Disclaimer: What? Pokemon belongs to Nintendo? Oh darn.
Topics in Pokemon Biology: Pokemon Conservation
It is evident that the pokemon of our world are in trouble. Habitat destruction and pollution have taken their toll, robbing pokemon of clean places to live, feed, and reproduce. Of course, some pokemon are better at adapting to human presence than others, and some, such as Muk, have even benefited from the wastes we produce. But the trend has generally been downward.
But perhaps the greatest threat to pokemon in the modern day is the battle trade. The desire to 'Catch 'Em All' is a fever amongst young people, sending masses of trainers into wild areas, pokeballs in hand. Stronger pokemon are quickly captured and brought into captivity, robbing wild populations of their fittest individuals. But even more damaging is pokemon training, which often involves allowing trained pokemon to attack wild ones, injuring them severely and leaving them to die. Scavengers are often much more common in areas frequented by trainers, and few other species can be found.
Mature adult pokemon are often the first ones taken, leaving younger and younger adults to reproduce. More and more, juveniles have been seen rearing young before they mature completely, an adaptation to collection pressure that leaves them vulnerable due to lessened reproductive success.
Species that are considered especially strong in the arena, dubbed 'legendaries' in an obvious marketing scheme, are hunted avidly, and every so-called legendary is considered endangered.
But not all is bad news. Captive breeding has been making great strides with most species, and most domestic, pet pokemon are born in captivity. Reintroduction schemes for several rare species are already under way, and reintroductions of Jigglypuff have been extremely successful.
In addition, limits can be set on wild capture. Many areas have been set aside for protection from capturing and battling, and others have catch limits. Some areas are designated as 'Safari Zones,' where limited capturing but not battling is allowed. In many of the most popular training grounds, the 'wild' pokemon are actually stocked from captive breeding operations. One popular move has been to declare that only male pokemon may be captured, as many males in a given population are nonbreeders. However, this is controversial, and more research must be done on the dynamics of male-depleted populations.
But the desire for wild-caught battlers and the belief that they are more powerful is pervasive, even though captive-bred pokemon have been shown to be just as strong in a fight as wild ones. Poaching in parks and protected areas is more common than most wardens will admit, and the black market trade is booming. Can the desire for the most powerful pokemon, for the coveted title of 'League Champion,' be reigned in before it is too late? Only time will tell.