An estimated 30 million to 60 million bison once roamed North America. The largest terrestrial mammals on the continent sport curved, pointed horns and can weigh well over 2,000 pounds. Their range once spanned Alaska to Mexico and much of the East Coast, including North Carolina.
After being hunted to near-extinction, fewer than 1,000 remained by the 1890s. It’s a similar story for many animals in the U.S., from grizzly bears to mountain lions towolves.
But in some cases, certain animals are having a surprising renaissance. Elk can be found in Kentucky, bison are back in Illinois and a handful of red wolves populate a wildlife refuge on North Carolina’s coast.
Author Andy Moore’s new book, “The Beasts of the East: The Fall and Rise of America’s Eastern Wilderness,” details why many animal populations plummeted and why some are making an unexpected comeback in some of the most densely populated parts of the country.
Moore joins Charlotte Talks to game out what a revitalized ecosystem could mean for conservation in North Carolina and throughout the East Coast.
GUEST:
Andrew Moore, writer and author of “The Beasts of the East: The Fall and Rise of America’s Eastern Wilderness”
