Collaring Science

To see a wild animal with a radio collar around its neck, is a tragic sight. Studying the beast world in the name of protecting nature is a misplaced misnomer. How can it be okay to band a hummingbird, collar an elk, put a leather strap around a bear or spread agricultural strychnine poison on farm land to kill ground hogs? "Studying" or "improving" in this way to hype up someone's Master's Degree or Doctorate is no excuse for interfering in wildlife in its natural state - if any is left. Air junk such as drones overhead and cameras in the bush or on tree tops, is not studying. It's interfering. Sure it's fine to go into the forests and oceans and deserts on foot and use your eyes and ears to become a part of the environment you love, but leave the electronics at home if "nature" is to remain natural. I listened this morning to a person describing his "study" of hummingbirds and how he caught these delicate creatures in a trap and then  bodily measured them "without harm" to put a metal band on their legs to "track" their movements. He described how cruel it was that these little beautiful birds were being sold as charms in another country. Huh? This kind of science needs collaring. All scientists should have collars around their necks to see how it feels to wear one every moment of their lives and to have someone track their every move, even the most private ones. They shouldn't be asked if they would like one or not. We don't ask animal life if it would care to go about with a "harmless" piece of electronic junk around its limbs. They hear it's for their own good. Like the animals of all kinds that they trap and manipulate to study, scientists should also have to donate portions of their anatomy so to help them survive. This small portion of their bodies could then be put under microscopes and delved into minutely. Why? Well, in the long run, it will help all human beings to be able to live longer and better. Furthermore, very intelligent individuals will be able to make predictions and ultimately allow fame opportunities to get on the media and talk about it. They will likely write books with photographs of close ups, as closely as they can get. Nothing will escape their studies: eating, mating and moving about will be covered. With lots of colourful illustrations, filmings and drawings, of course. The latter will be used to put on television screens all over the world. What's that? The net, popular media? Of course. Enhancements and a little photoshop? Naturally. All are sale-able and a percentage will, presumably, go to nature study to make even more such studies of the kind. Run animals run.