Can Wild Animals Adapt to a New Environment by Alan Lipa

For any animal to survive they have to live in habitats. A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is occupied, populated or inhabited by a specific species, plant or organism. This is known as their accepted natural survival surroundings or location referred to as their environment.

Every single life form has a distinctive or unique bionetwork creating an ecosystem that develops into its very own ecological, biological and natural habitat, allowing life form as we know it, to live and survive.

To eat, be protected and continue to exist, life form has to adapt to a habitat to subsist!

By adapting, a life form or organism has to be able to endure unusual climatic conditions, predators and other species that compete for the same food source as well as protective space.

If we consider my preamble; can wild animals adapt to a new environment? Can an African sub-tropical lion be moved to an animal and nature park in the state of Montana and be expected to acclimate in order to survive managing these new extremities, without stress, trauma and anxiety?  

To facilitate a survival progression, animals are dependent on their physical features and attributes, this aids them in obtaining food, being protected from the elements, building homes and attracting mates. The most poignant part of organogenesis is that development does not occur precisely or specifically in the animal’s life but is a growth and progress ion over many generations, which is nature’s way of allowing the animal to adjust to its surroundings, utilizing  camouflage or storing food within their bodies and protecting themselves from the cold with thicker fur.

When we talk about adaption, this is the adjustment that would allow the animal to live in a particular place or live in an exacting way. It could be physical, the size or shape of the animal’s body, the way in which its body works, even the way the animal behaves. Adaption is definitely a process of evolution.

When introduced to a new habitat, animals that cannot accept this habitation will die out, and the animals that have assimilated will survive to produce young. As the progeny will be genetically similar to their parents, the pioneered species will contain the offspring that have the needed integration qualities into the new environment.

Therefore to adapt, live comfortably and survive in their new environment, the introduced animals must have cover or shelter from weather and predators, an acceptable amount of locale to acquire food and water as well as all the components to attract prospective or potential mating partners.

For the animal to attain this and the timeline of genetic evolution not being on the animal’s side, properly managed land has to be established.

Without human intervention or help it would be virtually impossible for wild animals to adapt and survive in a dissimilar or divergent environment and over a period of time would definitely die out of their adopted ecosystem.

The book ‘Beauty of the Wild’ by Alan Lipa is a great read and visual pictorial of wild animals in their natural habitat.