Word: wild
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...such animals, and even large parks can contain just so many of the fiercely territorial creatures. Big cats that roam or live outside reserves increasingly find themselves on turf staked out by farmers, herders and loggers, especially in parts of Africa and Asia where the human population is booming. Wild prey and cat-friendly habitat are scarce. Instead, the cats encounter humans who don't hesitate to use guns and poison to protect themselves and their livelihoods. Poachers only add to the cat catastrophe. "Clearly, protected areas alone are not the solution," says Joshua Ginsberg of the Wildlife Conservation Society...
...recent book on large predators, Monster of God (Norton; 2003), naturalist David Quammen is equally pessimistic: "The last wild, viable, free-ranging populations of big flesh eaters will disappear sometime around the middle of the next century." Quammen argues that as the world's population continues to rise, alpha predators will be squeezed...
Despite the man-eating lore and the big headlines that follow attacks by tigers or lions that are kept as pets or performers, wild cats are generally able to live in close proximity to humans without disturbing them. Leopards are seen in the suburbs of Nairobi and Kampala. Mountain lions in Waterton, Alta., have been observed using the angles of buildings and even the beds of pickup trucks to conceal themselves when hunting. In the San Diego area, these animals tend to hang out within 100 yds. of trails used by hikers, though they are rarely noticed, according...
...Wild felines don't hesitate to attack livestock and pets, and unless those costs are addressed, people will continue to kill the cats. That's why Mugie's lions must earn their keep. "The great tragedy here is that wildlife has absolutely no value except in national parks," says Frank. "To many Africans, lions are simply pests...
...building links to turn isolated preserves into one continuous habitat. Scientists call this approach landscape conservation, and many believe it's the best hope for saving the world's tiger population, which, despite decades of effort, remains in peril: only 5,000 to 7,000 animals survive in the wild...