A Bitter Snack
<p><em>Plastic has infiltrated every possible ecosystem, manifesting as towering piles of garbage and as microplastics in the deep sea. Trash has become a stark symbol of human presence, yet we have neglected the responsibility of disposing or treating it properly. However, the consequences of this negligence are not borne equally; wildlife bears the burden of our entitlement, suffering from the plastic waste we irresponsibly discard. Our trash lures wild animals to scavenge among discarded water bottles, plates, and food wrappers. These food scraps draw wildlife closer to humans, leading to conflict and disrupting their natural way of life.</em></p>
<p>In Tamil Nadu’s Valparai, a lion-tailed macaque <em>Macaca silenus</em>, a distinctive canopy-dwelling resident of the Western Ghats, slouches on the forest floor with an empty PET bottle in its mouth, highlighting the pervasiveness of the plastic menace. Caught between anthropogenic pressures including habitat loss and their natural way of life, this endangered primate is forced to raid homes for human food.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:12px;">Photo: Sivanantham G./Sanctuary Photolibrary.</span></strong></p>
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