Thursday, August 18, 2005
More from the Dept. of Bad Ideas
An editorial in this week's Nature calls for elephants, lions, cheetahs, and camels to be introduced to the American Great Plains. Because ... um ... there used to be large mammals there, and those mammals' modern relatives are endangered at home in Africa. And because current attempts to reintroduce native animals to these regions have been so easy and met with so little resistance? I think not.
Even though I'd love to find out what happens when the lions and cheetahs discover how yummy Midwestern evangelicals are, this is a really bad idea. I would also love the opportunity make my next road trip a safari, but that may have to wait until I go to Africa. Introducing species to new environments has pretty rarely gone well - gypsy moths, for instance - and you never know what they're going to do to the local ecosystem.
Aside from eating tourists (which I don't so much mind - the smart ones will keep their arms and legs inside the vehicle), introduced species tend to ravage native flora and fauna, not to mention wreak havoc on the environment.
Even though I'd love to find out what happens when the lions and cheetahs discover how yummy Midwestern evangelicals are, this is a really bad idea. I would also love the opportunity make my next road trip a safari, but that may have to wait until I go to Africa. Introducing species to new environments has pretty rarely gone well - gypsy moths, for instance - and you never know what they're going to do to the local ecosystem.
Aside from eating tourists (which I don't so much mind - the smart ones will keep their arms and legs inside the vehicle), introduced species tend to ravage native flora and fauna, not to mention wreak havoc on the environment.
