Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Pink Pigeon painting

Picture


Just posted my new painting of pink pigeons!

I read about the pigeons in Gerald Durrell's book Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons.  
Pink Pigeons are from the island of Mauritius off the west coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean.  It's the same island where the Dodo (another type of pigeon) lived as well as lots of other cool birds and reptiles such as the flightless parrot and some really colourful lizards whose names I've forgotten.  But, of course, then people landed on the Island, ate all the slow, fat, ground-dwelling Dodo's, released monkey's and other predators, and pretty much ruined everything.
According to the Durrell Conservation Wildlife Trust, by 1991 only 10 were left on the island and today, pretty much solely because of Gerald Durrell, there are 350 on the island. 

The reason I painted them them though, is because of the description of the Pink Pigeon in his book.  After describing their long necks, tiny heads, and pink feathers, Durrell says:

"As we approached the wire, they peered at us in the mildly interested, oafish way that pigeons have, and then, dismissing us from what passed for their minds, they fell into a doze. I felt that even though their rarity made them of great biological and avicultural importance, one could hardly say that they had personalities that inspired one."

Gahhh I love it!  The honesty!  I mean, really, some animals just aren't there to thrill.  And, unless you're a completely and constantly self-assured person, sometimes you may wonder, "ugh. is this thing really worth it?".  

That question was brought up in an episode of Radiolab that was somehow so troubling and confusing to me that I have never forgotten it.  To listen to the episode (which I really recommend) click here.  I won't ruin the story, but it's basically about the lengths people will go to in order to protect one species--even if that means killing another species.  But, if we believe in the "survival of the fittest" how can we tell which animals are "fit" and which are un "fit" if so many animal populations are struggling to survive?  Where do we draw the line? Or, should we just try and to save everything?  Or nothing? 

It really represents the uneasy question of prioritizing the existence of species--something no one wants to do, or can do.

I think Durrell's reaction to the Pink Pigeon is such a beautiful example of this uneasy and probably very guilty doubt that people in probably many fields face every now and then. 

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