Species Reintroduction Issues and National Parks
Species reintroduction is a widely used technique in an attempt to establish species populations in which their numbers have been extirpated. These are large-scale and often profoundly controversial issues due to the assemblages that the species will interrupt (Bennett et al. 2012). Parks Canada has used a soft-method approach, meaning the animals introduced to the area comes with high monetary and often more human interaction before reintroduction (Devineau et al. 2012). While there are many cases of reintroduction tactics, the follow-up literature is minimal. This results in a lack of understanding as to what are both successes and failures of reintroductions.
In 1997 a relocation program was developed in Colorado to reintroduce the Canadian Lynx back to the southwest quadrant of Colorado ( Devineau et al. 2012). This reintroduction differs from that of the bison, as the animals were wild-caught and relocated. In this particular case study, a lot of consideration was put on the existence of the animals. Therefore it proved it hard for it to work out as all the key factors had not been considered. And this led to massive deaths among the animals as most of them starved to death. Most of the animals did not get enough food on which to feed on and hence met their ultimate demise. However, the research was more formulated as the researchers realized their initial mistake and used the second phase of animals in which most of the animals were fed first before they were released (Wright et al. 1992). And this led to fewer deaths as the animals were able to adjust to the environment and hence lived for many years.
In particular, bison in the reintroduction plans to the national parks was quite strategic, and they had enough interest in the animals. They conducted enough research on what they are supposed to do so that the reintroduction could be a success. Although Considering the reintroduction of species into national parks, there are a variety of things under which to concentrate on to make it possible. First and foremost is to view the chance of the survival of the animal. Climate is a huge factor as it ensures that the animals can easily survive (Ratti et al. 1999). Some animals find it hard to survive in specific climates. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Notably, for animals to survive, they must live under a specific condition, which is ideal for the species. Most of the anthropologists have undertaken excellent research to find the perfect solution for the animals by reintroducing them into national parks (Mishra et al. 1992). The reintroduction of bison was favorable for the economy. The grass that was made for the animals was well utilized, and they grew more in numbers. It is very easy for the extinction of a specific kind of species. In any case, when there are fewer animals in a specified are, a species can be introduced to survive on the existing vegetation. It is also essential for the economy of an area. After the reintroduction of the bison species, there was more money. And this was attributed to the fact that there was more tourism in the area; hence people developed. And this is because of the policies put in place before the reintroduction of species into national parks, which have ensured that more people can enjoy vital services accordingly meet the necessary demands.
Also, in the 21st century, there was a sharp decline in giraffes, especially in Africa. However, the reintroduction of the species into private owned ranches proved a great success. By 2013 there had been a sharp increase in the animals. They even spread to the Kruger National Park and rose to more than 150% while comparing with the 1979 logistics (Archabald et al. 2001). However, the challenge was how the conversationalist would deal with the problem of monitoring and surveillance of the giraffes. There was also concern that the private national park owners would alter the genetic variation.
Will Holder (2005) claims that killing a predator does not lead to their extinction; instead, it makes them adapt better to the ecosystem. Therefore, during the reintroduction of wolves in the Yellowstone National park, an idea struck him to use this theory. He theorized that rangers would shoot the animals leading to their decrease. The livestock grazing in the area would also decrease drastically. However, this was not experienced as initially anticipated; instead, the wolves killed very few animals in the area. The coyote killed a large percentage of the animals themselves. The livestock, however, experienced a drastic loss in weight. And Ramler et al. (2014) concluded that wolves have quite a little impact on the herd as there was no direct evidence. However, after the eradication of the wolves, the predators in the ecosystem were eradicated. And this leads to a drastic increase in the animals in the area. However, there was a sharp decline in the grass in the area after some time leading to another reduction in the livestock.
However, (Miller et al. 1999) argued that for the reintroduction of species to the national parks to be a success, it must have the full support of the public and political domain. His argument was based on the fact that people have the ethical duty and responsibility of taking care of the environment; therefore, if they do not support the idea, it will fail. Consequently, they should learn from past success and failure stories before developing their way of reintroduction. The research was critical on translocation as a crucial tool in the conservation of animals (Wilson 1997). The public is key to ensuring that the animals are well taken care of; this can create a success story. Most of the residents living near parks can be of great hindrance or beneficial to the reintroduction of the animals. And this is because they mainly consider their benefits.
Besides, the success of the reintroduction of species to the national parks is mainly credited to the anthropologist. Most anthropologists consider many factors before developing a solution on how to deal with different issues. Animal survival is a critical factor in their existence. Most of the species are reintroduced in an area so that they do not face extinction on earth. According to (Griffith et al. 1989)) reintroduction must be taken seriously so that the species survives at all costs. By undertaking a research topic on the reintroduction of a species to national parks, it is quite critical to analyze the impact that it has on the environment. It is quite crucial to ensure that all measures undertaken are decisive factors for the environment. In any case, when the environment is affected, then the animals and humans will, too, get negative impacts. Reintroduction, therefore, must be taken favor appropriate measures that will increase the chance of an efficient ecological system. Parks Canada Conservation and Restoration project is a crucial example of proper measures that influence the ecosystem positively. The effects of extinction are quite severe as most of the animals, such as the white rhino are nearly affecting the economy of countries they previously were due to lack of tourists (Bennett, 2012). Animals act as a source of wealth to a country due to their ability to earn revenue from both foreign and domestic tourists.
According to Winston Churchill (1997), the life of both animals and humans is crucial. Researching species reintroduction and national parks are essential as it develops a better understanding of how animals should be taken care of in the environment. The element of extinction of animals is evident as it has happened previously with animals such as dragons. Conservationists, therefore, should step up in what they do to cater to both principles. Churchill set up one of the wolf parks to act as both a research and educational facility. The primary reason was to develop a better way for the coexistence of human beings and animals. National parks and other species also need to be protected (Coggins, 1987). The research institute led to a lot of discoveries on how parks can work for the benefit of both animals and human beings.
Regarding this particular case study, it will be different for the others. It will eliminate the cause of the failure by analyzing most of the underlying events that can happen in the future after the reintroduction of animals to a national park. It will ensure that the majority of animals survive. Most of the previous researchers have less specific on the roles that the public has on the reintroduction program hence leading to discontent with the general public (Desmond et al.). However, the review will ensure researchers understand the coexistence of people and animals. It will also decrease the event of either overpopulation or under population in the area among animals. The cases of extinction of animals will even be eradicated in the process. It will also solve significant issues of interbreeding among animals as specific breeds will be available for mating.
All in all, it is crucial to note that animals should be well taken care of by human beings. The coexistence of animals and humans is vital for the ecosystem as it helps close a variety of gaps that could arise as a result of one group missing. Reintroduction is also a unique program that is used in the right way can ensure the success and survival of animals. Finally, human beings and animals need each other for survival; thus, must researchers find means to ensure each species is not eradicated at all.
References
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Coggins, G. C. (1987). Protecting the wildlife resources of national parks from external threats. Land & Water L. Rev., 22, 1.
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