Comments on: Pleistoscene Rewilding: Bring Back the American Camel? http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/ Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:34:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Neal B http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/comment-page-1/#comment-29816 Neal B Tue, 07 Dec 2010 06:32:25 +0000 http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/#comment-29816 Another benefit of bringing back camel, horse, elephant & other extincted pleistocene species is for their effect on the landscape. Much as wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone caused the major growth of willows along Yellowstone streams because the Elk were chased away from the streams, camel, elephant, & horse will affect the vegetation in areas where they are introduced. Elephants in Southern Arizona would eat down the thorny shrubs, which cattle do not eat, & encourage the growth of grasses, which cattle do eat. On a related, tho slightly different theme, the reintroduction of cheetahs to suitable Western habitat where wild horses & pronghorn antelope now range unchecked would reintroduce a natural predator which also was formerly a North America resident. Paleontologists accept the evidence that the pronghorn evolved into the world's 2nd fastest land mammal due to predation by the American cheetah up until 10,000 years ago. There's no reason why this can't occur again in the right places. Southeastern Oregon and even Yellowstone come to mind, as both have pronghorn antelop herds. Another option is to buy unproductive range land in the right location & create a suitable game park, a pleistocene park. Rancher/farmers in the right areas can gain by selling unproductive land & the local economy of that selected area, or areas, can benefit from safari tourism right here in the United States. I personally would love to visit a 1,000 sq. mile game park in West Texas or Kansas stocked with elephant, camel, horse, lion, cheetah, pronghorn, wolf, & even wild Texas longhorns, or buffalo. A park of that size certainly seems viable in the vast American midwest/western landscape. Texas along covers 267,000 sq. miles, so a 1,000 sq. mile game park uses less than 1/3 of a percent of Texas. There are other very viable game park scenarios that can be developed. All of them promise to help preserve threatened species as well as transform the landscape. Here's my hope that we can do it someday! Another benefit of bringing back camel, horse, elephant & other extincted pleistocene species is for their effect on the landscape. Much as wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone caused the major growth of willows along Yellowstone streams because the Elk were chased away from the streams, camel, elephant, & horse will affect the vegetation in areas where they are introduced. Elephants in Southern Arizona would eat down the thorny shrubs, which cattle do not eat, & encourage the growth of grasses, which cattle do eat.

On a related, tho slightly different theme, the reintroduction of cheetahs to suitable Western habitat where wild horses & pronghorn antelope now range unchecked would reintroduce a natural predator which also was formerly a North America resident. Paleontologists accept the evidence that the pronghorn evolved into the world’s 2nd fastest land mammal due to predation by the American cheetah up until 10,000 years ago. There’s no reason why this can’t occur again in the right places. Southeastern Oregon and even Yellowstone come to mind, as both have pronghorn antelop herds.

Another option is to buy unproductive range land in the right location & create a suitable game park, a pleistocene park. Rancher/farmers in the right areas can gain by selling unproductive land & the local economy of that selected area, or areas, can benefit from safari tourism right here in the United States. I personally would love to visit a 1,000 sq. mile game park in West Texas or Kansas stocked with elephant, camel, horse, lion, cheetah, pronghorn, wolf, & even wild Texas longhorns, or buffalo. A park of that size certainly seems viable in the vast American midwest/western landscape. Texas along covers 267,000 sq. miles, so a 1,000 sq. mile game park uses less than 1/3 of a percent of Texas. There are other very viable game park scenarios that can be developed. All of them promise to help preserve threatened species as well as transform the landscape. Here’s my hope that we can do it someday!

]]> By: Wayne http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/comment-page-1/#comment-26336 Wayne Fri, 02 Jul 2010 03:53:39 +0000 http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/#comment-26336 AJ should not call people names. Camelids were native to North America. I was fortunate to find one camelid track in shallow-water lake limestone in southwestern Utah, dating about 120,000 years ago. Older camelid tracks were found near Enterprise Utah. It is believed these species, along with other megafauna, were exterminated by effects of a comet impact on the east coast of the US about 12,000 years ago. AJ should not call people names. Camelids were native to North America.
I was fortunate to find one camelid track in shallow-water lake limestone
in southwestern Utah, dating about 120,000 years ago. Older camelid tracks were found near Enterprise Utah. It is believed these species, along with other megafauna, were exterminated by effects of a comet impact on the east coast of the US about 12,000 years ago.

