https://youtu.be/u7uKMctfFew?si=6OSxvXej5LTDhRx1

https://preview.redd.it/z167l07gt0ce1.png?width=784&format=png&auto=webp&s=f55e0892e1528c6fbc72a6525c164af24aaf4ad0

Hello! I wanted to ask opinions on "safari style" parks and reserves, so places that overall make profit off wildlife and allow for human-animal exposure. I personall y do not see in the best of lights and ideally i would go against them, however in a democratic society where compromises are sought and need to be reached they could be a good way to slowly get humans to get used to wild animals again, especilly predators. And here fits the specific case i want to discuss: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1BR6h-xVBtjy8Ej7UHMjcozdBcAB7Iidk&usp=sharing

This is a somewhat interactive map of all the environmental (some more, some less) practices i want to implement in my region, Sicily, in Italy through my political activity and organisation.

Today the island is quite devoid of megafauna (and fauna in general), with only fallow deer, roe deer and boar recently reintroduced, while wolves, red deer, wild ass, monk seals being locally extinct (the wild donkey could be completely extinct since it isn't unclear if equus hydruntinus was a subspecies of the asiatic wild ass or a separate species), together with other animals like the eurasian eagle owl, or the otter. However the reintroduced herbivores will need (and probably already do) a predator and even if they didn't need it for the sake of conservation and habitat restoration wolves should, in my opinion, be reintroduced one day. But if already there is quite the opposition with resepect to herbivores, carnivores will face an even harsher one and a colony reintroduced with the purpose of repupulating may not come for other 50 years or more.

However here's the question, what if it was inside a park that had more a safari like vocation? Do you think that could help? That could be an easier maneuver? At least wolves could start adapting back to the local environment and with generational interchange more local consensus could be reached, meanwhile there is the "economical profit" excuse that could even help in promoting this kind of park, maybe opening two, three... five all over the island. Of course in such parks one could already reintroduce other species as well, an ecosystem with foxes, porcupines, rails, rock patridges, boars, fallow, roe and red deer and finally wild donkey and wolves could truly be something. Possibly one day bearing also smaller sized aurochs and bisons (as they were present on the island, in a smaller morphotype or subspecies).. There were also cave hyenas, lions and i am not sure about bears, but that one is really another story. Also such parks could help vultures adapting to a more wild feeding style. Today to favour their reintroduction and sustain the few remaining populations carcasses are brought to specific sites with a certain regularity where they can feed, but this is obviously different from what they would do in the wild.

So yeah i would like to hear your opinion on the matter as i have conflicting thoughts about the topic.

Also in case probably safari is not the right term? Do you have a better one?

Thankyou in advance

Winter in northern Norway is a quiet time. Most animals have either migrated away, gone into hibernation or are hiding under the ground/snow/ice, which is why there isn't a lot variety in animals.

I'm going to talk about the animals and what when and where each species can be spotted. This video was taken during November, which is the darkest and coldest time of the year and with the least variety in different species, which is why there aren't any birds in the video. I will mostly talk about the period of November-February, since that's when there is the least amount of species variation through the whole year.

Animals such as frogs, insects, spiders, snails and lizards are all hibernating, which means they are never seen during the winter. However if you were to warm up a cabin or a house, houseflies will start getting active again, but will dissapear once the it cools down again.

Fish are all alive, however they are stuck under the ice. However on rare occasions you can find leftovers of fish on the ground, as some predators do hunt fish and bring them to the surface to feed on them.

Birds are an interesting group, as most of them have migrated away once the snow started falling. However there are some that stay here during the winter.

Rock and willow ptarmigans are a common species found all over the place, with the rock ptarmigan living in open habitat and the willow ptarmigan in forested habitats. The black grouse can also be sometimes seen, however they are also a really rare sight.

Ravens, magpies and hooded crows are often found near people, but they also follow the reindeer herds looking for scavenging oppurtunities or in case they flush small mammals out of the snow.

Most golden eagles and snowy owls have migrated away, however there are some that stay behind. The eagles also follow the herds looking for scavenging oppurtunities or hunt the small animals that follow the herds. Owls on the other hand will only stay if there is little snow, as large amounts make it harder to hunt.

However if we go into towns and cities, the variety of species increases a lot. With better access to food, either by people actively feeding them or throwing food outside and the large amount of available shelters because of houses, a lot of species choose to stay through the winter instead of migrating away.

The corvids, as mentioned before use their inteligence to find food, and have no problem venturing back into the wilderness if they can't find anything.

While most sea birds leave the coast, there are some individual that choose to stay behind and live near humans, but these are mostly gulls.

A lot of different species of passerine birds also stay near humans through the winter, relying on people either feeding them or by eating anything they can find. The house sparrow is the most common sight, but great and blue tits can also be seen flying from house to house.

However the most varied group are actualy the mammals, as they don't have the same options as the other groups when it comes to hibernation or migration.

Reindeer are probably the most common sight, and can be seen everywhere, from tundras, to forests and even near people, and are the most abundant large animal living here. Moose on the other hand usualy live in the wilderness or the outskirts of humans settlements, with some individuals venturing into towns or cities to find food. Roe deer on the other hand can't survive in the wilderness and are reliant on humans for safety, and because of this are often seen near people.

Aside from reindeer, red foxes and mountain hares are the most common mammal species to see. They can also be found everywhere, however many individuals like to live near humans for safety, shelter and food, however they can do just fine in the wilderness. They are rarely seen, however their tracks can be spotted everywhere.

Many rodents and shrews are usualy hiding under the snow or inside buildings, and are rarely seen. If there is little amounts of snow, they can be seen scurrying above ground, however they will quickly hide if they sence danger. It isn't uncommon to find them dead inside cabins or in other buildings.

Stoats and least weasels are also rare to see, as they also live under the snow. Sometimes they do come above ground, meaning they leave behind tracks. They also like to live near humans because of the rodents, and are really fond of cabins or other wooden buildings that people don't use that much.

Wolverines and lynxes are also animals you will rarely see, as they have big territories and move in the darkness. They usualy avoid people, however in cases of food shortages they might come near people to hunt livestock or pets, but most of the time they try to avoid people.

Brown bears and red squirrels are usualy hibernating, however they can on rare occasions come out to eat. Squirrels usualy have food stored in various places that they go to eat, however they might also come to bird feeders to eat some food. Bears on the other hand might stay in their den through the whole winter. However on warm days they might come out, and it's usualy only if they are able to smell a carcass nearby.

Then are the last 2 species, and these ones are incredibly rare to see, those being the otter and the arctic fox. The arctic fox is criticaly endangered so seeing one is almost impossible in the winter, as they usualy only live on the tundra. The otters are also bound to a specific habitat, being rivers and lakes that have holes in them. They are rarely seen, however they do leave a unique trackway because they like to slide around.

Those were all of the species that can be seen in northern Norway (not including marine animals) in the winter, and suprising there are a decent amount. However the period of November-February is really dark and cold, so a lot of animals are usualy hard to spot. However once March comes around, northern Norway starts seeing more activety again, as the first migratory birds arrive (snow bunting), and more and more will arrive in spring, and by summer, northern Norway is filled with life again with hundreds of different species living here, only for them to all dissapear in the winter, leaving behind less than 40 species that endure the cold winter