WIKIMEDIA, MUHAMMAD MAHDI KARIMA recent Oregon State University (OSU) study found that 25 percent of teachers surveyed who used live animals in their classrooms later released them into the wild, sometimes introducing non-native species into local environments. Only a minority of these teachers was aware that the animals they released could cause problems and harm to native species and ecosystems. The study also reported that many suppliers do not think that the environmental effects of their animals are their concern. This situation, including some teachers’ and biological supply companies’ apparent minimal awareness of the environmental consequences of certain animal-use practices, is mirrored in another widespread use of animals in education—dissection.
Amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, and many invertebrates are among the species that are taken from natural habitats and used in dissection classes, contributing to the depletion of species diversity and imbalance in ecosystems. Frogs, for instance, provide a natural form of pest control in ecosystems to which they are native, while non-native frogs released into the wild create infectious disease risks for fragile, native populations.
Furthermore, it is not just the harvesting of live animals that is cause for concern. The preservation and discarding of dead animal specimens in classrooms carries additional environmental risks. Toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde or formalin preserve millions of animals each year. Formaldehyde has been identified as a carcinogen in humans by the US Department of Health and Human Services’ ...
