(ORDO NEWS) — People generally assume that large animals suffer from living in densely populated areas with many large settlements and busy roads.
However, by comparing the historical distribution of large Indian animals with the current state of their populations, scientists have concluded that at least some species benefit from cohabitation with humans.
When it comes to animals that can coexist with people and even benefit from this neighborhood, rats, raccoons, or at most foxes and coyotes usually come to mind.
All of these are relatively small species that can hide from human eyes in dark alleys or sewers and be content with waste.
However, in different parts of the world, a variety of species are learning to benefit from cohabitation with humans.
A recent study showed that leopards hunting feral dogs can survive in Mumbai ‘s urban parks, and now, by comparing historical data with modern data, scientists have concluded that even giants such as elephants and tigers can thrive side by side with humans.
The researchers studied the historical distribution of 14 large animal species and compared them with the current state of populations in 10 forests of Southeast Asia.
Although some species, including the Sumatran rhinoceros and the Malayan bear , have been greatly reduced in number, scientists have found to their surprise that four species – tigers, Asian elephants, wild boars and clouded leopards – thrive in regions with developed human infrastructure.
Perhaps this seeming contradiction is due to the best conservation measures and the tough fight against poaching in the most frequently visited national parks located near large population centers.
For example, in one of the surveyed sites in Singapore , where poaching has been eradicated and significant reforestation efforts are underway, deer and wild boar are already thriving in close proximity to humans, which gives hope for the survival of other large animals.
The new data allows scientists to better predict the future of human-disturbed forests and their inhabitants, the researchers said.
Perhaps, in the event of a strict ban on poaching, even large species of animals, previously considered incompatible with humans, will be able to get along side by side with us, becoming another piece in the complex mosaic of urban ecosystems.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.