Elephants, Lions to Roam North America Again

Elephants and Lions could roam parts of North America in an extraordinary "rewilding" plan outlined today by ecologists and conservationists.

The plan, which is called Pleistocene re-wilding, is intended to be a proactive approach to conservation.

The initiative would help endangered African animals while creating jobs, the Cornell University scientists say.

Evidence also suggests, they claim, that "megafauna" can help maintain ecosystems and boost biodiversity.

"If we only have 10 minutes to present this idea, people think we’re nuts," said Harry Greene, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Cornell University, US.

"But if people hear the one-hour version, they realise they haven’t thought about this as much as we have. Right now we are investing all our megafauna hopes on one continent - Africa."

In a paper published in the journal Nature, Dr Donlan and his research team suggest several species that would be suitable for a trans-continental move.

The endangered African cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, is similar to its extinct US cousin, Acinonyx trumani, and would probably do well in the latter’s former habitat. On the Great Plains of the American Midwest, the African lion, Panthera leo, could take the place of the extinct American lion, Panthera leo atrox.

African and Asian elephants could replace five related species, the US scientists believe. And the project could create a huge boom in wildlife tourism.