You know, as much as I'd normally be in favour of reintroducing an extinct species back into its natural environment, I don't think this was a good idea. These apex predators are huge at 8 feet across and can easily take out a human, let alone their pets, like dogs. It's fair that farmers are concerned about their animals too, as much as I don't like farming animals for food. That one's a whole other subject.
One of the things I've always liked about the UK is that there are very few big and dangerous animals here, making the threat of animal attack very low, but now we've added some for no good reason other than a sense of "we should restore things". Sure, it was man's awful persecution that wiped them out centuries ago, but that doesn't mean that they should be brought back due to the danger they pose by their very nature. Now you wait for the headlines of them attacking people and animals which will happen at some point as their numbers rise and they compete for food. It's been done with the best of intentions, but I think this was a misplaced conservation effort.
It's a very similar situation with our beloved miniature cats that so many of us like to keep as pets, who make wonderful companions who are superior to their guardians who are merely there to provide for all their needs and they know it. In short,
don't let the buggers out! For their size class, they're apex predators too and tend to decimate local populations of birds and other small animals, making them a problem in the environment. On top of that, it's very risky for cats to be outside and they often get severely injured or die as there are so many threats to them out there.
Cats can successfully be kept indoors all their lives and be happy about it, I've seen this many times now, making it a win-win for them, their guardians and the local wildlife.
@Geffers @Mars @Tiffany what do you think of this conservation effort?
Here is a fine example of a miniature cat, apex predator. I know, right?
indiandefencereview.com
