https://ourworldindata.org/europe-mammal-comeback
"The European bison is the continent’s largest herbivore. It was once abundant
across the region. Archaeological evidence suggests that the bison was
widespread, stretching from France to Ukraine, down to the tip of the Black
Sea.1 The earliest fossils date back to the Early Holocene period – around
9,000 BC.
Bison populations steadily declined over millennia, but experienced the most
dramatic decline over the last 500 years. Deforestation and hunting of this
iconic mammal nearly drove it to extinction. Look at old cave paintings and we
find that hunters had etched bison next to bison in charcoal. They had gone
extinct in Hungary by the 16th century; in Ukraine by the 18th century. And by
the early 20th century they had gone completely extinct in the wild, with only
tens of individuals kept in captivity.
The overhunting of the bison is no outlier. It’s part of a long history. Look
at the size of mammals through millions of years of human history and we find
that they get smaller and smaller. Humans preferentially hunted the largest
mammals, often to extinction.2
This is still the case today. It is the largest mammals that are most
threatened by hunting.
But it doesn’t have to be this way, and the bison shows it. The European bison
has made an impressive comeback over the last 50 years. Successful conservation
efforts have seen their numbers rebound. Europe is now home to more than 2500
of them.
It’s not the only one. Across the world, we find examples of successful
conservation programs that have restored animal populations.
Here I look at the change in mammal populations across Europe. Many species are
making a comeback. Once on the brink, iconic animals such as the European
bison, Brown bear, and elk are thriving once again."
Via
Future Crunch Jun 1, 2022:
https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-ebola-electric-trucks-super-reserve/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
