What Are The Pros And Cons Of Apex Predators

Pros and Cons of owning an apex predator

Before I can discuss the arguments of each side of this debate I must describe what it means to be an apex predator. An apex predator is an animal that has no natural predators and are usually at the top of the food chain. This description covers a wide variety of animals ranging from lions, tigers, and bears to other exotic creatures. There have been many arguments from both sides on how to handle these animals. Many people see these animals as “cute” and “cuddly” when they are young, but once they start growing they become more difficult to manage and can become dangerous. In some cases these animals are able to be released back into their natural habitat or put in captivity without any
Before the release of gray wolves in 1995/1996 there was a 70 year gap where wolves were extirpated form the park. This created a top down trophic cascade which changed the ecosystem in the park. Without the wolves the elk population grew affecting the plant life in the park. With the growing elk population this meant there was less plants to feed on which resulted in many plant species numbers being greatly diminished. On top of this, other animals also migrated out of the area because of the imposing elk populations. Once the wolves were introduced back into the park there was a shift. Even though many of the elk were not killed it changed their behavior patterns. They left the valleys and moved to places where they could easily avoid the wolves. After the migration of the elk the plant life completely changed, many of the plants were able to thrive. Once the plants regrew another shift happened. Many of the other animals that moved from the park started to return. Migratory birds returned, with the growth of the trees beavers returned as well. In return to the beavers returning, they created habitats for other animals to thrive such as, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. With these animals populations growing other animals thrived too. Birds and bears were able to feed on the fish and the bears were able to feed off the berries from the vegetation that
Whether you agree with it or not, one thing that is beneficial to have them is for educating purposes. Having people come in contact with these animals helps them understand the roles these animals play in the world and what they can do to help save them. Places like the Saint Louis Zoo use some of these animals to educate the public and in return the public funds from donations and admission. In 2004 the Saint Louis Zoo created the WildCare Institute. It was created to work in conservation of local and foreign wildlife dealing with wildlife management and recovery, conservation science, and support of the human population that coexist with wildlife. The Saint Louis Zoo has also been connecting people to animals through educational programs. The zoo offers classes, lectures, camps, teacher workshops, distance learning, zoo tours, overnights and outreach programs that are either taught by zoo keepers, volunteers, or through special exhibits. One of the biggest ways the zoo educates the public is by letting people observe the animals. In doing research they found that people make an emotional connection with the animals that in return leads the people to learn more about the wildlife and act differently towards