Back to the Wild You sprint along a trail winding through tall bushes What a day Wild grasses and shrubs reach your ears and above the sky is clear and blue Ahead you hear a sudden muffled cry and a thump You slow down and just miss stepping on a smear of wet blood A dog-like animal with a scruffy tail bounds along the path ahead of you a small rabbit dangling helplessly from its mouth The creature pauses locks eyes with you and then dives into the undergrowth That was no dog it was a coyote Wild coyotes hunt their prey in many North American cities 8 REWILDING
Hunger Blood Death This is wild A few years ago officials decided to let this large city park return to nature They hand-pulled plants that had spread from nearby gardens and seeded native ones No grass mowing no pesticide use They called it rewilding and they said it probably wouldn’t be long before wild animals moved back in Well they were right You hear a rustle in the tall grass You glance uneasily over your shoulder What could it be What other animals lived here before people came along and built the city pushing them out Wolves Bears Your heart beats so hard it pulses in your throat But the park feels exciting now more real and beautiful Maybe people can share this space with wildness after all Small carnivores like this red fox hidden in tall grasses can hunt and feed their growing families in urban areas WHAT IS REWILDING 9
Cores Corridors and Keystone Species Scientists believe successful rewilding projects need three things cores corridors and keystone species Cores Every plant and animal needs a specific amount of space food and water to survive A core is a stretch of land large enough to support all forms of life that would exist there naturally in the wild Some creatures like grizzly bears and tigers need huge cores That’s a tall order in a world bustling with people Corridors Corridors are routes that connect cores so wildlife can travel across built-up or unfriendly areas to find food and mates Corridors don’t have to be totally wild but they must be natural enough so that native animals and plants will use them 10 REWILDING Animals use overpasses as corridors to move safely from core to core
Keystone Species In building construction the wedge-shaped block at the top of an arch steadying and locking all the other blocks in place is called the keystone In biology a keystone species is an animal or plant that more than most keeps its habitat or ecosystem in balance Top carnivores such as cougars and wolves are keystone species because their hunting prevents the population of prey animals from getting too large and crowding out others in the habitat Top herbivores such as elephants and beavers are also keystone species because their trampling and dam engineering can change the landscape And people are keystone species too Keystone species affect their whole habitat even parts they don’t have direct contact with Rewilders have to work hard to keep these The cougar is a keystone carnivore that keeps deer numbers in check three elements cores corridors and keystone species in balance That means they have to think carefully about relationships between habitats wildlife and people And they have to adjust to unexpected circumstances modify their plans fail and try again Rewilding is big complex risky and exciting Herds of reindeer top left and African elephants right require vast core areas to find enough food to raise their families WHAT IS REWILDING 11
