Big Rhinos and Little Fish

A recent article on CNN.com gives reason for celebration: Ratu and Andalas are expecting! If you're wondering why those names don't ring a bell, it may help to know that Ratu and Andalas are Sumatran rhinos. The joyous event will take place in May of 2011 at an Indonesian rhino sanctuary. The reason this is such big news is that the happy couple are two of only about 200 members of this vanishing species of "hairy rhinos".

So far, there have only been three Sumatran rhinos born in captivity. Andalas was one of these. (Ratu was born wild, but was rescued after wandering into a village.) Advances in understanding Sumatran rhino reproduction helped achieve this fourth pregnancy. The future of the Sumatran rhino rests with little victories like this one.

What was shocking to me were the many apathetic and even hostile comments this article generated. "Survival of the fittest" was a common thread. What they didn't seem to know, or at least care about, was the fact that poaching and habitat destruction are main factors for the Sumatran rhinos' demise. It's discouraging that many feel our status as "fittest" gives us a license for destruction.

But the Sumatran rhinos also have their share of support. With their fuzzy ears and gentle appearance, they are an easy species to care about. It is much harder to garner affection for the species that are facing extinction in my home state of Iowa. This is especially true for a 3-inch minnow called the Topeka Shiner.

The Topeka Shiner is silver with a dark stripe on its side and a wedge shaped spot at the base of its tail fin. The other fins (in males) turn reddish during breeding season. Even for a fish, it's nothing spectacular. While it's not really possible to do a head count on a 3-inch fish, we know the Topeka Shiner is in trouble because it could once be found in 36 counties in Iowa. Now that count is down to 13.

Why should we care? In an article produced by the USDA and the Natural Resources Conservation Service(NRCS), Kraig McPeek, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), tells us, "If the Topeka Shiner is gone, it may be connected through relationships with 20 or 30 other species. If you pull that cog out of the wheel, what are the next species to go, and the next? Eventually, the whole system fails." It's also telling that one of the Topeka Shiner's major needs is clear, clean water. The fact that these fish are disappearing may be an indicator of the health of Iowa's water in general.

The reason the Topeka Shiner is struggling is the same as for the Sumatran Rhino: destruction of habitat. Damming rivers plays a part, but in Iowa, soil erosion from farming is a major culprit. Seeing that the Iowa DOT has even created a list of "Special Conditions for Working in Topeka Shiner Watersheds", one would think that this might become a battle of farmer vs. fish. But there isn't much evidence to support that. In fact, private landowners are playing a big role in the Topeka Shiner's survival. They are working in conjunction with federal, state, and local agencies to clear and rebuild the oxbows (U-shaped bodies of water formed in a former river channel) needed for the Topeka Shiner's recovery.

So while you won't be reading any stories on CNN about the birth of a new Topeka Shiner, it is gratifying to know that there are strides being made to save these little fish. It's also important to realize that we don't have to fly to Indonesia to help protect an endangered species. There are often ways to help that are much, much closer to home. A collaborative effort is needed to save species on many fronts. We need to use our cerebral "fitness" to lessen our impact, and undo what damage we can. In the end it is our own chance of long term survival that may hang in the balance.

References:
Moni Basu, "Rare Rhino Preganacy fuels hope for endangeres species", CNN.com
"Living on the Edge:Endangered Species in Iowa", iowagriculture.gov
Jason Johnson, "Partnership Helping to Restore Topeka Shiner Habitat", Conservation Showcase (USDA, NRCS)
"Special Conditions for Working in Topeka Shiner Watersheds", Iowadot.gov