Can Wild Animals Adapt to a New Environment
by Alan Lipa
Every single life form has a distinctive or unique
ecosystem in which it can live and survive. This bionetwork is its ecological, biological
and natural habitat.
To eat, be protected and to survive, a life form
has to adapt to their habitat to subsist!
By adapting, the life form or organism has to be
able to endure unusual climatic conditions, predators and other species that
compete for the same food source and protective space.
Taking into consideration all of the above; can
wild animals adapt to a new environment? Can an African sub-tropical lion be
moved to an animal and nature park in the state of Montana and be expected to acclimate
in order to survive within these new extremities, without stress, trauma and anxiety?
For any animal to survive they have to live in
habitats. A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is occupied, populated
or inhabited by a specific species, plant or organism. This will be their accepted
natural survival surroundings or location known as their environment.
To help in the continued existence process, animals
are dependent on their physical features and attributes, this aids them in
obtaining food, being protected from the elements, building homes and
attracting mates. The most poignant part of organogenesis
is that development does not occur precisely or specifically in the animal’s
life but is a development over many generations, which is nature’s way of
allowing the animal to adjust to its surroundings, such as camouflage or
storing food within their bodies and protecting themselves from the cold with
thicker fur.
When we talk about adaption, this is the
adjustment that would allow the animal to live in a particular place or live in
an exacting way. It could be physical, the size or shape of the animal’s body, the
way in which its body works, even the way the animal behaves. Adaption is definitely
a process of evolution.
When introduced to a new habitat,
animals that cannot accept this habitation will die out, and the animals that
have assimilated will survive to produce young. As the progeny will be genetically
similar to their parents, the pioneered species will contain the offspring that
have the needed integration qualities into the new environment.
Therefore to adapt, live comfortably
and survive in their new environment, the introduced animals must have cover or shelter from weather and predators, an acceptable amount of locale
to acquire food and water as well as all the components to attract prospective
or potential mating partners.
For the animal to attain this and the timeline of
genetic evolution not being on the animal’s side, properly
managed land has to be established.
