NCSCE and KQED are partnering on Do Now U, a project that engages undergraduate students in online discussions through social media about current scientific issues.
This week’s Do Now U asks, “Is It Morally Justifiable to Kill An Endangered Animal If A Human Life Is At Risk?” The post, written by Ashley Baysinger, Thor Smith, and Jasmine Parker, Dr. Jim Speer’s students at Indiana State University, discusses the difficult decision that sometimes must be made when humans encounter dangerous endangered animals, both in the wild and captivity.
In the post, the students discuss dimensions of Endangered Species Act, the main legal protection against hurting or killing endangered animals. They also discuss the opposition to the law because of the potential risk that it poses to humans, using high-profile examples such as the death of Harambe the gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo earlier this year.
Join the Conversation!
Engage your students in the debate about federal law, conservation, and life by having them share their thoughts directly in the comments section on the post, or on Twitter using the hashtag #DoNowULife. Explore previous Do Now U posts to discover more discussion topics for your class.
Photo: US Department of State IIP P