Prolegomenon, Part 2

"Why South Africa?"

South Africa could justly be declared the land of diversity.

The Homo sapiens sapiens alone come from so many different historical, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds that other members of the species trek all the way to South Africa simply to observe the society. South Africa, since the 1994 election, has eleven national languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Tsonga, Afrikaans, English, Sotho, Pedi, Setswana, Siswati, and Venda. South Africa's Cape of Good Hope was a colony of Portugal, Holland, and the British Empire. Under British control, Indian and Malaysian people were brought to South Africa to work as slaves and indentured servants, including Mahatma Gandhi. The descendants of the Dutch colonists have developed a culture and language all their own. With so many sources of perspectives, South Africa has become entirely unique.

One thing I suffer from as an American is being surrounded with (or possibly surrounding myself with) people who embody the same ideals, with similar backgrounds and common challenges in life. What better way to learn more about other inhabitants of the world than to be immersed in a culture that has somewhat forcefully integrated people from so many different parts of the world? I'm interested in hearing what other people think: about environmental issues, about politics, about cloud classification, whatever.

Then, what most people think of when we hear 'Africa', the biological diversity is what I am eager to experience.  To be living on a different continent, with different indigenous trees, grasses, myrmecos (ants, for anyone unaware), and other critters completely unbeknownst to me will be adventure enough to satiate an aspiring zoologist. I think one of my first outings will be to purchase a guide to the plants and animals of the Eastern Cape.

But, the responsibilities I am accepting in my future as a zoologist consist of more than looking at the diverse forms of wildlife. I shall endeavor to teach and encourage others to preserve the vast array of wild species that can be found on the planet. South Africa today is renowned for its national parks and wildlife preserves, but this has not always been the case. Colonizers eager to exploit the natural bounty of sub-Saharan Africa unfortunately obliterated two species from the South African landscape: the quagga and the blaubok (blue buck, in English)

Due to hunting fancies and desires for exotic souvenirs on the part of the settlers, neither of these ungulates remain today. The situation becomes even more tragic when we learn the blaubok was an animal of sacred significance to certain Bantu tribes, forbidden from being killed by spears or knives. Such lack of care furthered conflict between colonists and Africans and more importantly, removed animals undoubtedly valuable to their respective ecosystems.

Today though, much has changed. South Africa depends on the well-being of its wilder inhabitants to encourage tourists to flock to the country in search of adventure safaris. The South African government struggles with widespread poaching of extremely endangered black rhinoceroses, whose horns are believed to be a cure for cancer in Vietnamese traditional medicine. I am incredibly grateful for the chance to observe wildlife and also learn how to help conserve plants and animals for the future of our planet.

Each population and community plays a key role in the functioning of any biotic level. In a somewhat realistic teleological sense, perhaps I will be starting to fulfill my potential role as a caretaker of the biotic community by learning about biodiversity. However, it's even more realistic (and thoroughly disheartening) to point out how much carbon dioxide I will be contributing to the atmosphere by flying in a jumbo jet around the world to learn how to help the creatures suffering from our destructive actions. Not entirely sure how to reconcile that paradox.