Debates about whether or not to let the critically endangered red wolf breed with coyotes is ensuing. Red wolves once ranged widely throughout the Southeast United States. When their numbers dropped significantly, in 1987 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began releasing captive-bred wolf pairs into North Carolina as part of a recovery program. I the 1990s showed up and the red wolves and coyotes began interbreeding. In theory, if the interbreeding continues, the red wolves as we know them could “disappear. The article raises the following questions: What’s the right conservation philosophy when it comes to hybrids? Should we conserve genetic diversity in any form, including hybrids, or only in what are thought to be pure species? Should landscapes — even those most affected by human influence — ”choose” their own animals, or should we endeavor to conserve species as we imagine they once were?” 6thfloor.blogs.nytimes/2014/08/19/should-red-wolves-be-allowed-to-mate-with-coyotes/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1&
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 15:00:01 +0000