Maybe The Critics Are Heartless Morons?

Critics say the deaths are tragic but have been blown out of proportion.

This is the resurgence of predators like brown bears in Europe which are now so numerous, they pose a threat to human life and agriculture.  

In Romania, which is home to the most brown bears in Europe, the animals killed 26 people and injured 276 over 20 years, according to the environment ministry. Data from Eurostat shows that motorised vehicles killed 45,000 people in the country in that time.

We can't really do without motorised vehicles, they are intrinsic to our society. Large man-eating predators, not so much. 

But wait, Reader! That's not the daftest assertion they have to make, no, not by a long chalk.

Cultural associations are a problem for the wolf, which has long been portrayed as the villain of fairytales. Helmut Dammann-Tamke, president of the German hunting association and politician with the centre-right Christian Democrats, says the threat of wolf attacks on sheep is “like something on a serving platter” for the far right because it reaches people on an emotional level. “This issue is an incendiary force in the hands of populists.”

Those dastardly far right, errr, wolves. 

A 2022 study of German municipalities found that wolf attacks on livestock predict far-right support. After controlling for factors such as immigration and jobs, the researchers found wolf attacks were associated with far-right gains in municipal elections of between one and two percentage points.

And suddently, I'm in favour of 'rewilding' after all!  

Environmental activists question whether blanket policies to cull animals will do much to avoid conflicts with humans and have called for measures to promote peaceful coexistence that range from fences and guard dogs to awareness campaigns for visitors.

Sounds a lot like what they call for when they want to persuade us 'diversity is a strength not a threat', doesn't it?