Kudzu of the Animal Kingdom

Ákakiááyo was sauntering along the high trail on the side of Naato Mtn. He had stopped to listen to a Pika and was thinking about their plight. These small, marvelous creatures are rapidly losing their habitat. You see, they can not live in temperatures above 70 degrees. Even in the high mountains the temperatures are literally killing the Pika.  It was a warm day and Ákakiááyo knew that these Pika were undoubtedly moving up the mountain. What, he wondered, was going to happen when they ran out of mountain? The obvious answer caused Ákakiááyo to hang his head in sadness. 

     As he was thinking about all of the thing which could be done to save the Pika; things which he knew people just weren't going to do;  Panoká came into view. 

     "The Pika must go higher," Ákakiááyo said as Panoká drew near. 

     "It is getting late," Panoká replied. "I certainly hope they have time to find food and shelter before the winter hits."

     "If people just understood . . . ," Ákakiááyo started to say.

     "They don't want to understand," Panoká interrupted. "Have you seen what is going on in the valley east of the Ihkitsi River?"

     You can see civilization from the mountain top above the river. It always bothered Ákakiááyo so he didn't go there often, but he followed his friend to one of the high promitories.  In the distance the two could see the haze under which the city lay. This side of the haze one could make out the golf course which was the first intrusion into their delicate ecosystem. Now one could easily see where bulldozers were pushing over trees and digging up the soil for a new subdivision. Ákakiááyo and Panoká knew that meant pollution and erosion for starters. Hundreds of species of flora and fauna would be displaced. The ground water would begin to disappear and what was left would soon be polluted. Everything would be out of balance. 

     "You know what they remind me of?" asked Ákakiááyo.  Panoká shook his head as the two stood watching the forest being once again invaded.

     "Humans are the Kudzu of the Animal Kingdom," said Ákakiááyo as he turned to walk away. "The Kudzu of the animal kingdom gives 'invasive' a whole new meaning." 

     "It won't be long now, will it?" Panoká's question was really rhetorical.

     "No, not long," agreed Ákakiááyo.