Legality and Morality

Legality can be viewed as the simple adherence to a set of formal rules; although this may be an oversimplification in a lot of circumstances. However, the concept of Morality seems to bring with it a host of problematic issues.

The essence of Morality revolves around judging what is right and what is wrong. It is often an emotive evaluation of actions and consequences, subject to the swing of public mood and conviction; sometimes over generations. What was deemed right and acceptable a hundred or so years ago may not be so to the generations alive today.

However, can our view of legality and morality actually stay our hand right in the moment when decisive action is needed; when to ensure a positive outcome one has to do things, or allow things to be done, that are distasteful and at the very least, morally questionable?

Can it ever be acceptable for the outcome to justify the means?

Standing at under five feet tall at the shoulder, and weighing up to one metric tonne in weight (maximum), the Sumatran Rhinoceros is one of only five extant species left in the world. Its other claim to fame is being the most (significantly) endangered of the five, having (it is claimed) been eradicated from Sumatra itself by palm oil production. (Ben Beachy, 2015. “Sharks, Tigers, and Elephants: New Analysis Reveals TPP Threats to Endangered Species”, The Sierra Club).

That said, the other four aren’t faring much better either and there is a serious probability that these creatures, one of the last remaining megafauna to exist, may soon be no more than interesting pictures in electronic textbooks.

Conservation efforts, as with elephants, are problematic as well and struggling to cope with poaching. That said, poaching seems to have declined and the 2018 figures announced by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs (see www.savetherhino.org) showed 769 animals poached (over two a day) but the height was in 2014 when 1,215 were killed.

Perhaps the tide is turning but if the decline is not permanently reversed then there may be no time to pursue alternatives.

The South African government is already making a case for the trade in horn to be legalised (although controlled) in the hope that this might reduce poaching, a call being made by others.

Could a way forward be to farm creatures such as the Rhinoceros?

Attaching a legal economic value to sustainably farmed animals may be a way to pave the way to their long-term preservation but significant problems need to be overcome. The Rhinoceros is a solitary creature, used to roaming far and wide, and attempts to breed them in captivity have been difficult to say the least.

We could make this legal and controlled, but may need to overcome our moral challenges in order to save a species.

Addendum:

A matter of weeks after originally writing the above came the news that the last male Sumatran Rhino in Malaysia had died. Then, a couple of months later, news broke of a significant success in bringing the White Rhino (Northern or Southern, news articles seem to differ), back from the brink because of the birth of male by artificial insemination.

Not wishing to denigrate the success of the scientists - far from it; but the concept that the future of this endangered megafauna could be decided by a single individual rather than the preservation of herds is a sad damning of our species husbandry of the environment. Good luck little man.

Night all….

Caesium-135

Odd musings, strange ideas, and random thoughts

By featured writer, Caesium-135. See ‘Team’ for more information and contact details.