National News

To Save Endangered Species, Should We Bring Them into Our Cities? “Brad Shaffer, a conservation biologist at UCLA, says that artificial habitats in cities could provide a perfect opportunity to save critically endangered species. It’s virtually guaranteed that something will eventually arrive to claim those habitats, he argues, so why not give them over to the creatures we want to save?... Introducing non-native species to cities could provide ‘assurance colonies’ of endangered creatures, Shaffer says. If introduced parrots—or reptiles or insects—thrive in their new homes, the world would be less likely to lose valuable biodiversity, and the selected species could also crowd out less desirable invasives. (‘Introduced’ or ‘non-native’ species don’t naturally occur in a habitat, but they don’t do much harm, while ‘invasive’ species outcompete or eat the local wildlife.)” [Smithsonian Magazine, 10/23/18 (=)]