Citation

Van Valkenburgh B, Wayne RK. Curr. Biol. 2010; 20(21): R915-9.

Affiliation

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.cub.2010.09.013

PMID

21056828

Abstract

The mammalian order Carnivora includes species we most love and fear - our household pets, dogs and cats, and large predators such as bears, lions, and wolves. Our fondness for domesticated carnivores is reflected in sheer numbers: the estimated number of household cats and dogs exceeds 100 million each, a global population size that easily outdistances that of any wild carnivore. By contrast, large predators are among the most endangered of mammals and conservation efforts to expand their numbers always face stiff opposition. Our relationship with large carnivores is complex and fraught with conflict; on the one hand we admire their strength and beauty, and see parallels between ourselves and group hunters, such as gray wolves and lions. On the other hand, we feel compelled to tightly control their numbers, and have completely extirpated them from large parts of the world.

Language: en