Beyond the Curve
It’s another sublime African night; sitting on the deck overlooking the calmly meandering Bushman’s river, I slowly get lost in subtle sounds of the bushveld. It was the perfect ending to another marvelous day on safari… well, almost perfect. Just as I begin to doze off into something of a transcendent state between being awake and being asleep, the vibration from my phone on the table in front of me, creates a fissure in the calm of the night, almost like a mosquito bellowing into a microphone. It was the message I had been expecting but dreading; The South African President had addressed the nation, in two days, the country would be closing its borders to international travel. The virus that had been ravishing many parts of China, Europe and the United States had now began spreading in South Africa, and they were trying to get ahead of it, and succeed where many “more developed” countries had failed. Myself and my safari clients would have 2 days to get out of the country…
The truth is that this wasn’t completely unexpected, because even when we began our adventure not even 2 weeks prior, we knew that a virus called Covid-19 was spreading throughout Wuhan (China) and had begun spreading in a number of countries in Europe and had even reached as far as the United States. When we began our adventure, Covid-19 was almost a non-factor in South Africa (there were less than 5 known cases when we first arrived). Each day though, the concern grew, and just like the rest of the world, more and more cases started becoming evident, so it was clear that this virus would certainly spread far and wide, but what was alarming, was the rate at which it was spreading. 7 days prior, this was just a murmur in South Africa, and now, here we were just over a week later and borders were shutting down, and a week on from there, a complete lockdown of the entire country.
We called an end to our safari the next day and began the journey home. The minute we got to the airport it was quite evident, even though we were getting news of what was going on while on safari, we were completely sheltered from the state on the ground. Needless the say, the airports were chaotic, there was no protocol for this, and of this magnitude, if anything, the airports were a reflection of how prepared we were for this in general… we weren’t.
In the subsequent weeks since that beautiful night on the Bushman’s River, the Covid -19 virus ravaged the world, in more way than one. It wasn’t just people infected with the virus that were suffering from the effects of its suffocating grasp, but because of the necessary lockdown effects, rightfully imposed globally, many found themselves floundering in the wake of virus, not knowing if they still retained their employment, of even worse, where there next meal was coming from.
The world had shutdown… were these lockdowns and shuts downs just another tough time in our history that would simply pass or was this a new type of life that we would have to adapt to?
Coronavirus cases at the time of writing this:
4,181,221
I think in order to answer that question its extremely important to reflect on how we got here in the first place…
And when I’m talking about “how we got here”, I’m not referring to the fateful day patient zero consumed a bat and opened the gates to a global pandemic and zoonotic virus of plague like proportions, because honestly that is still going to take years to isolate. Because the way we got here, was not through patient zero, no, the way we got here was through our gluttonous, inconsiderate ravishing of our planet, with a complete disregard for any other living being. We have pushed our planet to the breaking point, and now, she is pushing back. You see, nature will always keep a balance to ensure equilibrium in our planet’s natural existence, sometimes that balance comes through light, and sometimes it comes through darkness. Perhaps this is natures ways of trying to right the ship.
Now the ways we have blatantly ravished this planet are so far reaching that it would take many blog posts to even begin to cover the list of crimes our species has committed against nature. So I’m not going to be talking about melting ice caps and how we can lower our carbon footprint, no, for this blog I want to stick to how we became a world gripped by Covd-19. And when you talked about Covid-19 there are certain elements at its core, Wildlife trade, Wildlife and WET markets and zoonotic diseases.
Let’s, before going any further, briefly define each of these.
What is a WET Market?
A wet market is a marketplace selling fresh meat, fish, produce, and other perishable goods as distinguished from "dry markets" that sell durable goods such as fabric and electronics. Not all wet markets sell live animals, but the term wet market is sometimes used to signify a live animal market in which vendors slaughter animals upon customer purchase. Wet markets are common in many parts of the world, notably in China and Southeast Asia, and include a wide variety of markets, such as farmers' markets, fish markets, and wildlife markets.
Wildlife Market
Wildlife trade refers to the commerce of products that are derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It can involve the trade of living or dead individuals, tissues such as skins, bones or meat, or other products. Illegal wildlife trade is widespread and constitutes one of the major illegal economic activities, comparable to the traffic of drugs and weapons. Wildlife trade is a serious conservation problem, has a negative effect on the viability of many wildlife populations and is one of the major threats to the survival of vertebrate species. The illegal wildlife trade has been linked to the emergence and spread of new infectious diseases in humans, including emergent viruses.
Zoonotic Disease
This is an infectious disease caused by a pathogen (an infectious agent, such as a bacterium, virus, parasite or prion) that has jumped from an animal (usually a vertebrate) to a human. Typically, the first infected human transmits the infectious agent to at least one other human, who, in turn, infects others.
Major modern diseases such as Ebola virus disease and salmonellosis are zoonoses. HIV was a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans in the early part of the 20th century, though it has now mutated to a separate human-only disease. Most strains of influenza that infect humans are human diseases, although many strains of bird flu and swine flu are zoonoses; these viruses occasionally recombine with human strains of the flu and can cause pandemics such as the 1918 Spanish flu or the 2009 swine flu.
