HA ha...
Posted on 08/18/2005 5:52:59 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
Lions stalking deer in the stubble of a Nebraska cornfield. Elephants trumpeting across Colorado’s high plains. Cheetah slouching through the West Texas scrub.
Prominent ecologists are floating an audacious plan that sounds like a “Jumanji” sequel — transplant African wildlife to the Great Plains of North America.
Their radical proposal is greeted with gasps and groans from other scientists and conservationists who recall previous efforts to relocate foreign species halfway around the world, often with disastrous results.
The authors contend it could help save Africa’s poster species from extinction, where protection is spotty and habitat is vanishing.
“We aren’t backing a truck up to some dump site in the dark and turning lose a bunch of elephants,” said Cornell University ecologist Harry W. Greene, one of the plan’s authors.
While most modern African species never lived on the American prairie, the scientists think today’s animals could duplicate the natural roles played by their departed, even larger cousins — mastodons, camels and saber-toothed cats — that roamed for more than 1 million years alongside antelope and bison.
But the scientists’ plan, which appears in today’s issue of the journal Nature, is triggering thunderclaps of criticism, with discouraging words such as “stupid” and “defeatist” raining down.
Critics point to Australia, which was overrun by rabbits and poisonous cane toads after misguided species relocations.
Some conservationists said the plan would further damage the prospects of African species on their native turf, as well as that continent’s hopes for sustainable economic development.
(Excerpt) Read more at thestate.com ...
What a great way for liberal academics and pointless nonprofits to get grant money! These guys may never have to do an honest day's work again nor teach in a classroom ever again.
The lions and elephants will just love Nebraska winters.
Years ago I read that the first settelers had reported seeing actual lions in America. Has anyone ver heard of this? The lions were described as having manes also.
Wait until their pets start getting snacked upon.
I don't think we have to worry about that happening. These are the same people that think keeping pets is akin to slavery.
Uh, I meant "wait until their companion animals start getting snacked upon."
There, much better!
All you have to do is go to South Texas, lots of African plains game down that way.
Why not release them all in Ithaca and on the campus of Cornell if they think it is such a grand idea?
That was my first thought too.
The ideal calliber - the .577 Tyrannosaur:
http://www.military.com/Video/gun.mpeg
Yes, it has a little recoil, but it does a heck of a job on the receiving end...
Over 10000 ft/lbs of energy with a bullet of 750gr. traveling at a muzzle velocity of approx. 2500 ft/sec.
Never heard of that one. Wonder if they mistook grizzlies for lions?
Though lions are carnivores, humans are rarely on their menu. We are not part of their regular diet.
In Africa, in terms of attacks on humans, the big cats aren't what you should worry about. There's a much bigger risk of getting attacked by a hippo or a cape buffalo, for example.
And the most lethal animal on the African continent is probably the mosquito.
Even with all of this, introducing lions to the Great Plains is probably not a good idea.
Regular late term abortion?
depends on how quick you want it to die. use a solothurn or a lahti for a quick kill.
They did.
From the article:
"They also believe that the relocated animals could restore biodiversity on this continent to a condition closer to what nature was like before humans overran the landscape."
I guess if it went too slowly there would be plenty of meat for the wake....sure beats a spear, though (Clovis).
I think it's kinda cool . . . as long as I'm not going to pay for it. But WTF do I know living in the NE!
If I was a multi-billionaire, I'd buy a whole lot of property in West Texas or one of the more southern Great Plains states (we're talking property the size of Belgium) and turn it into a giant African game preserve. Elephants, Rhinos, Springbok, Hyenas, Lions, Cheetahs etc.
Then, I'd invest in cloning mammoths, sabertoothed cats and other extinct mega-fauna.
That, and hire tens of thousands of people to re-create famous historical battles. So, do you want to be Wellington or Napolean this time?
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