THREE statements you should never believe, according to an old joke, are "Your cheque is in the post", "I’ll respect you in the morning" and "I’ve been sent by the government to help you". Internet banking and licentious values date the first two, but the third is truer than ever.When governments "protected" wildlife by nationalising it, numbers declined. Peasant and commercial farmers exterminated animals they regarded, often mistakenly, as denuding arable and grazing land. When wildlife was privatised during the 1970s and 1980s, thousands of "game farms" appeared. Instead of slaughtering wild animals, farmers started breeding and protecting those with commercial potential.The 19th century was characterised by people who shot virtually everything, from birds to bison. Extinction is normal and natural. Most of the species that have ever existed are extinct. What changed was the extent to which people drove species towards oblivion. William Bryan was "filled with joy" when he killed ...
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