Rambunctious Garden Chap 3 & 4

“Rewilding” essentially is taking animals, namely “top-of-the-food-chain” predators, that once inhabited certain ecosystems, moving those animals back to that ecosystem, and hoping that those animals can restore balance to said ecosystems and bring it back to a “pristine” state. Another aspect of “rewilding” is introducing endangered species to ideal habitats around the world in hopes that they will reproduce. The concept of “Rewilding” has garnered much support from eco-pundits in the scientific community and the general public alike. According to the text, many scientists believe that the survival of large predators specifically is imperative to the survival of certain habitats. The large predators keep the smaller predators in line, quite simply by eating them. This, in turn, keeps the population of the smaller predators at bay, leaving more green grass and plants to thrive in those areas.
Now, at first glance, the idea of “rewilding” seems quite plausible. However, scientists are presented with quite a few problems. A number of the animals that once inhabited certain ecosystems, are currently extinct. So scientists need to take species similar to those that once lived in that ecosystem and place them there. Scientists are also unsure of what the Earth was actually like before humans arrived. And without a doubt, the Earth’s current state is nothing like what it used to be. Introducing species to foreign areas could certainly not turn out the way scientists expect it too; as evident in the example of cheetahs in Arizon and elephants in Missouri presented by Maris. Simply assuming that any animal can survive and thrive in any habitat does not solve any problem. Nature is unpredictable; no one knows what could potentially happen by introducing species to an ecosystem. In my opinion, trying to enhance an ecosystem by isolating animals from humans, is not the way to go. It defeats the whole purpose of trying to restore the area to its pristine state. Several more questions can be asked when discussing the idea of “rewilding.” Is it ethical? How much manpower is needed? How much will it cost? Well, is it ethical…many would call “rewilding” unethical seeing as humans are the puppet master in this grand puppet show. Humans essentially choose which species survive, and which species can die (PETA would be heartbroken). Several quotes in Chapter 4 address some pressing concerns associated with this theory; with ecologist Josh Donlan saying “we can kill ’em again.” In conclusion, “rewilding” seems like it could solve a variety of problems that have tortured scientists for decades; however, not without sacrifice on the part of living animals.