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Posted on 05/07/2018 8:14:04 PM PDT by BenLurkin
In recent years, sightings of large predators in places where conventional wisdom says they "shouldn't be" have increased, in large part because local populations, once hunted to near-extinction, are rebounding—thanks to conservation.
Many observers have hypothesized that as these populations recover the predators are expanding their ranges and colonizing new habitats in search of food.
A Duke University-led paper published today in the journal Current Biology suggests otherwise.
It finds that, rather than venturing into new and alien habitats for the first time, alligators, sea otters and many other large predators—marine and terrestrial species alike—are re-colonizing ecosystems that used to be prime hunting grounds for them before humans decimated their populations and well before scientists started studying them.
"We can no longer chock up a large alligator on a beach or coral reef as an aberrant sighting," said Brian Silliman, Rachel Carson Associate Professor of Marine Conservation Biology at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment. "It's not an outlier or short-term blip. It's the old norm, the way it used to be before we pushed these species onto their last legs in hard-to-reach refuges. Now, they are returning."
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
Right now they’re leading the Jets, 2-0.
Anyone thought about the fact if you let a couple of tigers go in Central Park and gave them protected status they would thrive? Pretty soon you would have so many tigers you wouldn’t know what to do with them.
Not too long ago, like this past year, they pulled a gator out of the surf at Ft Myers.
Tigers in Central Park would reduce the homeless population, muggers, and mimes too.
They’d run out of homeless people and pimps and starve. That’s a piss poor way to treat a tiger.
Scientist recently identified these as a group of thought to have been extinct dinosaurs belonging to the Taxandspendasurus family of carnivorous beast. Now primarily located inside and around the DC. Beltway area this band of misfits with brains no larger than walnuts have taken control of America’s economy. They are led by the likes of Nancy Pilosisaurus, Maxine Bigmouthsaurus, Paul Ryanopod,and don’t forget the highly destructive McConnelladon, and the evil RaptorSoros Rex. Fortunatly scientist have determined that the most evil and dangerous of them all is on the endangered species list and thankfulky will very soon be extinct with the passing of the John RINOsaurus (a.k.a. the Traitorpod).
Then send them to San Francisco and Los Angeles. They'll never run out of homeless people.
You forgot obamatoad and bidendactil.
Does this include Michael Moore and Rosie O’Donnell?
You really aren’t very sympathetic to the extinct feces of the democrap party. You are another reason the hildebeast isn’t in the White House. I hope you are happy. I know I am.
How would anyone know if a tiger attacked a mime?
Seattle and Portland are full of food opportunities as well.
Grizzly bears used to be native to Arizona...up until the 1930s
If they turn tigers loose in Central Park I hope they drain the lake and fill it full of cat litter. No use turning it into San Francisco. Grizzly bears are a great idea. They crap on the road and throw it in the woods. Adds new meaning to the phrase “the homeless situation has went completely to $hit”.
I am amazed at the idiocy of the article. As a youth I swam in Bayou Lafourche in South Louisiana. Before well founded regulations on alligator hunting the Bayou was almost devoid of alligators. Today it is full of alligators. Do not swim there today. You may become alligator cuisine. Ecology is really simple.
Coyotes
Wolves
Mountain lions
20 years ago they reintroduced wolves to the Western US. In 2016 there were about 1800 wolves, with hunting allowed in a couple of states. Idaho has about 750 wolves, and about 250 were killed each year for the past few years, and the population is holding steady.
They want to reintroduce the grizzly to Washington State. It’s bad enough having to look out for cougars!
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