A new report says cows are damaging streams and habitats that endangered animals need to survive in Arizona and New Mexico. The Center for Biological Diversity says the U.S. government is not doing enough to protect these areas.
What’s Happening?
For eight years, scientists studied over 2,400 miles of land and water in the Southwest. They found that cows are causing big problems:
- Trampling streams – Cows crush riverbanks and destroy plants.
- Polluting water – Their waste makes water dirty for fish and frogs.
- Eating plants – They destroy food and shelter for endangered animals.
Half of the areas checked were badly damaged by cows, and 13% had moderate damage.
Animals in Danger
The damaged habitats are home to many rare species, including:
- Fish like the Gila chub and razorback sucker.
- Frogs and snakes like the Chiricahua leopard frog and narrow-headed garter snake.
- Birds like the southwestern willow flycatcher and Mexican spotted owl.
- Mammals like the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse and even jaguars.
What Needs to Change?
The report says the government must remove cows from these sensitive areas. In places where cows have been removed, streams and plants are already starting to recover.
“This report spotlights the federal government’s chronic failure to
protect the fragile habitats set aside for endangered species on public
lands in the Southwest,” said Chris Bugbee, Southwest conservation
advocate at the Center. “These animals and plants don’t have a chance at
survival if the streams they rely on are allowed to be devoured by
hungry cows and made into stinking manure pits year after year. Federal
agencies must act now to get cows out of these sensitive habitats where
they don’t belong.”
Good News
Some progress has been made:
- Lawsuits by environmental groups have removed 3,657 cows from critical habitats.
- In areas without cows, nature is slowly healing.
But recovery takes decades, and many more streams still need protection.
What Can Be Done?
The report urges the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to:
- Keep cows out of protected areas.
- Monitor streams to stop damage early.
“Federal agencies can protect the most important habitat from livestock with minimal effort,” said Bugbee. “By routinely failing to safeguard these small and mighty portions of the arid Southwest ecosystem, agencies are pushing endangered species closer to extinction.
