When I clicked the article about Venus Fly Traps on Discovery Channels website, I was expecting to learn about yet another endangered species being systematically decimated my human populations. That was, in fact, about how the first half of the article read. The second half offered a surprising conundrum that deserves pondering.
The venus fly trap is, indeed, endangered. Scientists estimate that there are less than 40,000 left in the wild. Their native habitat stretches from North to South Carolina. Recently, the carnivorous plant has been found in Georgia.
Here is the question: Should invasive species be allowed to thrive in alien environments if they are endangered, even at the risk of harming indigenous species? Less scientifically, should Georgians be plucking the venus fly traps they find in their backyards?
My husband and I briefly debated the issue, and we believe that endangered species should be given a chance to thrive wherever possible. Given the number of animals and plants disappearing every year, we think that it is imperative to allow species to adapt to new environments, regardless of the method of delivery that got them there. If a bird pooped a seed that helps an endangered plant find a new home, we don't see that as any different from human populations threatened by natural disasters driving somewhere and re-settling.
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