By Isaiah
I love to surf the internet. I enjoy doing research. Of late, I have been interested in what can be done to save the planet and our little Friendly Island of St. Maarten. Pollution is taking over the world – and, by Player Development, we watch the dump grow by the day.
Recently on the internet, I stumbled across videos of people rescuing animals – wild animals that get stuck in our trash. Videos show brave, maybe even foolish, humans that are willing to go out of their way to help an animal in need. A lot of animals get their head stuck in metal food cans, and they cannot get the cans off. They are terrified and could die. The poor animals are just looking for a few scraps of food. They squeeze their head into a can and that is it. They cannot get out without help.
Now I have seen a dog or two on Pond Island with a can over its nose; but on Facebook, I have seen people helping dogs, cats, a deer, a raccoon and even baby black bears! Bears scare me. The babies weigh nearly 100 pounds and have sharp claws and teeth – worse, much worse, they often come equipped with a protective mother.
I do not think I could help a bear; but I see some are saved by people. I am glad the animal is spared the pain of dying a slow death, as they cannot eat or drink.
What I have not heard is if any life saver has been hurt by one of these wild animals. Now on St. Maarten, we do not have bears or deer (okay, deer look cute and probably would not hurt you); but we do have a stray dog problem. So my solution is to protect the animals and become rescuers by flattening the cans.
You can buy can crushers for as little as US $20 online. Or you can use a hammer. The cans do not have to be flat – the opening just has to be closed. Of course, recycling the can should be the ultimate goal. We really do not need more cans at the dumps; but until then, we can become rescuers and help protect the animals. So please crush your cans before throwing them in the trash.
