In this case, Man caused their extinction. You know those idyllic, hunter-gatherer groups that lived in perfect harmony with the environment? (The Indians were doing a good job on the bison too, before the Europeans introduced the horse to America!)
I think the mammoths and mastodons should be restored. As long as they're kept away from human population centers, I don't see a problem.
There is zero chance that man drove the mammoths to extinction.
Man did not freeze ten thousand or so of them in the ice in Siberia.
“In this case, Man caused their extinction. You know those idyllic, hunter-gatherer groups that lived in perfect harmony with the environment? (The Indians were doing a good job on the bison too, before the Europeans introduced the horse to America!)
I think the mammoths and mastodons should be restored. As long as they’re kept away from human population centers, I don’t see a problem.”
NO,NO,NO! Didn’t you see the memo? It was a comet strike between 11-13,000 years ago! No peaceful hunter-gatherer tribes involved at all!
Personally, I think it was a combination of the two. Stampede the monsters off a cliff, or even into a reasonably deep ravine, and you could feed a tribe for as long as the meat lasted, and then hunt the scavengers that came to help you out with all that rotten meat. That could be a while if it was really cold.
Like wolves, and bears, I’m OK with elephants and such (and creatures who resemble them) wandering freely about. As long as it’s not in MY neighborhood! ;) Sound like an environmentalist, don’t I?