Ever since I was a kid I’ve always been hyped about the idea of them bringing back the mammoth. Been hearing about it my whole life…
But I have to ask… Why are we trying to, exactly? I mean, the planet’s heating up. why are we trying to reintroduce a woolly mammoth? It’s one thing if they’re talking about using actual mammoth DNA and cloning it, but that article was talking about specifically just turning on some genes that cause fur and cold tolerance… What is the point of just making furry elephants at this point? Where are we sticking them, and why are we sticking them there? Is there some ecological niche that needs filling? Are we going to attempt to populate Antarctica (and hope it stays cold enough for that?) with hirsute pachyderms?
How about a different plan? As much as I have been excited woolly mammoths my entire life, let’s try something a little different. Let’s shrink the elephants we have, and introduce them into North America. Elephants the size of bison, roaming the continent. You can still make them cold tolerant, to handle winters, and give em some fur if you want. But the elephants we have are going extinct, and you’re worrying about bringing back something else. How about we save what we have? Let them roam and graze Europe and North America, replacing the Aurochs and the bison. God knows we’re not going to stop eating anything too cow like, so wild bison is basically right out. Let’s let the elephant fill these niches, and save the species. They’re too fucking smart to let die. Elephants got fucking religion, y’all. We cannot let them die.
Reintroducing mammoths in the arctic could potentially help reduce the climate change.
There is a scientist in Siberia who built the Pleistocene Park. An area where he reintroduced a lot of large herbivores and studied their impact. He’s saying that boreal forest have a very low biodiversity compared to mammoth steppes. The steppes have way more animals, are stocking way more carbon in the soil and prevent methane leaks by keeping the permafrost frozen due to the low albedo of the biome.
The problem is that with the mammoths are indispensable to maintain the steppes. They are the only animal big enough to clear up trees, without them the forest is taking over and all the ecosystem of the steppes disappear.
So (according to this scientist), resurrecting the mammoth could revive a whole ecosystem, with a very rich biodiversity and that could have a give impact on the climate.
So there is a good reason, then? I’ve googled it before, and the best answers I’ve gotten are basically “cause MAMMOTHS!”
If that’s the case and there’s a good reason, then hell yeah, do whatever we can to prevent climate collapse!
But also, give me small elephants, please? Especially if they can manage Chihuahua sized elephants. I would have so many! And I would make sure they always have a clear view of the moon goddess they worship
I mean, I figured it was more meme-y than accurate, but good to know. Still, they’re smart as fuck and mourn their dead, and seem to have rituals, sacred spaces, and generational knowledge. Shrink them suckers down and let me give a whole herd of petite pachyderms a patch of paradise, please
Oompa loompa doompety dooI’ve got a perfect puzzle for youOompa loompa doompety deeIf you are wise you’ll listen to me
What do you get when you capture and cage
Tiny elephants filled with wisdom and rage?
Forcing them to work against their own will
What do you think they’ll do when they’ve had their fill?
Oompa loompa doompety dackIf you’re not cruel, they won’t attackYou will live in happiness tooLike the Oompa Loompa doompety do
They may be small but they’re clever and bright
With memories long and a thirst to fight
They’ll band together while you sleep at night
And stomp on your toes with all of their might!
Oompa loompa doompety dightListen to now and set things rightYou can befriend them instead of enslaveAnd they’ll trumpet your name from tunnel to cave
What can you gain from your wicked small zoo?
When friendship and trunk-shakes are waiting for you?
The karma returning from your evil schemes
Will haunt all your days and plague all your dreams!
Oompa loompa doompety dooTreat little creatures with respect that’s trueOompa loompa doompety deeSet those wee elephants instantly free!
Ever since I was a kid I’ve always been hyped about the idea of them bringing back the mammoth. Been hearing about it my whole life…
But I have to ask… Why are we trying to, exactly? I mean, the planet’s heating up. why are we trying to reintroduce a woolly mammoth? It’s one thing if they’re talking about using actual mammoth DNA and cloning it, but that article was talking about specifically just turning on some genes that cause fur and cold tolerance… What is the point of just making furry elephants at this point? Where are we sticking them, and why are we sticking them there? Is there some ecological niche that needs filling? Are we going to attempt to populate Antarctica (and hope it stays cold enough for that?) with hirsute pachyderms?
How about a different plan? As much as I have been excited woolly mammoths my entire life, let’s try something a little different. Let’s shrink the elephants we have, and introduce them into North America. Elephants the size of bison, roaming the continent. You can still make them cold tolerant, to handle winters, and give em some fur if you want. But the elephants we have are going extinct, and you’re worrying about bringing back something else. How about we save what we have? Let them roam and graze Europe and North America, replacing the Aurochs and the bison. God knows we’re not going to stop eating anything too cow like, so wild bison is basically right out. Let’s let the elephant fill these niches, and save the species. They’re too fucking smart to let die. Elephants got fucking religion, y’all. We cannot let them die.
Reintroducing mammoths in the arctic could potentially help reduce the climate change.
There is a scientist in Siberia who built the Pleistocene Park. An area where he reintroduced a lot of large herbivores and studied their impact. He’s saying that boreal forest have a very low biodiversity compared to mammoth steppes. The steppes have way more animals, are stocking way more carbon in the soil and prevent methane leaks by keeping the permafrost frozen due to the low albedo of the biome.
The problem is that with the mammoths are indispensable to maintain the steppes. They are the only animal big enough to clear up trees, without them the forest is taking over and all the ecosystem of the steppes disappear.
So (according to this scientist), resurrecting the mammoth could revive a whole ecosystem, with a very rich biodiversity and that could have a give impact on the climate.
So there is a good reason, then? I’ve googled it before, and the best answers I’ve gotten are basically “cause MAMMOTHS!”
If that’s the case and there’s a good reason, then hell yeah, do whatever we can to prevent climate collapse!
But also, give me small elephants, please? Especially if they can manage Chihuahua sized elephants. I would have so many! And I would make sure they always have a clear view of the moon goddess they worship
Don’t let me harsh your vibe here, but are you sure about the moon thing? https://www.iflscience.com/the-internet-appears-to-believe-elephants-worship-the-moon-58666
I’m down with chihuahua-sized elephants, though, don’t get me wrong here.
I mean, I figured it was more meme-y than accurate, but good to know. Still, they’re smart as fuck and mourn their dead, and seem to have rituals, sacred spaces, and generational knowledge. Shrink them suckers down and let me give a whole herd of petite pachyderms a patch of paradise, please
Just saying that, if they are sapient, you’d basically be doing an Oompa Loompa to the elephants.
Oompa loompa doompety doo I’ve got a perfect puzzle for you Oompa loompa doompety dee If you are wise you’ll listen to me
What do you get when you capture and cage Tiny elephants filled with wisdom and rage? Forcing them to work against their own will What do you think they’ll do when they’ve had their fill?
Oompa loompa doompety dack If you’re not cruel, they won’t attack You will live in happiness too Like the Oompa Loompa doompety do
They may be small but they’re clever and bright With memories long and a thirst to fight They’ll band together while you sleep at night And stomp on your toes with all of their might!
Oompa loompa doompety dight Listen to now and set things right You can befriend them instead of enslave And they’ll trumpet your name from tunnel to cave
What can you gain from your wicked small zoo? When friendship and trunk-shakes are waiting for you? The karma returning from your evil schemes Will haunt all your days and plague all your dreams!
Oompa loompa doompety doo Treat little creatures with respect that’s true Oompa loompa doompety dee Set those wee elephants instantly free!
We need to answer the age old question - what did wooly mammoths taste like?
I gather they were really popular back in the day…