Submitted by Luis Georg
According to researchers from 26 nations working on various species of carnivores in European areas, the large carnivores in the area have been recovering successfully. The study published in journal Science has counted the population of lynx, wolverine, brown bear and wolf in European continent.
As per the study’s results, in last many years, the four species of carnivores have recovered. The results of the study have proved that the European model of coexistence worked well to recover the species in the areas where they can live with humans.
The study stated the region has about 12,000 wolves, 17,000 brown bears 9,000 lynx and 1,250 wolverines. The population of the species is near their historical levels. The surprising thing about the study is that the populations of the species have increased in the areas where humans live. The study has also confirmed that European continent has a higher density of wolves than the lower 48 states of the United States.
A researcher in human-wildlife conflict, Niki Rust, said, “In the past there was a big push for conservationists to use the protected area approach, where they believed that wildlife could only really exist away from humans. But the study clearly shows even species that might seem annoying are coexisting with humans”.
The model followed by Europe could be followed by other countries and continents to save species that are near the phase of extinction. To apply the model, it is important for people to understand its importance as it would not be an easy task to make species live near humans.
While talking about conservation in the US, a researcher Chapron said that conservation in the United States is based on the principle of wilderness. According to conservation programs followed by the US, the large carnivores could be out there far away in undisturbed areas.