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Reintroduction of Wolves and Lynx into Britain
Reintroduction of Wolves and Lynx into Britain
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Reintroduction of Wolves and Lynx into Britain
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"We know that Eurasian lynx went extinct here during the medieval period, due to human persecution and habitat loss, but no group has looked at the genetics of the extinct British population.
The lynx genetic family tree is also fairly simple and there is only one branch found in Western Europe, which simplifies decisions for where to source a stock population. For this it might make sense to look at the Dinaric Alps, where successful translocations have already been done, and a healthy population exists." Full article on how ancient DNA can help us gain insight into rewilding and reintroduction
Third of brits would reintroduce wolves and lynxes to the UK, and a quarter want to bring back bears
Most would also like to see lost bird species return In recent years the “rewilding” movement has lobbied for the reintroduction of wolves, bears and other once-native species that are now extinct in the UK. Advocates say these long-absent fauna can benefit the ecosystem, reverse some of the effects of climate change and drive tourism. Opponents worry that they’ll spread disease, damage the farming industry and eat people. New YouGov polling reveals overwhelming public support for the idea: four in five Brits (82%) want to see extinct species returned to the UK. So which animals do the public want to bring back – and which would they prefer to leave in the past? Wolves and lynxes and bears – oh my Many in the rewilding movement have argued for the environmental benefits of reintroducing apex predators. While the less dangerous animals are more popular candidates for revival, a significant minority of Brits still want to see beasts of prey return to the ecosystem. The most popular are wolves and lynxes: more than four in ten rewilding supporters (44% and 45% respectively) would like to see them brought back, amounting to over a third (36% for both) of the wider population. And while brown bears are perhaps the most dangerous animal on our list, three in ten (30%) of these supporters (and 24% of Brits overall) want them to return. The bird is the word for most rewilding advocates Most rewilding supporters want to see lost bird species reintroduced to the UK: around eight in ten of those who support rewilding want to bring back spoonbills, cranes, Dalmatian pelicans and other waders (79%), and a similar proportion (83%) would be happy to see new populations of raptors such as goshawks, ospreys, and white-tailed eagles.  *This image is copyright of its original author The successful existing examples of revived species such as the red kite (now so common in parts of the UK that some villagers consider it a dog-napping, barbecue-wrecking pest) could account for some of this popularity. It may be a similar story with beavers, which already exist in small UK colonies, and which three-quarters (76%) would see reintroduced on a larger scale. Many even say they’d like once-native species which were wiped out thousands of years ago – such as bison (35%) – to make a return. See the full results here
More from the same book, the degradation of land ecological integrity from loss of forests and keystone predators has had an impact on the sea, as too has the commercial fishing industry
 *This image is copyright of its original author
Sounds good though I hear they're fox hunters, this could be a glorified big game park
Rewilding: Farmers plan to turn East Anglia into one of the world’s largest restored nature reserves Bison, beavers and even lynx could be reintroduced in some parts of Norfolk and Suffolk as grand scheme to link and extend areas dedicated to wildlife is launched, writes Harry Cockburn
The grouse shooting industry is a massive problem when it comes to rewilding britain, and here is just more evidence
Shocking new statistics show up to 260,000 animals killed each year on Scottish shooting estates to increase the number of grouse to be shot for ‘sport’ https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2020/08/14/new-report-suggests-up-to-quarter-of-a-million-animals-killed-in-traps-snares-on-scottish-grouse-moors-each-year/
Pretty embarrassing for the UK. Even if there's a natural barrier between us and Europe reintroductions are way overdue.
