Pleistocene Rewilding, or Ecological Foolishness?

National Geographic reports a proposal by conservation biologists at Cornell to reintroduce large mammals to the Great Plains - elephants, cheetahs, lions, etc. What the hell are they thinking? We have enough PR problems trying to preserve the large mammals already there - grizzlies and wolves, for instance. If you're going to sell the public on introducing African lions on Western lands, you better have a damn good argument.

What argument do they have? It would preserve the "evolutionary potential" of large mammals. What the hell is that supposed to mean? It sounds exciting - yeah, let's all sit back and watch mammals evolve - better pack a lunch, and a big one. I'm all for conservation, but these animals went extinct for a reason - humans being the main reason. Attaching the name "Pleistocene rewilding" might mask the impracticality of the idea for some, but overall this serves only to make conservationists look like retards - and we admittedly don't need any help there.

The one upshot is, should this project come to fruition, we might hear of reports of ultra right-wing gun nuts getting eaten by lions or trampled by elephant herds. That might be kinda funny.