Dragons vs. virgins

[Guest guest]

This is another way of explaining the importance of

sterilizing and vaccinating at least 70% of the dog or cat

population, in order to lastingly reduce either the numbers of

animals or the incidence of rabies.

 

The idea is to lower the birth rate to less than the numbers

needed to sustain the population.

 

To illustrate how that works, apply the dragons-and-virgins

test to it.

 

You have a dragon who needs to eat a virgin a week to

survive, and cannot eat a virgin until she turns 16. What is the

minimum population of virgins that it takes to feed the dragon?

 

You need at least one virgin turning 16 each week turning the

year, so you need a minimum of 832 virgins of all ages up to 16 at

any given time.

 

But how many virgins does it take to actually sustain that

population, considering attrition from all sources prior to turning

16, considering that the dragon isn't going to catch them all, and

considering that quite a few will have to get away to grow up and

become mothers, in order to keep up the supply?

 

In all likelihood you need at least 1,664 virgins of all ages

up to 16 at any given time, and that's just for one dragon.

 

To sustain the dragon population, with adequate genetic

diversity, you need at least 10 times that many.

 

It should accordingly be no mystery that while you still can

find some virgins here and there, dragons are long since extinct.

 

What you are trying to do is get to the point where the

dragons starve: a balance point, not an absolute zero.

 

What you are doing in sterilizing animals is shifting a load

from one side of a scale to the other. At 70% shifted, the " weight "

of dog/cat population growth reaches the balance point. Each

additional percentage point shifted tilts the balance farther away

from population growth, to population decrease.

 

 

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

[ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing

original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide,

founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the

decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations.

We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year;

for free sample, send address.]

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

[ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing

original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide,

founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the

decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations.

We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year;

for free sample, send address.]