Robert Siegel talks with Josh Donlan, lead author of the article "Re-wilding North America" published in the journal Nature. Donlan talks about the proposal to transplant big animals from Africa to North America. He says this would help preserve the species endangered by poaching in Africa, and also help restore the North American landscape to its environment of 13,000 years ago.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host: From Nature magazine comes an extraordinary proposal.  How about a home      where the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play for some of      those critters' bigger and more exotic cousins:  elephants, lions,      camels, African cheetahs?  Cornell University ecologist Josh Donlan is      the lead author of a piece in nature called Re-wilding North America.      The `re' is in there because those animals--the lions and the      elephants--had distant relatives that lived on this continent some 13,000      years ago, during the Pleistocene.</s>Mr. JOSH DONLAN (Cornell University): Our vision begins immediately and      spans the coming century.  When we talk about the now, we're advocating      bringing back large tortoises that were once present in North America      13,000 years ago and are now restricted and critically endangered in a      small part of North America.  And that moves on forward in time, in terms      of the vision, talking about treating horses as ecological analogs for      the 13 species of horses that were present in the late Pleistocene, and      on to elephants and cheetah and lions, all of which were present and      played a very important role in North American ecosystems.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: How do you answer the problem of the rancher who has enough      problems with mad cow disease already, think, you know, `Well, the last      thing I need is to have wild predators around in the environment who are      going to be taking a calf now and again'?</s>Mr. JOSH DONLAN (Cornell University): Right.  That is a huge cultural obstacle in terms of      convincing people the benefits of having predators on the landscape.  I      can give you an example in terms of elephants and camels.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Mm-hmm.</s>Mr. JOSH DONLAN (Cornell University): We know now in the southwestern United States that woody      species--that is mesquite, creosote and other bushes--are overtaking and      replacing the grasslands of the Southwest.  This is a very serious      threat, not only to biodiversity, but it's also an economic threat to      ranchers.  One might ask if Asian or African elephants can serve as a      proxy for the five species of elephants we had in North America, perhaps      they can knock back these woody species that happen to be overtaking the      grasslands of the Southwest, a threat to biodiversity, but also an      economic threat to ranchers.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: If we, in fact, did reintroduce elephants or lions or camels to      wild areas in the American Plains, would they have a dramatic effect on      the environment with respect to other species that we enjoy having      around?  In other words, would they, in turn, prey upon other animals,      not just the livestock, but other wild creatures, which would disappear      because we've introduced these bigger--or, as you say, megafauna--into      the American environment?</s>Mr. JOSH DONLAN (Cornell University): Well, it's clear that there is the definite possibility for      unexpected ecological consequences.  Having said that, we do know from      decades of research now that large vertebrates--that is, large herbivores      and large predators--often play a disproportionate role in an ecosystem      in terms of structuring the ecosystem and in terms of maintaining      biodiversity.  We know that from long-term studies in Africa; we also      know that from long-term studies in North America and elsewhere.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: What kind of feedback have you gotten to your article today?</s>Mr. JOSH DONLAN (Cornell University): One of the main purposes of putting forth this plan and      putting out this paper is to invoke a debate:  to get people thinking      about ecological history, to get people thinking about ecological      function and to address the inconsistencies in our conservation      strategies.  I think it's obviously going to be highly controversial, but      we hope it'll get people talking.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: So people talking right now might be a more likely result of the      paper than elephants braying in Oklahoma anytime soon.</s>Mr. JOSH DONLAN (Cornell University): Time will see.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Well, Josh Donlan, thanks a lot for talking with us about it, in      any case.</s>Mr. JOSH DONLAN (Cornell University): Thanks for having me.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Mr. Donlan, who is an ecologist at Cornell University, is the      author of an article in Nature magazine titled Re-wilding North America.      He spoke to us from Flagstaff, Arizona.</s>MICHELE NORRIS (Host): This is NPR, National Public Radio.