Quote:
Originally Posted by DESS
Obviously it wouldn't be politically correct, but I don't understand why we have to put our lives at risk camping/hiking in the mountains with these animals lurking around. I think people are genuinely afraid of them (I am, anyway) and if you're not you probably should be.
I'm pretty sure that their populations are small enough that it wouldn't have that big of an impact on the ecosystem if we "took care of them."
Anyway, I'm sure my opinion on this won't be popular, but I would be much happier and we would all be safer if we just killed every last bear.
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A small population doesn't mean it wouldn't have a small impact on the ecosystem. A small sub-population of killer whales is believed to have switched their prey preference to sea otters recently (there are a few possible reasons for this). Now sea otters are on the verge of extinction, despite a big increase in the mid to late 1900s after hunting them was made illegal. Since sea otter numbers are dwindling kelp forests are being eaten by urchins. Since kelp forests are being destroyed, many fish populations are falling since juvenile fish use kelp forests as a "nursery". Big predators have a huge influence that ranges far beyond their immediate geographic location (which you should have said instead of ecosystem, in which every member is important).