Driving animals to extinction: reflection on human power

I met Sudan—the world’s last male northern white rhinoceros—at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in central Kenya in 2009. He had recently been relocated from a zoo in the Czech Republic, in a last-ditch effort to breed him naturally. I had just arrived in Kenya myself, representing the U.S. government through USAID, and embarking on a number of exciting projects. 

Sudan lived another nine years before a leg infection made it impossible for him to stand. At 45, he was euthanized. For me, he is a symbol of our power over other species although at one point, the dating app Tinder dubbed him the world’s “most eligible bachelor.” (CNN)

Photo of me with Sudan, Ol Pejeta, 2009 (real, not generated)

Sudan was a northern white rhino, a distinct subspecies now functionally extinct. Only two females remain—his daughter and granddaughter—both also at Ol Pejeta. In contrast, the southern white rhino population has rebounded from around 100 in the early 1990s to nearly 20,000 today across Africa, thanks to sustained conservation by governments and NGOs.

What Do I Think:

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are mine alone and do not represent the United States Government or any of its current or former agencies.

The extinction of the northern white rhino is a human accomplishment—another grim milestone in our long history of damaging the Earth and its inhabitants. And in the process, we damage ourselves. (See my post on Easter Island.)

Some scientists hold out [false] hope. They’ve preserved Sudan’s sperm and DNA. They claim we can “recreate” lost species—like the recently announced resurrection of the dire wolf, extinct for over 10,000 years. But as biologist Vincent Lynch notes, “‘All you can do now is make something look superficially like something else,’” not bring it back in full. (DW)

The truth: the northern white rhino is gone. Because of us.

What Do You Think?

Is there a moral difference between poaching an animal for its horn and destroying its habitat with cities, roads, or pipelines? Both lead to extinction. Neither the poacher nor the developer sets out to wipe out a species, but the result is the same. Whether through greed or ignorance, humans are the agents of loss.

But what happens when the destruction is intentional? Is the decision-maker playing God?

The U.S. government—across all three branches—has acknowledged its power to make that decision. Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Congress created a mechanism for approving the extinction of a species. It's called the Endangered Species Committee, but more commonly, it’s known as the God Squad. And it has resurfaced in the news.

The process is well-defined in regulation and has been recognized by the Supreme Court, or at least by one dissenting justice. In the 2007 case National Assn. of Home Builders v. Defenders of Wildlife, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote: 

“Because [the God Squad] has the authority to approve the extinction of an endangered species, [it] is colloquially described as the ‘God Squad.’ … Congress recognized that some conflicts with the ESA may not be capable of resolution without having to forever sacrifice some endangered species.”

This extraordinary power was designed as a last resort, to be exercised only after exhaustive deliberation by high-ranking officials. But despite these constraints, at the end of the day, it has the authority to approve the extinction of an endangered species. Since its creation in 1978, the God Squad has only been used a handful of times.

Yet recent administrations have tried to revive it, including efforts under President Trump to clear the way for energy infrastructure projects. See Trump resurrects ‘God Squad’ to bend the ESA. “The Trump administration is putting its faith in an empowered “God Squad” that might help energy projects maneuver around Endangered Species Act obstacles.”

One commentator put it this way:

“The God Squad’s role in reviewing how ESA provisions impact domestic energy infrastructure can serve as a catalyst for bipartisan, effective reform. For our environment, economy, and communities, it’s time to embrace reform that serves both nature and the people who depend on it.” C3 News Magazine

To explore how the God Squad works, I recommend this Congressional Research Service report.