Ecosystem Woes Cause Florida Panther's Plight

Reader Richard L. Krause of Wilmette (complained) about spendingfor the Endangered Species Act (letters, March 4). In hisconclusion, he asked to be reincarnated as a Florida panther.

Here are some facts he should know. There are perhaps 30-50surviving Florida panthers. Between 1985 and 1990, two-thirds ofmale Florida panthers were born with one or more undescended testes.Other males are born sterile. Among the suspected causes areman-made pesticides and PCBs.

Humanity has exterminated numerous other species (passengerpigeon, Carolina parakeet). We now have the chance to right a wrong.All species were created by something much greater than we are, andit is for this reason that we must do all we can to preserve theincredible diversity we are blessed with. Some taxpayers do not mindfulfilling what they see as nothing short of a moral duty to attemptto harmonize the balance that we have so callously and arrogantlydisrupted.

Of course, the Endangered Species Act has limitations: Birds andmammals are funded while mollusks and insects die. The currentadministration realizes that the focus must shift to savingecosystems, rather than individual species.

Certainly, more people would have a greater understanding of,and sympathy toward, the Endangered Species Act if they were grantedthe privilege of being reincarnated as a Florida panther, Californiacondor or any number of other endangered species. Ronald Vasile, Downers Grove