Linda Poon's 2017 article highlights and describes a new book that shows how animals migration patterns have been altered by urban development and climate change over time.
She begins by discussing how European white stork generally migrate to southern Africa for the winter. However, when the birds pathing was tracked in 2016, it was found that many had skipped the grueling migration across the Sahara Desert, and instead the birds stopped. They made stops in urban cities: Madrid, Spain, Rabat, Morocco. The reason why is simple: landfills along the migration route provide a source of food for the birds.
"And at a time when both climate change and urban development are changing—and disrupting—the migration routes, there’s a new urgency in these kinds of research." -- Linda Poon, author
The story of these white stork is not uncommon. The human population is becoming increasingly urbanized and many more cities are being developed around the world. "The popular statistic is that today, over half of the world’s people live in cities—and animals are getting mixed in as well." This development leads to more barriers for animals and human-animal interactions.
Poon's article does a phenomenal job of taking a specific case study and applying it to the general practices and trends seen with all species of animals. Her in-depth dive uses quality data and testimonial statements from expert sources, building her credibility and knowledge on the subject.
Link to the article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-20/mapping-where-the-animals-go-amid-human-disruption
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