When
Donald Trump's administration began construction on
their infamous and unnecessary border wall along the
U.S.'s southern edge, wildlife conservationists were
worried. They knew this would hurt animals and
the fragile, important habitats in that region.
In fact, scientists are now warning of
possible "ecocide" if the U.S. and Mexican governments
do not quickly establish corridors for wildlife to
freely roam between the borders. What they mean
is that, this ecosystem is so delicate, it could
collapse if the situation does not improve. Yet sadly, U.S. President
Biden and Mexican President López Obrador still haven't
done enough to reduce the negative impacts of Trump's
disastrous wall.
Without wildlife corridors,
animals are left cut off from important breeding and
grazing grounds, as well as their seasonal migration
routes. Thousands of animals use these land paths to
find the mates and nutrients their species depend on.
Confused, lost, and disoriented, they have no
way of meeting their survival needs. Cameras
that conservationists have installed show bears, boars,
deer, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, a type of raccoon
called coatimundis, and more trying to roam freely as
they once did -- only to come across the insurmountable
wall obstacle in their paths. One heartbreaking video shows
a family of wild boars that was so desperate to find
water on the other side, they searched for a full
five hours to find a way around the
wall.
On top of that, Trump's
wall construction destroyed landscapes and ecosystems
that wildlife depend on. From blasting
mountaintops, to chopping down the foliage that animals
feed and live on, construction has meant decimating
whole habitats. But the Earth and wildlife shouldn't
have to pay the price for humans' decisions to erect
land barriers. These are animals' lands and
homes, too. It's imperative that
President Joe Biden's administration work
together with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to
protect wildlife. Sign the petition to
urge Presidents Biden and López Obrador to
create wildlife corridors along the U.S.-Mexico
border!
