Since the creation of man, many species have come and gone on this planet. It isn’t because of evolution or evil man, it’s part of God’s plan. He likes variety—a fact we will quickly learn if we just look around a bit. God has been intentionally driving certain animals into extinction and coming up with new ones long before we ever published their sad little faces on endangered species calendars. God isn’t up in Heaven stressing over the fact that the giant panda is running short on bamboo. He made the bear a picky eater on purpose. We have observed many species adapting and expanding their diets in times of shortages, while other species will choose starvation over new flavors. Who gives animals all their smarts and instincts in the first place? God does. Who teaches one carnivore to range far and wide for food while another (like the African lion) will starve to death before it crosses the boundaries of its territory? God. Who is ultimately controlling the temperature of this planet? God, not greenhouse gases. The ice up north is thinning out because He wants it to. The polar bear is crashing through because He wants him to. This isn’t some incredible tragedy that we should all weep over, this is God running His creation in a seasonal, cyclical pattern of life and death.