Elephants, lions to roam North America o nce more?

“How'd ya like to cross a lion's path while out hiking with the kids?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050817/sc_nm/usa_wild_dc

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Elephants, lions to roam North America once more?

Wed Aug 17, 1:03 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists are proposing reintroducing large mammals such as elephants, lions, cheetahs and wild horses to North America to replace populations lost 13,000 years ago.
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The scientists say that not only could large tracts of North America act as breeding sanctuaries for species of large wild animals under threat in Africa and Asia, but that such ecological history parks could be major tourist attractions.

"Africa and parts of Asia are now the only places where megafauna are relatively intact, and the loss of many of these species within this century seems likely," the team, led by Josh Donlan from New York's Cornell University, said.

"Given this risk of further extinction, re-wilding of North American sites carries global conservation implications," the team wrote in Wednesday's issue of the science journal Nature.

It said large mammals were common across all continents until the Late Pleistocene wipeout that hit North America hardest and handed the world to smaller species. The largest mammals in the United States today are bison.

The Pleistocene epoch lasted from about 1.65 million years ago to 10,000 years ago.

"Large carnivores and herbivores often play important roles in the maintenance of biodiversity, and thus many extinct mammals must have shaped the evolution of the species we know today," the scientists wrote.

They said the pronghorn antelope's remarkable turn of speed must be due at least in part to the presence of the now extinct predatory American cheetah alongside it on North America's grasslands.

Reintroducing the modern relatives of the Late Pleistocene losers to North America could spark fresh interest in conservation, contribute to biodiversity and begin to put right some of the wrongs caused by human activities.

"Establishing Asian asses and Przewalski's horse in North America might help prevent the extinction of these endangered species and would restore equid species to their evolutionary homeland," the scientists wrote.

They proposed a second phase that would include reintroducing African cheetahs, lions and Asian and African elephants to large private parks.

"Free-roaming, managed cheetahs in the southwestern United States could save the fastest carnivore from extinction, restore what must have been strong interactions with pronghorn and facilitate ecotourism as an alternative for ranchers.

"Managed elephant populations could similarly benefit ranchers through grassland maintenance and ecotourism," they wrote, adding that reintroducing lions would represent the pinnacle of the Pleistocene re-wilding of North America.

They admitted the plan would be controversial but said it was a far better option than simply accepting the terminal decline of some of the world's most impressive species due to human encroachment and global warming.

"Pleistocene re-wilding is an optimistic alternative," they wrote. "The obstacles are substantial and the risks are not trivial, but we can no longer accept a hands-off approach to wilderness preservation."”

“This is the third or fourth thread on the topic. Neener neener. ;)”

“Oh well. Sorry.

If the board software wasn't so user-unfriendly then it might be easier to tell or easier to search for topics before posting.

I love the people here but I ABSOLUTELY HATE the software.”

“HikerMike, you provided a very informative link.

This could become a major fight.

Think of the Wolf reintroduction program at Yellowstone.

I have said this before,

a time may come shortly when very large wild areas are fenced or walled. Areas of Africa as well as the US are likely candidates

in fact, I think there is already a 6 million acre fenced refuge in South Africa.”

“Kruger National Park in South Africa was fenced (1000 mile long fence) at 6 million acres but now many adjoining areas have been added to make 9 million acre refuge, about 1/2 as big as South Carolina, (with fences removed to adjoining areas) with 300,000 large animals:

http://www.ecoafrica.com/krugerpark/kruger-history.htm

Really neat satellite map in this link.

Some have suggested such a fenced buffer, 80 miles wide, with ferocious animals from Texas to California along the Mexican border to discourage illegal immigration to be known as the DHZ, Dehumanized Zone!
last edited: 8/21/05 10:11:09 PM”

“OK, this subject does not incite many of you to respond

but let us consider another angle and lesson that can be learned at Kruger

only 300,000 large animals on 9 million acres (so a carrying capacity of one large animal per 30 acres)

admittedly barren scrub nearly desolate desert in places (wild animals have only been relegated such places)

people have taken the prime lands in the world of which there is only about 10 billion acres (about 25 billion more less than prime acres of land in the world, ya know desert, scrub, rock, glacier, swamp, etc.)

still, at 30 acres per large animal (and God knows most humans impact the world more than the typical large animal) with 10 or so billion acres of prime livable land

the the longterm (10,000years) carrying capacity of this world for humans is 300 or so million, 500 million max,

and there is about 20X 300 million people right now and growing.

What will tomorrow bring?”

“Heard they wanted to do that in the northern parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan also.

Ok, so we'll have a few more BIG MAMMALS to be afraid of other than the bear and cougar.”