um...at least Aus zoos would not have to worry about getting new pachyderms!

Chlidonias

Chlidonias

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Elephants and rhinos mooted for Australia
2 February 2012

Elephants and maybe rhinoceroses could be introduced to Australia to chomp on an invasive African grass that also causes wildfires, according to an idea reported in a scientific journal.

"A major source of fuel for wildfires in the monsoon tropics is gamba grass, a giant African grass that has invaded north Australia's savannas," said David Bowman, a professor of environmental change biology at the University of Tasmania.

"It is too big for marsupial grazers (kangaroos) and for cattle and buffalo, the largest feral mammals. But gamba grass is a great meal for elephants or rhinoceroses."

Bowman, writing in the prestigious British journal Nature, admitted that introducing wild elephants to Australia "may seem absurd."

"But the only other methods likely to control gamba grass involve using chemicals or physically clearing the land, which would destroy the habitat," he said.

"Using mega-herbivores may ultimately be more practical and cost-effective, and it would help to conserve animals that are threatened by poaching in their native environments."

Bowman noted the destruction of other species that have been introduced to Australia and stressed that if the tusker were introduced down under, the move would have to proceed very cautiously.

Biologists would have to monitor the effect on the ecosystem and numbers would have to be controlled to prevent over-breeding.
Click to expand...
 
I saw a retweet from Nature News & Comments "Crikey, what size of bullbar would you need then?"
 
I really don't know how serious this is. But I think it is worth to think and talk about.

Australia hat not a gloryful history with introducing animal species. So what ever will be done against that "gras problem" should be done very carefully. That means also a testing phase with rhinos and (the last?) African Elephant, that are already in Australian zoos. Further, it should have been testet, if those animals not prefere native gras instead of the gamba (remember the cane toads?). However, both animals have a big advantage: Because of their size and their slow reproducing rate, their population can be controlled easily and exterminated, if necessary.
If all tests would be succesfull - and if the gamba is really such a problem - then I would start with the (white) rhinos, because I presume, that their effect of destroying their environment is not that big as it would be with African Elephants (specially destroying trees).
However, I think this will be fantasy forever, also because of the foreseeable costs for this experiment...

Anyway: This is all from my foreign (far away) perspective.
 
Will never happen. Especially with rhinos - museums in Europe have been broken into and horns stolen, zoos are concerned over the safety of their captive rhinos. Release rhinos into the wilds of northern Australia and you're asking for trouble.

Hix
 
@Hix: Yes, good point (although that could be managed by cutting the horns by rangers, but with exorbitant costs)
 
it's worth noting that this guy is one of the same ones who wants to introduce Komodo dragons into northern Australia to combat pigs, buffalo, etc. He really is a modern-day Acclimatisation Society spokesperson :D
 
Wow - with all the problems we've had getting rid of rabbits - imagine the eradication program we'd have to start up if we had an elephant infestation :D
 
the impression I get of David Bowman is that he sees Tim Flannery getting lots of attention for his re-wilding books and articles, and he wants some of that attention for himself.....
 
The same idea is being pushed for North America. Some scientists have advocated releasing elephants, rhinos, lions, and camels in the wilderness areas of the US. It doesn't seem to have gained any traction beyond academic arguments as most people seem to take it as a bad joke.
 
Wouldn't it be cheaper to invest in a couple of decent lawn mowers? :D
 
@sim: Yes specially when you imagine how hard it is to chase the elephants out of their burrows:)

But okay, I surrender. It's obviously not the best idea to release big pachyderms into Australia. On the other hand I was right: We were interested to talk about;)
 
Think of the size of the holes these guys would leave across the Nullarbor - you think a wombat hole is bad?

... and forget about drop-bears ... drop-elephants would be devastating!
 
Chlidonias said:
it's worth noting that this guy is one of the same ones who wants to introduce Komodo dragons into northern Australia to combat pigs, buffalo, etc. He really is a modern-day Acclimatisation Society spokesperson :D
Click to expand...

I was unaware of that one with the Komodo
 
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