{"article":{"id":135465,"heading":"Sonoran antelope habitat fragmented by border wall","author":"luna moth","created":"2005-09-17 18:05:10","modified":"2005-09-17 18:05:10","last_modified":"Sun, 18 Sep 2005 01:05:10","article":"<br>  <br> Sonoran pronghorn antelope <br><br> Antilocapra americana sonoriensis <br><br> The Sonoran pronghorn antelope speaks neither English nor Spanish and doesn't give a flying fuck about whose national flag is flying. These migratory ungulates live near and around the border before the US government had the bright idea to build a giant concrete and barbed wire fence from San Diego to the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike Homo sapiens, antelopes are unable to build tunnels and cannot ride in cars with people who call themselves \"coyotes\". The point being the amount of US taxpayer dollars spent on an ineffective border frontera wall complete with gas guzzling INS agents huffing in SUVs only serves to speed the Sonoran antelope to extinction.. <br><br> \"North America is home to the unique and elegant pronghorn antelope. Once numbered in the millions, pronghorn historically ranged from west of the Mississippi River to California, north to Manitoba, and south nearly all the way to Mexico City. After their near demise during the settlement of the West, pronghorn have made an impressive comeback and are faring well in many western states. However, the subspecies, Sonoran pronghorn (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis) is on the brink of extinction. Fewer than 100 individuals remain in the U.S. today. <br><br> Found only in a small area of southern Arizona and Mexico, Sonoran pronghorn are uniquely adapted to the extreme heat of the American Southwest, and quite different from their abundant cousins in the northwest. <br><br> Capable of reaching 60 mph, this antelope is second only to the cheetah for the world land speed record. Unfortunately for the Sonoran pronghorn, they have not been able to outrun encroaching development. They have been forced to compete for space with massive ranches that graze their cattle and the United States Air Force which drops bombs on their habitat. Drastic loss of habitat has confined this species into a small fraction of their natural and necessary range. Today, Sonoran pronghorn habitat is limited to south of the Gila River, east of the Gila and Tinajas Atlas Mountains and west of State Road 85. <br><br> Unlike many other species, roadkill is not a significant risk to the Sonoran pronghorn. Their particular behavioral traits keep them from approaching, let alone crossing roads. As such, the presence of a road presents a formidable barrier to movement, effectively walling off whatever habitat may exist on the opposite side. This limits the availability of food, water, and shelter. This fragmentation also impedes dispersal and divides larger species populations into smaller, more isolated populations making them less able to withstand catastrophic disturbance (i.e.. disease, fire) and more prone to inbreeding depression and other genetic problems\" <br><br> more info and map of historic and present range locations of Sonoran antelope; <br><br> Defenders of Wildlife; <br><br> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.defenders.org\/habitat\/highways\/new\/target\/pronghorn.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.defenders.org\/habitat\/highways\/new\/target\/pronghorn.html<\/a> <br><br> Notice the map shows both the historic and present range on both sides of the US\/Mex border. The article mentions that fragmentation of habitat also leads to inbreeding and genetic bottleneck, increasing risks of birth defects and extinction..    <br><br> The only real solution about the border is to alleviate the economic inequality between Mexico and the US. People can migrate into the US in many different ways, regardless of how much taxpayer money is spent on constructing concrete barriers and such. For the health of the desert ecosystem, the border wall needs to be removed so the Sonoran pronghorn antelope can freely migrate and breed with their kin across the fence.. <br><br> If the US government chooses to ignore this, there are enough ELFers out there who can dismantle the wall on our own. We will not allow the Sonoran pronghorn antelope to become extinct because of a racist US government's actions (or lack thereof) at the imaginary border..  <br><br> luna moth\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"With all the economic hype about the border wall, would like to introduce to the human population a resident of the desert that considers both sides of the imaginary US\/Mex border their home..\r\n","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2005\/09\/135465.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}