]]> By: Melissa Savage http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/comment-page-1/#comment-25055 Melissa Savage Sun, 04 Apr 2010 21:54:21 +0000 http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/#comment-25055 Restoration of camels to North America is a great idea. Camels are peaceful herbivores, and might retake their place in the landscape and wander about like deer or elk now do. Imagine how cool to look out the ranch house window and see two or three camels plodding by. WILD camels. Restoration of camels to North America is a great idea. Camels are peaceful herbivores, and might retake their place in the landscape and wander about like deer or elk now do. Imagine how cool to look out the ranch house window and see two or three camels plodding by. WILD camels.

]]> By: AJ http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/comment-page-1/#comment-23084 AJ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:07:56 +0000 http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/#comment-23084 you are an idiot, lindy. the page is talking about prehistoric camel. three species of prehistoric camel are native to north america. you are an idiot, lindy. the page is talking about prehistoric camel. three species of prehistoric camel are native to north america.

]]> By: Rob http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/comment-page-1/#comment-22594 Rob Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:27:04 +0000 http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/#comment-22594 I'm game, why not introduce several species and see what takes? I’m game, why not introduce several species and see what takes?

]]> By: Connie Barlow http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/comment-page-1/#comment-7145 Connie Barlow Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:46:06 +0000 http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/#comment-7145 Torreya taxifolia was rewilded to its posited traditional interglacial homeland on July 30, 2008. Torreya Guardians assisted in the migration of 31 potted seedlings from captivity at a plant nursery in South Carolina to private forested lands (elevations 2600 and 3400 feet) in the mountains of North Carolina. You can view the PHOTO-ESSAY of this historic effort at: Also be sure to click on this web pages to learn about the latest papers, news, and commentary on the assisted migration controversy: Torreya taxifolia was rewilded to its posited traditional interglacial homeland on July 30, 2008. Torreya Guardians assisted in the migration of 31 potted seedlings from captivity at a plant nursery in South Carolina to private forested lands (elevations 2600 and 3400 feet) in the mountains of North Carolina. You can view the PHOTO-ESSAY of this historic effort at:

Also be sure to click on this web pages to learn about the latest papers, news, and commentary on the assisted migration controversy:

]]> By: joe and frona fileccia http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/comment-page-1/#comment-3877 joe and frona fileccia Mon, 29 Oct 2007 01:06:26 +0000 http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/#comment-3877 camel's lived in new mexico. we are finding peterfied teeth and peterfied poop from the prestoric camels camel’s lived in new mexico. we are finding peterfied teeth and peterfied poop from the prestoric camels

]]> By: Rafael Vivas Gonzalez http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/comment-page-1/#comment-2500 Rafael Vivas Gonzalez Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:56:45 +0000 http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/#comment-2500 I think that this is a good idea and the most important is that we have evidence that the Camels and their relatives originated here, in the New World. This is demonstrated thanks to the fossil record. And the propose of the Pleistocene Rewilding Proyect is well supported. I'm agree with the Camel Reintroduction I think that this is a good idea and the most important is that we have evidence that the Camels and their relatives originated here, in the New World. This is demonstrated thanks to the fossil record. And the propose of the Pleistocene Rewilding Proyect is well supported. I’m agree with the Camel Reintroduction

]]> By: Jacquelyn Gill http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/comment-page-1/#comment-423 Jacquelyn Gill Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:07:17 +0000 http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/#comment-423 In fact, camels WERE native to North America - Camelops hesternus, which may not have had a hump and was closely related to the South American llama, roamed the continent until about 10,000 years ago, when the mammoths, mastodons, etc. went extinct. In fact, camels WERE native to North America – Camelops hesternus, which may not have had a hump and was closely related to the South American llama, roamed the continent until about 10,000 years ago, when the mammoths, mastodons, etc. went extinct.

]]> By: Dave Foreman Fan http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/comment-page-1/#comment-286 Dave Foreman Fan Tue, 17 Apr 2007 22:32:55 +0000 http://rewilding.org/rewildit/14/pleistoscene-rewilding-north-american-return-of-the-bactrian-camel/#comment-286 "How marvelous it must be to live in a country that still has beavers! We lost ours about 400 years ago." C.S. Lewis “How marvelous it must be to live in a country that still has beavers! We lost ours about 400 years ago.”

C.S. Lewis

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