 *This image is copyright of its original author
Assessing the ecological feasibility of reintroducing the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) to southern Scotland, England and Wales
Abstract: Reintroductions of top predators are crucial for restoring ecosystems and are a central tenet of rewilding efforts. In recent years, top predators such as the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) have increased in numbers and expanded into their former range across Europe. A proposal for conducting a trial reintroduction of the Eurasian lynx in England has recently been rejected by the UK government. Lynx could provide ecological benefits; primarily a natural control on deer numbers. Whilst in-depth feasibility studies have been undertaken for Scotland, no detailed assessment of the ecological feasibility of a lynx reintroduction has been produced for the rest of Britain. This study seeks to provide an initial assessment of the ecological feasibility of a reintroduction in southern Scotland, England and Wales by; (1) quantifying the suitable habitat using GIS software, (2) assessing habitat connectivity using GIS-based least cost path (LCP) techniques, (3) quantifying the potential number of lynx that could be supported, using estimated deer densities, and (4) assessing population viability using PVA software. This study identified 11,369 km2 of suitable habitat, split across eight habitat networks. This habitat could potentially support an estimated 256 lynx. The largest habitat network (3918 km2) is located in the Southern Uplands of Scotland and Kielder Forest of England, however the second largest habitat network in the Southeast of England could host the largest lynx population (107). Three subpopulations (Southern Uplands and Kielder Forest, Southeast England and Thetford Forest) have extinction probabilities under 10% in at least one of the three PVA scenarios modelled.
Is Scotland ready for the return of lynx?
An extensive and impartial study to assess people’s views about the possible reintroduction of Eurasian lynx to the Scottish Highlands is being launched this month by a new partnership of the charities Scotland: The Big Picture, Trees for Life and Vincent Wildlife Trust. Ecological research has shown that extensive areas of Scotland could support lynx, but the charities say returning the shy and elusive animal is less about science and more about people’s willingness to live alongside a species that’s become forgotten on these shores. The year-long Lynx to Scotland consultation will impartially and accurately assess public and stakeholder attitudes around the idea of lynx reintroduction, including in rural communities. “With a global biodiversity crisis, we have a responsibility to have open and constructive conversations around restoring key native species to the Scottish landscape – and science shows that apex predators like lynx play a vital ecological role in maintaining healthy living systems,” says Peter Cairns, executive director of Scotland: The Big Picture. Lynx are now expanding in range and numbers across mainland Europe as hunting laws are enforced and public attitudes to large predators soften. Several successful lynx reintroductions since the 1970s have brought ecological and environmental benefits to countries more densely populated than Scotland, and in areas used for farming, hunting, forestry and tourism. As a shy and solitary woodland hunter, lynx are rarely glimpsed and attacks on humans are virtually unknown. Research suggests the Highlands has sufficient habitat – and more than enough roe deer, the cat’s preferred prey – to support around 400 wild lynx.  *This image is copyright of its original author Steve Micklewright, chief executive of Trees for Life, explains: “Scotland has more woodland deer than any other European country, and their relentless browsing often prevents the expansion and healthy regeneration of our natural woodlands. By preying on roe deer, lynx would restore ecological processes that have been missing for centuries, and provide a free and efficient deer management service.” Jenny MacPherson, science and research programme manager with the Vincent Wildlife Trust, which will lead the study, adds: “Reintroducing lynx would inevitably bring challenges. Lynx to Scotland will actively include stakeholders representing the full range of perspectives,in order to produce meaningful conclusions about the level of support or tolerance for lynx, and therefore the likely success of any future reintroduction.” The Eurasian lynx is native to Britain but was driven to extinction some 500-1,000 years ago through hunting and habitat loss. Lynx to Scotland runs from January 2021 to February 2022 and is not associated with any other previous or current initiatives to restore lynx to Britain. For details, see https://www.scotlandbigpicture.com/lynx-to-scotland
APPROX HALF of UK wild bird biomass in Aug is represented by non-native gamebirds, released for shooting.
