Westerners see elephants as pets, said Mokgweetsi Masisi, whose government threatened to send 30,000 elephants to Germany and the UK to demonstrate their dangers
No, but they do have the power to set aside land for the conservation of megafauna. Not doing that and asking poorer countries to do it for them is just hypocrisy.
Very true! Although to be fair there are many conservation-focused nature preserved in Europe where a variety of animals live. Outside of their natural habitat some degree of human intervention is necessary to keep them alive so perhaps just having elephants roaming the Czech countryside isn’t practical… Or perhaps I don’t know what I’m talking about and they’d love it!
My point is the elephants already live in Botswana, releasing them into Europe without a managed environment wouldn’t necessarily be good for the elephants.
Managed in what way? Elephants (different species, similar ecology) historically lived in Europe, so they can definitely thrive there. There will need to be some changes in vegetation, landscape, etc., but elephants can alter the landscape and vegetation to their requirement.
The last time elephants naturally lived in Europe was thousands of years ago. The climate was very different and there wasn’t the same level of human occupation. Yes the vegetation and landscape would need to change, and I’m not sure why on earth you think the elephants would do it?? There aren’t a lot of elephant ecologists as far as I’m aware. Plus the effects of releasing elephants would go beyond the effects on the elephants themselves, there would need to be management of other species that may be impacted by moving elephants in to avoid other damage to the ecosystem.
I’m not sure why on earth you think the elephants would do it?
Elephants, like beavers, are ecosystem engineers. They can change the vegetation community, as well as make the terrain elephant-navigable by removing obstacles.
there wasn’t the same level of human occupation.
there would need to be management of other species that may be impacted by moving elephants
Yes, but that doesn’t mean they would be able to entirely make a new habitat habitable for them. You can’t dump a beaver in the Sahara and expect it to survive. Even if they did, like I said the impact on the preexisting ecosystem also needs to be managed or you just trade one problem for another.
You don’t have to do this in Botswana because the elephants are already in Botswana…
The Europeans of today do not have any way to influence what the Europeans of the past did.
No, but they do have the power to set aside land for the conservation of megafauna. Not doing that and asking poorer countries to do it for them is just hypocrisy.
Very true! Although to be fair there are many conservation-focused nature preserved in Europe where a variety of animals live. Outside of their natural habitat some degree of human intervention is necessary to keep them alive so perhaps just having elephants roaming the Czech countryside isn’t practical… Or perhaps I don’t know what I’m talking about and they’d love it!
Yes, but none with elephants or lions. Even wolves are controversial, despite being far less dangerous than either.
But elephants roaming the Botswanan countryside is?
My point is the elephants already live in Botswana, releasing them into Europe without a managed environment wouldn’t necessarily be good for the elephants.
Managed in what way? Elephants (different species, similar ecology) historically lived in Europe, so they can definitely thrive there. There will need to be some changes in vegetation, landscape, etc., but elephants can alter the landscape and vegetation to their requirement.
The last time elephants naturally lived in Europe was thousands of years ago. The climate was very different and there wasn’t the same level of human occupation. Yes the vegetation and landscape would need to change, and I’m not sure why on earth you think the elephants would do it?? There aren’t a lot of elephant ecologists as far as I’m aware. Plus the effects of releasing elephants would go beyond the effects on the elephants themselves, there would need to be management of other species that may be impacted by moving elephants in to avoid other damage to the ecosystem.
Elephants, like beavers, are ecosystem engineers. They can change the vegetation community, as well as make the terrain elephant-navigable by removing obstacles.
And these problems would not arise in Botswana?
Yes, but that doesn’t mean they would be able to entirely make a new habitat habitable for them. You can’t dump a beaver in the Sahara and expect it to survive. Even if they did, like I said the impact on the preexisting ecosystem also needs to be managed or you just trade one problem for another.
You don’t have to do this in Botswana because the elephants are already in Botswana…