This loss does not quite rise to the level of a tragedy or a disaster, I think, but still it is very sad.  It is apparently analogous to the disappearance of potato varieties in the Andes, and of corn varieties in central and southern Mexico.  And now that this report has been released, perhaps on the pattern of the recent fashion in heirloom peaches and tomatoes and the like, small independent landowners will start raising heirloom sheep and goats, etc.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

But it seems quite correct that the Baiji is the first cetacean to have gone extinct on account of human activity.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

"This loss does not quite rise to the level of a tragedy or a disaster, I think, but still it is very sad. It is apparently analogous to the disappearance of potato varieties in the Andes, and of corn varieties in central and southern Mexico."

Given that various traits -- adaptation to climate, resistance to disease, et cetera -- are now found only in certain breeds rather than distributed throughout each species' population, this is a potential disaster. It might take hundreds of thousands of years for lost traits to reappear, though the traits might be required much sooner, especially in a rapidly changing climate.

It is a tragedy akin to the disappearance of potato varieties in the Andes. As the potato varieties disappear, so does access to natural resistance to various diseases, leaving us with slim pickings for breeding new potato varieties when the old ones fail and increasing our reliance on chemicals and GMOs.

Perhaps, however, we should not worry about the loss of animal breeds as much as we worry about the loss of plant varieties... given that the modern industrial meat industry is harming the environment. The meat industry will be self-limiting when diversity drops so low that it makes it impossible for the them to respond to new diseases or the changing climate. It will be the end of an era.

Considering some of what I've read on the Grist website, I don't know whether environmentalist should necessarily worry about saving rare breeds. Pet owners are already criticized for wasting resources on pets when there are people starving. I cannot imagine environmentalists would want us to waste energy and land to keep rare engineered animals as pets. They are engineered -- by selective breeding -- to meet human needs. They are not natural elements of any ecosystem that was here before humans arrived. And if we are not going to use them for meeting human needs, the breeds should probably be consigned to the past.

Since I don't foresee humans ceasing to use animal products, I think we'd be better off preserving farm animal diversity so we have a shot at producing animals who naturally satisfy our needs and don't have to be kept alive and productive by extra, artificial efforts on our part.  Of course, that can backfire, from my point of view as someone concerned about animals.  Take, for example, the pigs that used to be kept by Haitians (I think? coulda been somewhere else...).  We introduced standard American breeds of swine, and they had some disease that was theretofore unknown in Haiti, which wiped out the native pigs.  Then the Haitians had to try to raise the American pigs, but it turned out to be a disaster for everyone, because the new pigs were so much less hardy that they died in large numbers when forced to live without shelter, eat the garbage (literally) that had always been fed to pigs, etc.  So the point is, on the one hand, the Haitian pigs were better adapted, which should be better for anyone, but on the other hand, their very hardiness made it possible for them to live and even prosper enough to be worth raising for food under what seem likely to have been extremely inhumane conditions.  I'm not sure I'm always in favor of animals whose special hardiness makes it possible to raise them in harsh conditions, from the point of view that while they may not die from it, they surely don't enjoy the maltreatment, and if people thought they were more fragile, they might make more effort at humane treatment.  If that makes sense.

I will also say that some rare breeds of farm animals are exceedingly lovely and worth keeping around for their own sake.  Draft horses are my particular weakness--aside from popular breeds like Clydesdales, Belgians, and Percherons, basically all heavy draft breeds are endangered--but there are some very beautiful, intelligent, and personable breeds of cattle, chickens, pigs, etc, as well.  It's amazing what a difference it makes when you have animals who haven't been bred to be as fat and stupid as possible...

Instead, I'm curious about how people feel about animals not kept for meat and animals serving other purposes. I wanted to keep my previous comment simple, so I intentionally ignored these issues.

Reducing our consumption of meat is one thing, but I think most people are still interested in eggs, dairy products, and fiber. We probably don't want to lose genetic divesity in this area. Perhaps there are rare breeds containing traits that will help facilitate more humane practices.

Now... what about animals serving other purposes? You specifically mentioned draft horses and this is not something I've pondered before. Could one argue that we are going to need these animals and it is in our self-interest to preserve them? It is hard to imagine that I might find myself delivering milk like my grandfather did or walking behind a plough, but will there be a new interest in such old technolgy? Is there a new place for animals in our future without fossil fuel?

