Why should we let wildlife predators (coyotes, mountain lions, bears, etc) live near people?

Question

The suburbs are growing into surrounding areas and conflicts between people and wildlife are growing, especially large predator animals. What good is wildlife compared to feeling safe in a pretty place to live or a good profit on real estate?

I try to explain that predators are important in an ecosystem, but people don't value wildlife as much as living in nice places or making money from real estate. Any ideas?

Answer 1

One thing that people should keep in mind: We are encroaching on the animals territory, not them on ours. We are moving into places where the animals live, hunt, and raise their young, making it harder and more difficult for them to get by. Animals are being pushed out of their natural habitats at an alarming rate. Only because people are looking for "pretty places to live or making a profit on real estate" as you mentioned. We need to keep in mind that the animals were here first. Place a good fence around your property to keep the animals out if you want to feel "safe". We need to protect our wildlife, not roust them from their natural habitats. There are too many on the endangered species as it is. Take a look back in history, we also pushed the American Indians from their homes and their ways of life. Just look what it cost them. All wildlife has a purpose for being here. I live in an area where there are plenty of predators. I have to say that i enjoy very much hearing the coyotes singing their songs at night. Bobcats also have very distinctive growl. I am always careful when going into the woods here, as there are bears in this area, too. But we need the predators to control the population of other animals or we would be overrun with deer, rabbits, squirrels, and many smaller animals. Money isn't everything, nature is something that we all need to protect.

Answer 2

It is not that we are allowing predators to live within our neighborhoods. We have moved into their homes. The smaller predators such as coyotes do reduce the number of mice and rats that we would have to live with. Most wildlife would prefer not to see or be seen by humans. It is only when we leave unsecured trash that becomes a food source do the wildlife become a problem. Also most wildlife agencies will trap and remove wildlife that has become a problem.

Answer 3

Our never ending quest for land is infringing on the wildlife. Humans have to find a way to share the earth w/ the other creatures. The animals all have a place in the chain of life and when you make an imbalance it comes back to bite you in the ***. So to serve our own selfish purposes we do have to co-exist w/ the wildlife. The larger predator animals prey on the smaller animals that do not "bother" us until they have no natural predators and then they become a nuisance and we have to kill them too - it all runs down hill - right to us.

Answer 4

The fact that we are living and breathing and able to do all these things. The fact that we are not rocks and some divine coincidence made use who we are instead of some inorganic atom. The fact we can give things worth. We can categorise. Its all beautiful, the sight, the sound, the feel, the emotion, the taste. Even pain. We can feel that not many other things can. Pain may be painful, but we can feel it just as we can feel happy. Its amazing really that out of all of this we can do these things. Although it seems to suck sometimes its still wonderful. random fact: if you shoot a rabbit, it doesnt know why it feels pain, it doesn't register that there is an explanation, it just knows it feels pain and as a reaction will run away, even if its dying. Shoot a human (even if they did not know what a gun was) it would realise its something launched, have some sort or knowledge of what to do and so on. I dont think this was relevant but its written now... But if youre looking for one reason it would definitely be pie.

Answer 5

...ummm humanity isn't the only life form on the planet. Money isn't as important as keeping the ecosystem barely running. Security can be attained by being careful, fences, and watching out for you and yours. Besides, most things don't hunt people or even get near them. ALso, if you remove the predators you can get more pest animals and such. A startled or threatened deer or moose can be just as deadly as a predator.

Answer 6

because animals have feelings too.. or you can call it soul if you want to..
animals is just like human except for intelligence i guess...
if you watch discovery channel about life of animals, is just like us..
a mother will protect and love her childs.. they struggle to survive, to live.. they also fear of death...
it's for all animals including the wild and the not...

i think wildlife has more natural balance.. than in real estates...
well may be if we shouldn't let wildlife predator live near us, we shouldn't kill them or takes their 'home' too...
humans are smart, we should able figure the best way..

Answer 7

I agree, why don't we just kill off ALL the wildlife! That way, we can totally **** up a delicate and complex bio-system that took millions of years to perfect, and hopefully speed up the complete destruction of the planet and get this whole damn party ended already! Sheesh, enough already! I mean, after all, what good is living on a planet with small-minded, short-sighted, ignorant idiots like you?

Answer 8

The most complex animals, we humans, have encroached the other animals' homes. Clearing land of trees and animals will only add to global warming; even as it adds to your bottomline.

Hopefully, the bears and mountain lions will warn those humans who destroyed their natural homes by visiting the mcMansions with the S.U.V.s in the long driveways!

Answer 9

It really isn't the animals fault that people have been stretching out farther and farther from the cities, thusly taking their very homes away. If we keep pushing them away, eventually they will have no where to go, and either be wiped out, or there will be even more conflict.

Developers have to think about this when planning their next so called "planned" community.

Answer 10

Why should we let people intrude on their territory? This is not only our home, we have to share with a great many creatures. We should respect each animal as we would our own mother.