The Natural Order of Things

My kids were watching a show about penguins. The narrator detailed how penguins live, what they eat, and why it's important to help them. The narrator really emphasized the importance of eating a natural diet. As I listened to the program, I started to wonder...

Aren't penguins the natural diet of killer whales?

I've seen a few killer whales at Sea World. Usually they're being fed fish. I'm pretty sure fish aren't their natural diet.

What about those whales' natural diet? Those majestic animals are being fed fish ALL THE TIME! Doesn't their natural diet consist of penguins, polar bears, seals, and the occasioal baby blue whale? If everything the National Geographic says is true, then YES. That is exactly what they eat. Yet no one seems to be advocating on behalf of the killer whales.

And what about polar bears? They're being fed fish too. We've seen many polar bears in various zoos across the country. At each zoo, these great mammals are being fed fish. Doesn't their natural diet consist of seals?

Really, if it's so important for penguins (one of the lesser animals on the food chain) to have a natural diet, it stands to reason that it would be vital that the larger, more intelligent animals be given the same opportunity.

And so I propose a change. I propose that a few penguins be sacrificed each month for the overall well-being of the killer whales. I know, I know. Some penguins are endangered and who wants to fly down to the South Pole on a regular basis and try to catch them. That is why I propose we only take penguins from the zoos.

It makes more sense when you think of it in terms of salmon. Not all salmon comes from the ocean and lakes. Salmon is hard to catch and fishers don't want to deplete the supply. So they have salmon farms! They raise salmon in an environment that mimics their natural environement. Studies have shown that there are variations in the nutrutional value of farm-raised versus wild salmon, but the variations seem minimal.

The same could be true of penguins!

Think of every penguin display you have ever visited at a zoo. Doesn't it seem a bit overcrowded? The penguins have hardly any room to move. That hardly seems fair those tuxedo-wearing birds! By sacrificing a few penguins each month, you would not only be helping out the killer whales...you would also be helping other penguins have more room to move around. It's a complete win-win situation!

(except for the sacrificed penguins, but really, is living in a overcrowded area where people stare at you all day and knock on your glass such a great life? I think not.)