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Plan to bring lions, elephants to U.S. excludes Africans
mongabay.com editorial
May 22, 2007
Writing in the June 2007 Scientific American one of the scientists who helped put forth a radical proposal to reintroduce historical megafauna -- including camels, cheetah, elephants, and lions -- revisits the scheme, reviewing its basic points and refuting some of the criticism the plan received from the general public and other conservation biologists.
C. Josh Donlan, a well-respected research biologist from Cornell University, argues that the reintroduction of such creatures would help restore ecological balance to the North American landscape while helping preserve animals that are threatened across their present range. He further states that the plan would bring tourist dollars to the American Midwest and Southeast where most of the reintroductions would likely occur.
Donlan says that while there are a number of concerns over the plan, including the ecological and economic implications of reintroduction as well as the tolerance of introduced species to North American climate, these can likely be allayed through careful planning and research.
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One striking omission from Donlan's article is his failure to mention the potential impact of the plan on some of the world's poorest people: populations in sub-Saharan Africa. After all, why would tourists want to be inconvenienced by long-flights, expensive ground arrangements, and even minor risks of disease when they can easily see the same safari animals in the safety and convenience of their own backyard? It's much easier and far less costly to visit Montana or Nebraska than it is to Botswana, Zambia or even South Africa, some of the most successful examples of thriving safari destinations. While it's true that some of this tourism income flows right back out of these host country to foreign operators in these places, the is little question that tourists bring substantial benefits to much of Africa where opportunities are otherwise woefully lacking.
While Donlan's article is well-intentioned and raises important considerations in support for the reintroduction proposal, it is irresponsible for excluding the impact on conservation and development in Africa.
CITATION: C. Josh Donlan (2007). "Restoring America's Big, Wild Animals" SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN JUNE 2007
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