(1 May 2014, 21:57)Tartar Horde Wrote: Lets take the "survivors" scenario, a world of severely reduced human population, including Farmers etc. The amount of domesticated animals that will escape into the countryside I think will be huge. Devonians point about dairy Cows is right, but I believe only to a certain point. Is it true that 100% of all dairy cattle will die if not milked, I'm not sure myself as nature has a way of overcoming such things, even if the Friesian dairy cow dies out there are numerous other breeds in small farms that are more hardy and would survive to breed in the wild. It won't take too many generations for these animals to start reverting to their earlier types just like feral Hogs do. Highland cattle are an obvious contender for thriving, as are Pigs and sheep. The American Buffalo would do well and there are quite a few in Zoos and wildlife parks, there could be all manner of animals that find our mild climate and good grass growing land a paradise without humans. There are downsides to every scenario though including the escape of all the big cats and Bears, not to mention Hyenas and the like, all very capable of surviving our winters, and without humans it will be a supermarket for them, imagine all the food for them, food that doesn't know what a Lion or Tiger is.
I think we are all pretty much in agreement here, which has to be a first
Just looking at cows, I think the Friesian dairy cow is at huge risk as it is effectively an organic milk machine and is not likely to be suited to living Free Range. However some (many?) will still survive as will be kept and milked, either by farmers or survivors.
Rare breeds are different and I think they have the potential to thrive if (and its a big IF) they are not killed and butchered by the hoards.
With regards to zoo animals, I think that if freed, they would all thrive. A couple of nights ago I was watching a rerun of an old BBC programme which was showing the diversity of the wildlife within central London, and as some who doesn't visit London I was amazed at some of the wildlife that is present. Now we all expect Rats; Foxes; Pigeons; Deers (in the parks) etc, but some of the other well established wildlife really surprised me, including:
- Several colonies of a poisonous (but not lethal) full size scorpions, with some colonies having in excess of 3000 scorpions!
- Pigeon eating Pelican's in St James Park -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b4TU_R7J3c
- Huge flocks (6,000+ in some single flocks) of ring neck parakeets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4P_NhFlb5w
- Turtles which are thriving in canals and taking things like ducklings
- Red Signal Crayfish which are reach epidemic proportions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkqquECLRpk
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