The notion of frozen gametes, though silly, isn't so far-fetched as one
might think. Just as people are being frozen cryogenically until a cure can
be found for their disease, a last-ditch solution to habitat destruction,
poaching, disease, etc, might be to preserve a species or race that way
until conditions improve. It's a scary thought that such actions might be
the only way to save a species from extinction. I hope that's never
considered a viable option, but it would have saved the Carolina parakeet
and passenger pigeon and dozens of other animals.
The Cincinnati Zoo has a monument to the passenger pigeon-- a little brass
bird on a pedestal-- the last one died in captivity there in 1919 or so.
Brass birds don't need to be fed, either.
-- Jay DeLong Olympia, WA> -----Original Message----- > From: owner-nanfa_at_aquaria.net On Behalf > Of R. W. Wolff > Sent: Friday, September 08, 2000 11:50 AM > To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net > Subject: Re: NANFA-- Probability of Dead Stuff > > > Jay, > I just meant that zoos are the only place these people can see these > animals , they are not subsitutes for the real thing. Zoos are getting > better at setting up habitats , rather than a concrete box and > cave for the > critters. That is all, nothing more or less. Frozen gametes would be a > silly next step since no one could see them. Zoos can help with > protection > of rare wild animals when there entire habitat has been wiped out, but we > should also make sure these animals have a home in the wild as well. > I dont get animal planet anymore, and thought it a pretty good network, > but some or their shows were a bit preachy, maybe they need to be. I like > Crocidile hunter since he makes the "undesirable" animals look good to the > general public and why they are important. > Ray >
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