North America: Save the Cheetah

Several examples of Cheetah are released in the midwest. Do they survive if they can't be shot? All are tagged and their locations known 24/7
 

mowque

Banned
People kill them since they start getting lost and confused and go into towns and such. Also,t hey are a giant cat that kills big animals. No one wants that.
 
Several examples of Cheetah are released in the midwest. Do they survive if they can't be shot? All are tagged and their locations known 24/7
You have started (at least?) two threats about about introducing an endangered species in an completely foreign envirement. Are you serious with these proposals and do you realy have no idea what often happens with these kind of situations? In most cases the species dies and the rest it becomes a pest, because of lack of natural enemies. Surely everybody knows this is a bad idea? if you don't believe me, ask the Australians.
 
Well...Texas is somewhat well known for its tolerant exotic pet laws. I think I once read somewhere that there are more tigers in Texas than in any given state in India. There are also areas of Texas that would be a fairly suitable climate for a cheetah with a fair amount of prey (the aforementioned pronghorn seems perfect.)

It would be fairly interesting to come up with a reason why they weren't hunted down. I imagine the evacuation of west Texas would be required for some reason and nothing springs to mind that wouldn't also mean the cheetah is unlikely to survive anyway (massive environmental catastrophes, basically.)

Kim Stanley Robinson's climate change trilogy had a flood at the National Zoo in DC. The animals were let out of their cages and escaped into Rock Creek Park. Most were re-captured, but I seem to vaguely recall that at least one large cat was still at-large in the park for a while after; I could be mis-remembering.
 
People have made serious, if unrealistic, proposals for 'rewilding', introducing African megafauna such as lions, elephants and cheetahs to replace the equivalents that died out at the beginning of the current interglacial.

Cheetahs certainly were part of the ecosystem until recently, geologically speaking.
 

katchen

Banned
Someone really should surreptitiously introduce Siberian Tigers into the British Columbian fiordlands before they become extinct in their native habitat in Siberia. Or if we're really brave, Olympic and Yellowstone National Park in the US. There's only about 500 of them left and nobody seems to be able to control the poachers. We save endangered species by introducing them where we CAN save them. Not by worrying about where they "belong".

For the same reason, iwe need to try to introduce Polar Bears and Walrus to Antarctica against the time when we lose the Arctic Ice.

Anacondas and Burmese Pythons in Florida? Not so much. But...There is plenty of evidence that at one time Florida was a lot warmer and there was an apex predator, maybe an Anaconda, maybe a big bird that ate alligators and kept THIER numbers in check. Now ther e isn't and unless people hunt them, alligators go everywhere. So maybe the pythons and anacondas have re-established a balance in the Florida Everglandes
 
Someone really should surreptitiously introduce Siberian Tigers into the British Columbian fiordlands before they become extinct in their native habitat in Siberia. Or if we're really brave, Olympic and Yellowstone National Park in the US. There's only about 500 of them left and nobody seems to be able to control the poachers. We save endangered species by introducing them where we CAN save them. Not by worrying about where they "belong".

For the same reason, iwe need to try to introduce Polar Bears and Walrus to Antarctica against the time when we lose the Arctic Ice.

Anacondas and Burmese Pythons in Florida? Not so much. But...There is plenty of evidence that at one time Florida was a lot warmer and there was an apex predator, maybe an Anaconda, maybe a big bird that ate alligators and kept THIER numbers in check. Now ther e isn't and unless people hunt them, alligators go everywhere. So maybe the pythons and anacondas have re-established a balance in the Florida Everglandes

You'd try to save two species for the potential cost of a whole ecosystem?
 
The cheetah is on the verge of becoming exctinct naturally, far from being an apex predator other predators will attack it and steal its kills. Mountain lions won't tolerate competitors and will kill cheetahs and a pack of wolves would kill a cheetah and I imagine a Lynx or Ocelot could inflict a serious injury. Cheetah cubs are lucky to reach maturity they are very unlikely to survive in the American west
 
Combined with the theories of de-extinction, it would certainly be neat to re-introduce species like Miracinonyx trumani to once again make those pronghorns run for their money...

Naturally such experiments would have to be retained in controlled and limited zones, but the overall idea is worth a try. From biological point of view, Pleistocene was just yesterday.
 
If the US can't support a natural apex predator for the 20th century, the Jaguar, it will struggle with a predator that died out 10,000 years ago.
 
So long as you've got ranchers shooting at any predators who look sideways at their cattle, this is a bad idea.:rolleyes:

If you're doing it, tho, why not throw in elephants? They ought to keep the wolves & coyotes busy...
 

katchen

Banned
Despite our right to bear arms, we can control our poachers far better than Russia or Africa can control theirs. For the most part, our sheriffs and game and fish officers don't take bribes.
 
For the same reason, iwe need to try to introduce Polar Bears and Walrus to Antarctica against the time when we lose the Arctic Ice.

And what will the polar bears eat after they have driven the Emperor and King penguins into extinction?
 
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