The Europeans killed off most large animals like Aurochs and Bison, and a few predators including Tigers, Lions. They also killed off most of the forests.

When I was in southern Germany I did notice how cultivated the land was. There were a few patches of trees but they didn’t look like old growth forests. Even the hills were cultivated into farmland.

Costa Rica is a good example of developing a country who wants to keep their natural resources in tact. 25% of their land are national parks.

Wild boars scare me much more than black bears.