A wildlife biologist suggests re-introducing the eastern cougar into southern Alabama, reasoning that besides bears, which can s
urvive off of berries and grubs, there are no large natural predators, and that it would be good for the food chain. It is assumed that the eastern cougar would eat deer, which in turn, graze on tree bark, shrubs, and leaves. The average cougar weighs about 100 pounds, as does the average deer. The average cougar has a range of one square mile. A recent biological study showed that there were about 16 deer per square mile in Alabama, an average about 40,000 pounds of vegetation per square mile, and an average of 9.5 people per square mile in southern Alabama. Despite the biologist's proposal, other biologists vote against re-introducing the cougar. Which of these is a possible VALID reason for this?
It is quite possible that introducing a new predator to the food chain may set it off balance. The cougar will flourish in southern Alabama based on the circumstances given above because of the high availability of deer. The introduction of the cougar will decrease the deer population overall.