61+ million pheasants & red-legged partridge released, every year. Regulation is long overdue. …https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2021/01/25/non-native-gamebirds-pheasants-red-legged-partridges-comprise-approx-half-of-all-wild-bird-biomass-in-britain/…  *This image is copyright of its original author We need to supress this is we ever want a truly wild landscape
The book "The Lynx and us" is free to download for the next two weeks. It is about eurasian lynx ecology (something very rare to find quality information about) and its hopeful reintroduction into the UK. Use the code "LynxToScotland" at checkout to get this £10 book for free. I have downloaded a few books from Scotland - The Big Picture before and they have all been very informative so don't miss out!
https://t.co/jRueyROuKQ?amp=1
From the book: The Lynx and us
Lynx reintroductions into Europe (1970-2017)  *This image is copyright of its original author
Same book
"The team found that sheep grazed behind fences were almost never killed by lynx and concluded that to cut losses to lynx, the likelihood of lynx and sheep encountering one another must be reduced. They recommend the use of simple stock netting or fencing which would have the effect of clumping sheep in more open areas of the landscape. Not only does this reduce the availability of ambush cover, but it reduces the likelihood of lynx encountering the sheep than if they were scattered more equally through the woods. Fences also introduce a barrier effect for the lynx, which is psychological rather than physical. Jumping even a small fence implies a deliberate action, so entering a sheep pasture is less likely to happen by chance. Furthermore when sheep are concentrated by fencing into a pasture they behave more as a flock and each individual benefits from the increased vigilance provided by many more pairs of eyes. So any lynx is very likely to be seen and to know it has been seen. This deters most lynx, as they much prefer to launch a surprise attack." "In Switzerland, sheep and goat killing by lynx increased throughout the 1990s, reaching a high of over 200 losses in the year 2000. By then this was generating a great deal of conflict with local farmers. The swift government response was to develop a national lynx management plan and to invest in prevention measures. As well as dogs, the Swiss have also trialled the use of donkeys and llamas as livestock-guarding animals. Both of these species, when well integrated into sheep flocks, become very protective of their charges and aggressively chase away any lynx entering the pasture. A study in the Swiss Alps determined that 73% of lynx kills of sheep occurred either in the forest or within 100m of the forest edge and that sheep less than one year old are more susceptible than older sheep, with 78% of those killed falling into this age group. Researchers were able to advise farmers that the grazing of sheep and particularly lambs away from the forest edge reduces the risk considerably." It's not hard to live alongside lynx, there just needs to be the motivation to make it work.
Same book
"Using data gathered from radio-tracked lynx on how they use and move across the landscapes of Switzerland — a mountainous country with broadly similar patterns of woodland cover and networks of roads and railways — and applying it to Scotland, identifies two potential lynx habitat networks103. The smaller of the two stretches across southern Scotland and the English border to include Kielder Forest. It includes over 6000 km2 of suitable habitat that is connected by potential movement corridors. The larger of the two networks, amounting to over 15,000 km2 extends across much of northern Scotland, from the east coast to the west. The two networks are separated by the Central Belt, a relatively open, densely populated landscape criss-crossed by busy roads and railway lines, which lies between and around the two largest cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. It is unlikely that lynx would move across this landscape sufficiently for the two networks to be well connected. However, with woodland cover increasing in the Central Belt, this could change in the future. By examining the relationship between lynx and prey densities across Europe, it’s possible to predict potential lynx densities using the abundance of deer in woodland across the two Scottish habitat networks. The smaller habitat network, with its relatively lower deer densities, could support an average density of 0.83 lynx/100km2. The larger network, on the other hand, supports higher deer densities and this is reflected in a potential average lynx density of 2.63 lynx/100km2. When we apply these densities to the amount of lynx habitat, it gives potential lynx populations of around 50 in the south of Scotland, and 400 in the north. When it has reached its capacity, the southern population would still be quite small and, in isolation, would run a relatively high risk of extinction. On the other hand, the northern population would be very unlikely to go extinct once it has reached its full potential. The minimum population size suggested for long-term viability of Eurasian lynx has been estimated at around 200, and so the northern population would sit comfortably above this figure105. In fact, at current population estimates, this northern Scottish population would be the fifth largest in Europe. The woodland habitat data used for these calculations dates from 2002, and with an average of 6000 ha or so of new woodland created each year since then, the potential for lynx in Scotland will also have steadily increased and seems very likely to continue to do so. " |
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