Large Predators like Lions and Bears necessary to keep world ecology intact

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   Large Predators Going Extinct

   Outside Magazine ‎- 42 minutes ago

   The world's large predators are going extinct, including lions, wolves, and bears.

   
   

   
   

   
   

   News From the Field
   Friday, January 10, 2014

   Large Predators Going Extinct

   Including lions, wolves, bears.

   By: Axie Navas

   
   

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   More than three-quarters of the world's predators are in decline, a new study says.     Photo: mackenzie and john/Flickr

   Across the world, we’re losing our large carnivores.
   A study published today found that more than three-quarters of all large predators—including wolves, bears, and lions—are in decline due to habitat loss and human persecution.
   Many of the animals now roam territory that’s half the size of what it once was, and most carnivores have already become extinct in the developed world.
   "Their ranges are collapsing. Many of these animals are at risk of extinction, either locally or globally," lead author William Ripple from Oregon State University told BBC News. “Human tolerance of these species is a major issue for conservation.”
   According to the researchers, the loss of our apex predators could have profound ecological impacts on the planet. Take Yellowstone National Park, for example. Fewer wolves and cougars mean more elk and deer, and too many grazers threatens vegetation and, in turn, other small mammals. Carnivores play a complex role in the ecosystem and humans need to recognize that, the study says.
   But all is not lost. This footage from GoPro shows that humans and lions can indeed coexist.  

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   Large Predators Going Extinct

   For example, where I live on the Northern California coast sometimes there are mountain lions but not often. Within the last 10 years I have seen partially eaten deer legs left over from mountain lions and even heard one scream along with someone on a nearby trail on a bicycle screaming "Help me God! Help me God!" So, I power walked with my dogs out of that area of the dense forest trying to look formidable then around dusk.

   But, the other side of it is that there are many deer here where I live in the forests and golf courses. In fact, on one driving range the deer prefer to be out on the driving range because people don't go there because you would be crazy to be out on an open driving range with balls flying through the air all the time unless you were in an enclosed ball gatherer modified golf cart with screening to protect you from fast flying balls. But, the deer (up to 10 usually in a group) will gather there because they don't want people to bother them. Also, deer jump over my fences sometimes and eat orchid like plants when they bloom and eat flowers and plants in all my neighbors yards. So, it is obvious that there aren't enough mountain lions to thin them out and where I live they are never allowed to be hunted because we are too near cities for that to happen. So, here is one example of deer being plentiful, not being hunted by either mountain lions or people which tends to put nature out of balance. I like the deer but also realize that nature around here is also not in balance because there aren't enough mountain lions for it to be in balance. And since I know of a 125 pound German Shepard dog within 20 miles of where I live that a mountain lion jumped a 7 foot fence with the German Shepard dog in his mouth it is sort of something to think about too.