Should we treat the animals that are called pests with more respect?

The task that we did independently was based

around the idea that other groups, including the

Department of Conversation are working to take

action that NZ is predator-free by 2050.

Today, the whole class participated in a online based

about how I felt about the decision of a group called

Nature Watchers, who think that ‘animals that are called

“pests” by the predator free group should be treated with

more respect.’

I was asked to agree, disagree or express my thinking

based on the information provided and supporting

information I found online. I partly agreed.

I partly agree with the Nature Watchers group because feral cats eat the rats and mice. It is not their fault that

they kill some of NZ native birds. It is because they do

not have an owner to care for it, feed it, or train it in any

other way. I think cats should get more respect because

some of the cat owners around here do not fix their cats

because it is too much money, so they start to multiply, causing

most of them to make themselves feral cats, who roam around the

neighborhood.

I partly agree with the Nature Watcher group because

rabbits, who are so called ‘pests’, can be fixed at the pet

store so they can stop multiplying. It’s a lot of money, but

you can start saving. If you still don’t have enough money,

you could start being generous and give away some of the

young rabbits to your friends and neighbors. If they don’t

want them, you could give them up to the pet store. Rabbits

also have predators themselves, such as eagles, hawks, owls,

falcons and kestrels. It’s surprising that birds can also be a

predator to those who people call ‘pests’.

Where do you stand on this issue?