So, when we try to resolve how we got here in the first place its impossible to escape the foundational roles that WET markets and the trade of wildlife have played in this pandemic. Both of these are evidence to our ill treatment of other living beings, and our complete disregard for our wild brethren. It wasn’t a bat that was guilty here, it was a human, a human that was just a reflection of the society that molded him. Somewhere in the history of our species we started viewing food not as a mere means of survival, but rather a delicacy, status symbol and a form of entertainment, and because of this, we are eating this planet into an oblivion, and it’s clear nothing will be spared in the quest to satisfy our insatiable palettes. This is something that we have to reflect on and change, we are devouring this planet at an unsustainable rate. Just as our insatiable palettes are destroying this planet, so is our uncontrollable vanity. A vanity that keeps funding the industry of wildlife trade and leads to the suffering of millions of creatures every year. The trade in wildlife is decimating wildernesses the world over, and in many regards this very unregulated and often times illegal trade, becomes a vessel and catalyst for many zoonotic diseases just like Covid-19. Both wet markets and the trade in wildlife are things that have been identified to be not just extremely cruel but also rife with diseases, and both of these can be stopped, by simply changing the way we view wildlife; as living beings and not just commodities or a way to satisfy our palettes. So the solutions are there, the answer to “how can we prevent this from happening again?” is evident, the only thing that’s left to be seen is if this truth is enough to make us do better and be better, or are we simply a species that is driven by our appetite.
Now that we have touched on how we got here, let’s look at what happens next. What happens when isolations does end, when social distancing rules are eased, when we are allowed to venture out freely and explore once more, what happens them, what will the world look like beyond the curve, and how must we act… one things for certain, we can’t go back to the way things were, because that’s how we got here.
One thing is for sure, we must all become stewards for this planet. We have to be more conscious of the choices we make each day. All of these horrible industries exist, because we bankroll them with the choices we make each day. And the choices we make MUST change, we must consider more than ourselves when making daily purchases. We must educate ourselves about the origins of the products we buy, and the impact of our consumerism. WE MUST EAT LESS MEAT! Nature has taught us, the way we eat can have dire consequences for us… nature will go on, we wont.
Let us make no mistake, the world as we know it has changed, perhaps for a few years, or maybe for a few decades, who knows… but one thing that is for certain is that the way we live off this planet must change for an eternity.
As an adventurer and wildlife photographer, I have never felt so shackled, longing each day to be back once again exploring the wildernesses I love, so if there’s one thing I know, it’s that I don’t ever want to be back here again. So, we must do what needs to be done, for this planet, for each other.
Experts estimate that over 100 million tons of fish, 1.5 million live birds and 440,000 tons of medicinal plants are lost annually due to wildlife trade.
Not only are we a very social species, but humans at our nucleus are very exploratory. There’s something deep within us all that spurs us on to travel, to discover new places, and to explore. So, the thought of these two foundations of the human spirit being restricted indefinitely causes a lot of angst within us. I think this angst is good though, because it may very well be the catalyst that drives us to change our ways, it may be the very thing that emancipates us from this dreadful time.
When we consider how this pandemic has shaped the way we travel and adventure in the future, the first thing that comes to mind are the logistic repercussions. Airports in particular have immediately been impacted, and naturally so, because airports form sort of a junction for things like viruses to easily spread from location to location, even the seemingly straightforward task of checking in has forever been changed. So logistically, everything has changed, and many more precautions will have to be taken, but I don’t think that this should deter us in seeking to travel, it should just make us more conscious. I read that airlines are also considering removing some middle seats from large flights to facilitate social distancing, another example of the lasting logistic travel impact of Covid-19. However, beyond any impending logistical hurdles that may impact our future travels, I think it’s also important to reevaluate the way we adventure, and the impact we have on not just our fellow travelers but also the communities and environments that facilitate our travels. Traveling should always enrich us, but not at the expense of those around us, the places we visit. I think we need to be more aware of this going forward. We need to make sure that our impact is positive, always!
They say that no matter how hard the situation, there is always something to learn, and I think that is true about the Covid-19 pandemic as well. This is a lesson to us all; yes we need to treat wildlife better, yes we need to stay clear of wildlife products, yes we need to support initiatives working to save this planet… but I feel we have learned other lessons as well, we can get by do consuming less, by driving our cars less, we have learned that we are a global community, an organism working best when it is working in unison, it’s a pity that it took a virus to teach us that. If all the lockdowns, restrictions, and isolation orders have taught us anything, it’s that if we work together for a great cause, then even just small conscious steps in the right direction will lead to great healing for our planet.
So, to the adventurers, to the explorers, the travelers, the ones who choose to cast off their bow line and are willing to lose sight of the shore, if only to experience something other than what they know; fear not, for this time of uncertainty and strife will pass. This time of feeling like you are tethered will become nothing but a distant memory, when the moment comes that allows you to set your spirit free again. And I assure you, those moments will come, the ones that set your soul on fire, that breathe life into every fiber of your being, that remind you how infinitely beautiful our planet is. So fret not my friends, but rather, take this time to reenergize, make it a time to reminisce and a time to heal... for when we do emerge from this, and we shall, there will be a whole world to be discovered once more, a world that was given a little respite and perhaps one that was allowed some time to heal... even for just a little while.
It is perhaps now, during these dark days that it’s most important for us to remember just how incredibly beautiful our planet is. May we feel the loss of not enjoying her flawless canvas, so that when these times of strife pass, we cherish those beautiful moments like never before.
We need to use this time to reflect, on how we each contributed to this pandemic, because we all have, and we must change, there is no scientist out there with a magic formula to fix this, we are the ones that need to change. Every little decision we make will lead to great change, for this planet, for the wildlife we share it with… for us. A better world starts with each of us.
We have read the stories and watched the videos in wonderous joy, and over the last few months they have told the tale of an earth that’s can heal if just given the chance, so a chance is what we must give her. We share this planet with so many other great beings, and the future of their existence lies in the choices we make. I say all of this not with a heavy heart, but with hopeful one, because if we have witnessed what our species is capable at its worst, we know what its capable of at its best. And that’s what the world needs now, for humanity to find its best, to be the beacon, to be the light house in the storm.
Stay safe, forever wild at heart, we will chase the horizon once more.
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Image Credit
Natalie Ng; Chromatograph