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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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Just one of the ways wolves benefit farmers
"How wolves could prove to be the farmer’s friend The debate on reintroducing wolves to Scotland brings in a new piece of evidence this morning – this time from Spain, where research suggests that wolves help control animal diseases, and in particular TB. Researchers at Heriot Watt University have been studying wolves in northern Spain and concluded that by preying on carrier species such as badgers and wild boar, the spread of TB in cattle would be checked. ‘Paradoxically, our research has found that wolves may not be a hindrance to farmers but, in fact, a benefit,’ says Christian Gortazar, a co-author of the study, in an interview with The Times. With bovine TB arguably the greatest threat to cattle farming in Britain, this idea bears scrutiny at the very least"
An informative overall look on the reintroduction of wolves into the Scottish highlands
Bears and wolves to coexist in UK woods for first time in 1,000 years
Bear Wood near Bristol aims to spark debate about rewilding of ancient woodlands For the first time in more than 1,000 years native bears and wolves are coming snout to muzzle with each other among towering oaks and ashes in a slice of British woodland. European brown bears, thought to have become extinct in the British wilds in medieval times, and grey wolves – which roamed free until the 17th century – are to coexist in a project called Bear Wood near Bristol. The idea of the scheme – which is part of Bristol Zoological Society’s Wild Place Project – is to give visitors a glimpse into life in the woods and forests that used to cover much of the UK. It is also intended to initiate a debate about rewilding schemes, which could reintroduce animals such as lynxes – and perhaps wolves and bears. From Thursday 25 July, members of the public will be able to observe bears, wolves, lynxes and wolverines from the safety of a raised walkway as the animals pad and prowl around a large wooded paddock. For the moment, the four species are being kept apart but the idea is that within weeks or months the four bears and five wolves will be allowed to share one 10,000 sq metre (12,000 sq yard) paddock. Justin Morris, the chief executive of Bristol Zoological Society, said: “It will be the first time the two species have been together in ancient British woodland for more than 1,000 years. We’re excited to see them together in the same space.” Over recent weeks the bears have been getting accustomed to the woodland. From Wednesday the wolves will be brought into an adjoining paddock. It will then be up to the animal keepers to decide when to allow the wolves in with the bears. “The keepers want to be sure the bears are settled,” said Morris. “We’re keen to do it as soon as they can but will wait until the animal team are confident they are ready. “They should be fine. These animals would coexist in the wild. This is their habitat. You see the bears up the trees and realise how perfectly evolved they are to live here.” The idea of the project is that it will be good for both species to live side by side. “For them it will be enriching. It will be interesting for them to be in a space with another species. They’ll probably interact. They’ll work out where they want to be,” said Morris. Another fascinating aspect to observe will be how the woodland and its current inhabitants, such as hedgehogs and birds, will react to the presence of bears and wolves. The animals will be fed by their keepers but the bears are bound to forage for leaves and berries. The multimillion-pound project is partly funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development as well as by grants and donations. Morris said he hoped it would further the debate on rewilding. “I’m keen that we as a conservation charity proactively engage with questions such as climate change and rewilding. I really hope this exhibit gives us that opportunity to do that.” He also said the project put the ancient British woodlands, which now only cover 2% of the country, centre stage, as they are often overlooked when zoos concentrate on more exotic locations such as the African savannah. The Wild Project also includes animals from Madagascar and Cameroon. “We’re giving British ancient woodland the same status as those habitats,” Morris said. Will Walker, an animal manager at the Wild Place Project, admitted to having a few nerves as he watched a couple of the younger bears clambering up a tree. He said: “That’s given me a few scares – they weigh 100kg [220lb] or more and are climbing 10 metres into the tops of these massive oaks and ashes. Obviously they are designed for that and aren’t going to fall out but that has worried me. They’ve been fine.” Walker also said it would be a tense moment when the bears and wolves came face to face. “We know they don’t compete for the same foods but putting two large species together is always going to be a bit nerve-racking.” https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019...ssion=true  (07-17-2019, 01:24 AM)Sully Wrote: Bears and wolves to coexist in UK woods for first time in 1,000 years That´s funny to read, that this Morris is worried, when bears climb to the trees :) He is zoologist after all. Hopefully everything goes well in that project though.  (07-17-2019, 02:41 AM)Shadow Wrote:(07-17-2019, 01:24 AM)Sully Wrote: Bears and wolves to coexist in UK woods for first time in 1,000 years The lynx (barely more than a backyard critter) reintroduction is stuck in limbo because the locals fear for their poultry & pigs. How much of a wishful thinking do you think this is? South of Scotland there's barely any viable sized habitat left. It may not get anywhere beyond that 1 hectare paddock! They should concentrate on elk & boar for now, then lynx & wolves... and that's it. Biting off more than they can chew may royally backfire.
