NC's overpopluation and wildlife

[kstaven]

Much of what is discussed here on this thread is nothing but a direct result of human overpopulation worldwide. Countries crowded to the max have the largest percentages of immigration to N.A.

 

[patandchickens]

I'm sorry to hear about your sister's cat, that must have been very unpleasant.

Some animals do increase in population through normal processes of range extension (species' ranges are always changing, needn't have anything to do with people); and a number of others have become commoner (or even move into new areas) because they do WELL by human habitation, not because they are being pushed out of their natural habitat.

Coyotes have been moving eastward for a long time now and increasing in total population in the East. Heck, possums have been moving northward (they have just recently started living in the Toronto area in any number and I am confident they will go from rare to reasonably common here before I'm white-haired). Etcetera.

Deer, grey squirrels, possums, raccoons, and arguably coyotes are all good examples of species that *benefit* from human habitation. They have fewer predators and much more food available around people. Look at what's happened with white tailed deer in the urban/suburban Northeast - there are zillions, mostly because backyards and parks are great, predator-free deer habitat.

With bears and bobcats I am not sure whether it is overall so clear, but certainly in some areas bear populations increase because of human activities (well, til people get serious about removing them by one means or another). I don't know much about bobcat population biology.

Anyhow, point is, it's not always that humans have pushed them out of their natural habitats -- in many cases, it's just that they like inhabited areas and actually reproduce quite well there.

But I am not going to say "if we don't like it we have only ourselves to blame". If your sister had lived there 150 years ago, you can BET she'd have lost bunches of cats to predators. And remember that not all of these species' range changes are due to human activities - to some extent, things just DO shift around and fluctuate in numbers.

Personally I think it's cool, in a lot of ways, that some of the big mammalian fauna is hanging in there so well -- although no, I do not really want bears in my garbage, it's distressing when pets that go outside get killed, and most of all I feel bad for all the coyotes/bears/bobcats/whatever that get road killed or killed as nuisances.

JM$0.02,


Pat

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Quote:
I agree completely. Humans keep making more and more babies and grandchildren, etc., and never think where they're going to live (or whose part of the country they're going to horn in on) when they're adults.

Too many people ! ! ! Nobody ever gets that!

 

[Hotwings]

Coyotes have been thriving for years because they can adapt to different surroundings. Years ago I first saw my first coyote right here in the city in the daylight. With farmland being bought up and woods been destroyed these animals are being pushed into new habitats. We have probablyhave more wild animals in the city. I have seen deer right here galore. It is amazing how they can survive in small pockets of surburbia. When I get out of work around 12:00 am I have to watch out for them, they will stand right in the middle of the road. The deer problem is due to more woods being torn down, lack of natural predators and the lack of hunters due to the more technolgical age. Want to to get rid of coyotes have some wolves move in lol. Wolves hate coyotes and will hunt them down. Here in Mich there has been the ongoing argueing that cougars are here. The DNR has denied this but sightings have seen. Some say they are isolated pockets they have survived and others say cougars are being pushed out of their habitats out west and moving east. Usually coyotes will avoid and area where there are dogs. It is my belief whenever there is a imbalance of animals man is somewhat to blame. Mother nature knows what is best in the balance of prey and predator. When man intervenes is when things get out of whack. It is sad that N.C. is being sold out to the highest bidder. I see ads all the time to move to these luxury condos and such. I guess it is due to the beauty of the mountains, the ocean front beaches and temperate climate. I guess if ya want true isolation you can move to North Dakota.

 

[All about the EGG]

Quote:
I agree completely. Humans keep making more and more babies and grandchildren, etc., and never think where they're going to live (or whose part of the country they're going to horn in on) when they're adults.

Too many people ! ! ! Nobody ever gets that!

So what do we do?

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Well, the Zero Population Growth movement tried to get the message out a few decades ago, but it didn't take. People always think, well, it doesn't apply to MY babies, or the grandchildren I want to have.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
So what do we do?

Live as low-impact lives as we can, and try to convince others to do likewise, I suppose.

And admire the coyotes, at least when they're not eatin' on our pets. It's nice that not all large predators are being driven extinct, if you ask me.


Pat

 

[KingsCalls]

Loss of natural land, farms and just rural land in general is happening everywhere. Here in Tn. farms are being sold very fast and made into subdivisions. Natural land is in the middle of a fight over who owns them....developers want it developed and others want it left alone. Who do you think will win this battle? Money talks and when politicians see how much tax dollars more people bring in, our natural lands suffer. The only hope for the loss of land is for groups or individuals whom want to keep it like it is to purchase it. It makes me sick to. Fields I use to ride horses in or rabbit hunt in are now subdivisions and it will continue I'm afraid.

 

[ncgnance]

Sorry, folks, but coyotes are NOT native to NC. I was born and raised here. We never had coyotes until about 10 years ago. Then they started showing up in very remote areas. Some say the wildlife people brought them in to control the deer, which, by the way, were never a problem either, until farmland started disappearing. Others say the hunters brought them in. Either way, now coyotes are a threat to the farmers' livestock, and, as such have to be controlled. Sorry, tree huggers, I love and respect everything about nature, but I'm a part of it, too. My animals will be protected!!

 

[patandchickens]

I doubt coyotes were brought in at all (or at any rate, I doubt that is the main reason you're seeing them now). They have been 'invading' the entire East on their own for some time now, spreading further and further. It is a broad longstanding welldocumented pattern. I think they've just caught up to NC now, is all.

Species' ranges NATURALLY change thru time. It needn't necessarily be because of anything people do. Times change, animals move. We don't have to *like* it but that's the way nature is. "Native" is a matter of what time scale you want to talk about.


Pat