Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

In a very wacky plan, a group of scientists is proposing to introduce African Animals to the Great Plains. Ostensibly, this is an effort to "restore" the ecosystem to what it was before mankind took over North America.

Here's a paragraph from the article:

But the plan is triggering thunderclaps of criticism, with discouraging words like "stupid" and "defeatist" raining down in torrents.

These critics are speaking my language!

Here's another excerpt:

Given the continuing political struggle over the reintroduction of wolves in the rural West, others wonder how African lions would be at home on the range.

"I wonder how many calves or lambs it would take to feed a family of lions for a month?" said Steve Pilcher, executive vice president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. "We sort of know what it takes for wolves, but something tells me we would be in a whole new ballgame."
...
Lions would be a harder sell, even if they would thin elk herds.

"Lions eat people," said co-author Josh Donlan of Cornell. "There has to be a pretty serious attitude shift on how you view predators."