Return of the Big Hunters

No other creature has made as much impact on the Alps as man. Vast areas were deforested and the wealth of minerals was exploited. As the highlands became pastures and human settlements spread, all the large predators - the wolf and the brown bear, the lynx and the otter as well as the golden eagle were mercilessly hunted down. By the end of the 19th century, these and many other wild species had become nearly or completely extinct. But now the big hunters are returning - some with man's help, others all by themselves. Man's attitude about wild nature has changed, but as in the past, the fate of the big predators lies in human hands.