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pmurph13126 karma

What are the gun laws like in Mexico?

pmurph13119 karma

Why do you say we are losing our top predators at an alarming rate when wolves, grizzly bears, coyotes, and cougars are all currently expanding their ranges?

pmurph1312 karma

Do you ever use a nylon string guitar or only steel string? I find nylon to be a much warmer sound.

pmurph1311 karma

Thank you for you response. I agree that habitat infringement is the largest issue for wildlife in general but I would apply that all wildlife, not just predators. I think protected wildlife corridors would go a long way in protecting the animals from futher inevitable encroachment.

I asked about North American predators because the majority of the research you listed is in North America. I agree that across the world this is a serious issue, but I think too often we are swept up in concerns for the future without acknowleging the outstanding job this continent as a whole has done in restoring a full suite of animals to available habitat. Also, too often predators are focused on as imperiled while other species are overlooked. We recently lost the last established herd of caribou in the lower 48 due in large part to the expansion of wolf ranges and the lack of localized predator control for the benefit of reestablishing sustainable numbers in the herd.

The IUCN lists mountain lions as a species of least concern. I imagine the decline in cougar range is related to the recent declaration of the eastern cougar as extinct, but cougars are expanding their ranges eastward as well as north due to warming climates and it's only a matter of time before they appear back in eastern states. There are anecdotal examples of cougars traveling long distances, like the individual animal that traveled from South Dakota and was hit by a car in Connecticut. Obvioulsy there are no established populations yet, but there is available habitat in the east that will eventually be repopulated.

The grizzly bear populations in the GYE have reached carrying capacity and are expanding according to the IGBST. Colorado Parks & Wildlife are investigating all credible grizzly sightings in the state and have already created a preemptive management plan for their inevitable arrival.

If I may ask a follow up question, what is your opinion on the controversy around delisting grizzlies in the GYE? The IGBST and USFWS both maintain that the population has been recovered for over a decade, concerns over available food sources are unfounded, and genetic diversity and population connectivity is not a current concern or a reason to keep the population listed under the ESA.

Thank you for your research. I'm currently applying for a wildlife biology program and I have nothing but tremendous respect for your efforts to help us all better understand our natural world.