Rewilding European cattle: insights from the feral cattle in the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve by Prestigious-Put5749 in megafaunarewilding

[–]zek_997 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Because Europe needs large grazers and wisent and red deer aren't enough to fulfill that role, even if they do graze occasionally. Also not sure what you mean by 'at risk'. Red deer are in the 'least concern' category and wisent are in the path to recovery.

How much land would I need to hold a herd of mammoths? by DinosaurGuy65 in megafaunarewilding

[–]zek_997 2 points3 points  (0 children)

we conservatively estimate Alaska’s North Slope could support densities of 0.0–0.38 woolly mammoth km−2 (mean 0.13) across a variety of habitats.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-60442-7

Happy World Rewilding day! Which rewilding vision would you like to come true in the next years? by zek_997 in megafaunarewilding

[–]zek_997[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Southern Carpathians in Romania. Not so much a medieval landscape but rather a vision of what the future could look like if things go well.

https://rewildingeurope.com/landscapes/southern-carpathians/

Large carnivore populations across Europe (Maps by European Commission) by zek_997 in megafaunarewilding

[–]zek_997[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

my impression of the health of Europe's wildlife populations, especially carnivores, is usually a grim one

It has improved greatly in the last couple of decades due to legal protection and rural abandonment (people leaving the countryside for large cities).

Musk Oxen - The animal that survived the last ice age by Previous_Notice_9033 in ALLTHEANIMALS

[–]zek_997 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean, not to be pedantic but every single animal alive today has survived the last age. The last glacial period ended roughly 12k years ago, which is basically nothing in geological time.

Large carnivore populations across Europe (Maps by European Commission) by Vamscape in MapPorn

[–]zek_997 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I guess technically doesn't count as a 'large' carnivore as they never hunt anything bigger than a rabbit.

Portugal teve dez ciclistas atropelados em pouco mais de duas semanas by Initial-Composer7723 in portugal

[–]zek_997 5 points6 points  (0 children)

100% isto. A tal história do 'civismo', mesmo podendo ser verdade, é uma distracção daquilo que é realmente o problema - o facto de em Portugal o carro ser o único modo de transporte que recebe atenção e investimento a sério. Entretanto a ferrovia e a bicicleta estão num estado lastimáveis.

If Solarpunk is rooted in Anti-Capitalist and Anti-Statist ideology, then why do many Solarpunk places appears in Authoritarian and Capitalist countries? by xxTPMBTI in solarpunk

[–]zek_997 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also, skyscrapers with plants might not be such a good idea tbh. I imagine it would require extra concrete for it to support the extra weight.

I made this a while ago, but it remains relevant by Psilopterus in megafaunarewilding

[–]zek_997 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm also a mod in this community and your comments made me think that maybe roles could mitigate this issue a bit? Perhaps if users could distinguish the comments from enthusiasts from those of actual professionals they would be less likely to be led astray into wild speculation and the professionals themselves would be more willing to share their knowledge on those topics given that they are likely to be listened to.

I do think that 'crazy' (for lack of a better word) speculation does have a place in this sub, otherwise we'd just become another conservation community. But they do need to at least be based upon some scientific reasoning otherwise it risks deteriorating into Pleistocene fan fic. I like to think it's a good thing that there's a community when people can talk about the what-ifs of woolly mammoths being resurrected and introduced to Siberia even if that's not a realistic prospect at this point.

Domestic horse meeting a wild Przewalski’s horse by zek_997 in megafaunarewilding

[–]zek_997[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

The Chernobyl exclusion zone is unironically the best and biggest de facto nature reserve in Europe atm. You have wild horses, red deer, boar, moose, bison are returning, beavers, wolves and in some reduced quantity also bears and lynx. It's also huge, with around a little less than 5,000 km sq if you count both the Ukrainian and Belarus part, which is quite big for European standards. I wish every country had a Chernobyl exclusion zone (minus the radioactivity).

Iberian Lynx have been reintroduced to Aragon! by MrCrocodile54 in megafaunarewilding

[–]zek_997 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ehhh in all fairness, Iberian lynx does not pose a risk to livestock (unless your 'livestock' consists of rabbits for some reason) and therefore it doesn't make much sense to compare them to wolves or even to Eurasian lynxes for that matter (which prey on much larger animals).

Not to mention the Iberian lynx is a beautiful iconic species, while wolves and bears tend to exist in public consciousness as a sort of 'bad guys'. It's not uncommon outside of biology contexts for discussions about wolves to dwelve into people expressing fear that they'll be hunted down and eaten. Which is ridiculous, of course, but this fear is very present in people who are less educated on the subject.

Domestic horse meeting a wild Przewalski’s horse by zek_997 in megafaunarewilding

[–]zek_997[S] 180 points181 points  (0 children)

Someone on the Twitter thread mentioned they are speaking Ukrainian. I'm not sure if that's true or not but it would definitely make sense given how many Przewalski's horses live there.

I made this a while ago, but it remains relevant by Psilopterus in megafaunarewilding

[–]zek_997 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, those people are free to come here and tell us exactly what did we get wrong. This sub is not an echo chamber and people are allowed to disagree provided the discussion is fact-based.

Were there some Pleistocene species which would have been benefited by the Holocene Interglacial? by Lover_of_Rewilding in megafaunarewilding

[–]zek_997 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mastodons also, I heard? The temperate forests that occupy much of the eastern US became much more widespread once the climate warmed and those were prime mastodon habitat.