Incidentally, I have nothing against keeping domestic animals because of their beauty or companionship, especially dogs and horses. I feel humans have a special relationship with these creatures -- they essentially coevolved with us -- and to toss them aside because they are no longer needed as guards, for hunting, or for transportation is horrible. Their species probably ensured our survival and we should show them kindness and respect in return.

Other than that, draft horses are mostly ornamental these days, i'm afraid.  There are too few places where a horse can safely pull a wheeled vehicle anymore for it to be realistic that we'd ever return to that even partially.  Plus, with all the pavement, it wouldn't exactly be great for the horses' legs.

But, they're beautiful and sweet and smell awesome, and if you have a tall enough stepladder and flexible enough hip joints to accomodate the coffee-table-shaped back they're fun to ride. :)  Personally, driving horses scares me to death because i can't feel what they're about to do, so I prefer riding, and it is generally a little easier to ride horses bred for riding, what with them being generally smaller.  Although, I doubt a draft horse could get quite as high off the ground as my thoroughbred does when he decides to really buck...

We can look to Cuba for a lesson on switching from tractors to oxen.  Here is an article about ox plowing in Cuba: http://tinyurl.com/y28kjz

and ...

Eco-Eating: Eating as if the Earth Matters at www.brook.com/veg

I would also assume that lameness is a big issue and that those horses don't last very long before they develop arthritis and other bone/joint problems; you don't usually see lame horses working, but that's because that's one of the obvious things, and people know they'll have the ASPCA et al all over them in ten seconds if the horses are visibly lame.  But all that pounding on pavement... and it's not like there aren't alternatives now, special rubber-coated horseshoes, runner/plastic hoof boots that go over the entire hoof without nailing on...it seems like something that would provide some cushion (and some traction, since horses' hooves don't do so well on hard surfaces) would be a good idea.

I would guess, though, that the carriage horses get so much human attention that it's probably a kindness if the drivers don't interact with them much.  On some level, most horses really want to be left alone by humans, unless those humans have food for them.  My horses come over to be scratched and fussed over when I show up, usually, but even they fairly quickly reach the point where they'd rather be eating and don't want or need more attention, so you can imagine how the carriage horses feel, getting touched by thousands of humans all day.

In general, I think there could be a place for carriage horses in cities, but I doubt it's a financially viable one, since to me, for it to be fair to the horses they'd have to be used in 3 or 4 hour shifts, rather than all day, and have some kind of rubberized shoes to protect their joints, and ideally have a shaded area to rest in between rides, and all that would probably require an unrealistic rise in prices for rides.

The very large but sleek police horses here in NYC are uniformly a rich, splendid reddish brown, almost deeply glowing, with dark mane and tail and feet, so I assume they belong to a distinct breed.  The carriage horses on the other hand are quite varied in appearance.

I would assume that both the NYPD and the carriage company understand that it is in everyone's interest to maintain the health of the horses as well as possible; and therefore no doubt they have taken thought for the damage that the horses will suffer in time as they walk constantly on paved surfaces.  I know nothing about what shoes are used, but I am confident that information about that, and about how all these horses are maintained in general, is accessible without too much difficulty.

The carriages are queued on the uptown side, the park side, of Central Park South, near some of the most expensive hotels in NYC.  Presumably the most frequent route by far that passengers wish to take is through Central Park, and I doubt that that would be very stressful to the horses, so far as car traffic goes.  But every now and then one sees a carriage wandering around in the congested streets to the south.

I do not know how long the horses' shifts are, but again, that information is surely not hidden.  You have brought up the issue that the horses should not work longer than a few hours at a time, and I am sure many New Yorkers have done the same.

On human contact with horses: New Yorkers either are insouciant by nature, or we force ourselves to look it.  So in fact it is extremely rare to see anyone approaching a horse.  And my understanding is that the drivers will strongly request persons who might want to pet the horses not to come close.

Pandu, you bring to mind the interesting case of Lancaster County, PA.  A writer with an interest in animal welfare ought to spend some time there, looking around, talking to people, taking notes.  I would very much like to know how the Amish and other Mennonites treat their draft animals, including their much photographed horses.  But also, it is an important ethical question, why that county has become a haven for people running "puppy mills," squalid, disease-filled little farms dedicated to breeding dogs, and sometimes cats, for sale to a foolishly unsuspecting and incurious clientele.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.