protection of the least tern nesting sites mean? Protection from what? How is the site protected? These are tough questions and not easy to answer because they aren't pretty, so just bear with me.

The least tern sites are protected from predators. Predators are fire ants, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, skunks, weasels, opossums, hawks, owls and falcons. The sites are protected by removing the predators from the least tern nesting sites. That sounds nice, when, in fact, removal of the predators means killing them. Except for a handful of birds of prey, all animals who prey on least tern eggs, chicks or adults are slaughtered by our government or hired agents of our government.

The few birds of prey who are trapped, not killed, are federally banded and kept at holding facilities until the end of nesting season. They are then re-located into an area about 300 miles north of San Diego.

Another factor to consider is that April to September is not only nesting season for the least tern. Every native bird or mammal is nesting at that time. The animals "removed" are most likely leaving behind their dependent young. Of course, these young will also die. Picture the generations of native wild species dying in our efforts to save the least tern, not to mention the massive disruption of the eco-sysytem. The captured birds of prey don't fare much better. Many suffer physical injuries in the trapping process. The most common injury usually results in the amputation of a toe- a very necessary appendage to a bird of prey. The psychological trauma is also devastating. I have seen female red-tailed hawks panic-stricken and frantic in their captive situation, knowing that their babies would not survive in their absence.

One of the worst stories I've heard came from one of the federal trappers. A female red-tailed hawk was trapped, banded and released in Corte Madera, a long way from her home and family. She returned home, flying 300 miles of rugged terrain. She was recaptured and re-located a second time. She again flew 300 miles to get home. On her third return, she was shot and killed by federal trappers.

Should we pat ourselves on the back for our aggressive efforts to protect the least tern? Or should we hide our heads in shame at our flagrant disregard for the lives of our other wild species?

There are no easy answers. Maybe it's too late for the least tern, but it's not too late for us to learn from our mistakes. What animal will become the next least tern? It could conceivably be one of the species we are "removing" right now.

I do not believe that wholesale wildlife slaughter will ever solve the problem. I do believe that thoughtful planning and habitat preservation will prevent such moral dilemmas from recurring. What do you think?

— Cindy Traisi