Yaël: If you were a pregnant, female moose, Don, where would you want to give birth:      deep in the forest or near a road with cars whizzing by.

Don: Wait a sec, Yaël . . . you're comparing me to a pregnant moose?

Y: No, it's just a hypothetical . . .

D: Weird . . .

Y: I know, but just go with it . . . where would you want to give birth?

D: Uh . . . well, channeling my inner pregnant moose, I'd have to go with deep in the      forest. I mean, why would I want to have a baby moose near traffic?

Y: Because deep in the forest you might run into a grizzly bear who could eat you and      your calf.

D: Ah . . . then I guess I'd better go with the road. By why is that any better?

Y: Because researchers in Grand Teton National Park have found that bears there shy      away from roads. So as the park's bear population has grown, Grand Teton moose      have gravitated toward human traffic when they want to avoid bears. Some moose      have given birth as close as fifty yards from the road.

D: Huh. Why don't bears like cars?

Y: I don't know. But the researchers think that the bears will eventually overcome their      fear of cars and start hunting moose no matter how close they are to roads.

D: That sounds bad for moose.

Y: But good for bears.  

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