When Carnivores Become Neighbors
Learning to live more closely with our kin in the animal kingdomThursday, October 11, 2012
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Pace University (use Entrance 3), Gottesman Room, Kessel Student Center, Pleasantville
Event is free and open to the public.
RSVP via email to paceacademy@pace.edu or via web form.
OVERVIEW
Changing landscapes and the ability of some carnivores to adapt to life in the suburbs have led to increased animal-human interactions in Westchester County. Although they can present a real safety concern, carnivores provide essential ecological benefits important to a balanced ecosystem.
Carnivores provide essential ecological benefits and play a unique role in preserving and maintaining ecosystems. When carnivores are locally extirpated, ecosystems are imbalanced and unhealthy. Changing landscapes and the ability of some carnivores to adapt to human-dominated settings has led to increased human-carnivore interactions in Westchester County. Intolerance and misinformation can impede the restoration and conservation of these important animals.
Efforts to rewild Westchester with carnivores must consider the ecological, ethical and social aspects of predators and people coexisting. In terms of wildlife habitat, Westchester County is at the tail end of a large body of habitat to the north. It is a place to which wildlife is possibly being funneled and therefore Westchester is important in its own right, as a microcosm.
As a community, how do we embrace and manage this phenomenon?
How can wildlife managers and urban planners rewild Westchester with predator species, while also mitigating avoiding harmful impacts to the County’s citizens?
Join us as we examine the ecological and social implications of rewilding Westchester.
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