@Rishi For sure the public psyche is not yet ready for bears, well off in fact. Lynx are pretty much a go bar farmers, and wolves are still in the infancy process of getting the public on their side. Though I disagree on reintroducing elk and boar first. The point of the predator reintroduction is to reduce grazing by the deer who are destroying vegetation. More herbivores = more destruction.
Here's some elaboration on post #13
The Trust believes that there is a case to be developed that would support the reintroduction of lynx. In this article, Tom Ovenden, who previously worked for the Trust as the Handa Ranger for two seasons, discusses the findings of his recent research on how lynx might spread if reintroduced to Scotland. Next generation tools for effective reintroduction decision making Lynx reintroduction to Scotland, like so many issues relating to large carnivores world-wide, is embroiled in controversy. Resolving this is greatly hindered by a lack of clear evidence that can be used to make effective, informed decisions about the appropriateness of any reintroduction proposals. Our work, published in the journal Biological Conservation, uses cutting-edge modelling tools to bring clarity and robust evidence to one key aspect of this debate in Scotland: is there enough suitable habitat to enable any reintroduction to be a success and, if so, where should we focus our efforts?  *This image is copyright of its original author Lynx © Petr KratochvilReintroducing large carnivores is complex, costly and challenging, not least because of the animal welfare implications, socio-economic considerations and ecological uncertainties. Collectively, this means that getting things right first time is essential. In turn, this makes advances in computer modelling that accurately reflect developments in ecological theory, whilst accounting for the specific characteristics of a particular species in complex landscapes, really valuable. Such a modelling approach provides a safe and inexpensive space to test the effectiveness of any proposals, before proposing their implementation on the ground. Our research used such a model to contribute reliable evidence to the current debate surrounding the reintroduction of the Eurasian lynx to Scotland and, more broadly, used this as a case study to demonstrate how our approach could be used for reintroductions and conservation management of other species. The arguments for a lynx reintroduction are numerous, from calls to restore an ecological balance, using lynx to help control spiralling deer numbers, through to economic and tourism potential. These arguments, however, face considerable opposition, with concerns raised from landowners and other stakeholders as to the long term, broader impact of such a reintroduction, in addition to the current suitability of our heavily modified rural landscapes to accommodate this species. For policy makers and practitioners to address satisfactorily the arguments for and against a lynx reintroduction, we need good quality evidence. The IUCN has very clear guidelines when considering if a reintroduction is suitable. Ranked highly amongst these considerations is to establish with confidence that the historic causes of extinction are no longer present and pose no threat to future populations. It is essential then, that prey availability, persecution risk and restricted habitat availability are no longer limiting factors in establishing a healthy, viable population of lynx. It would be hard to argue that the abundance of their favoured prey species, roe deer, across Scotland would be a limitation. However, the risk of persecution is linked to the public appetite for a lynx reintroduction, and knowledge of the current location, extent and connectivity of suitable forest habitat is essential. Until recently these were relatively unknown quantities, but our research now sheds much needed light on the last of these points. Having generated high resolution maps of different habitats across Scotland, with a particular focus on woodland areas suitable for lynx, we gathered detailed information on all aspects of Eurasian lynx ecology from published literature and other studies. We then put this information and our maps of Scotland into a recently developed, sophisticated individual-based model called “RangeShifter”, designed to capture realistic movement patterns across complex landscapes. Once all these pieces were in place, we were able to run 100-year simulations to test which areas of Scotland that were previously identified as potential release sites might be most suitable for a reintroduction – from the perspective of habitat availability. The three locations we considered were Aberdeenshire, the Scottish component of Kielder Forest and the Kintyre Peninsula. Regardless of how we chose to measure success, and irrespective of several changes we made to the model parameters we used (for example how many kittens the lynx would have or how long they would live), the Kintyre Peninsula always came out on top, offering up to an 83% chance that 100 years after a release, a good population of lynx would still be around. Kielder Forest was always the least suitable location for a lynx reintroduction from those we tested, with only a 21% chance a population would still exist after 100 years. Crucially, we also demonstrated how the Highlands of Scotland, the region in which the majority of suitable habitat exists, is functionally isolated from habitat in the Southern Uplands, south of the Glasgow-Edinburgh “Central Belt”. Very few lynx ever successfully crossed this Central Belt region in any of our simulations. Whilst our work does not investigate the political will or polarised public appetite for a lynx reintroduction (both of which are essential additional components of any reintroduction plan), it does offer an encouraging step forward, demonstrating the suitability of Scotland’s landscape to support a reintroduction. This suitability is, however, clearly location-dependant. The novel application of this model to reintroduction planning holds great promise, not just for informing the debate of lynx reintroduction to Scotland, but also for the conservation of species globally. by Tom Ovenden
Another person motivated by rewilding, there's a few of these now. I believe Lynx reintroduction is a matter of time.
https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/outdoors...ntroduced/ "One man who has been campaigning hard to bring lynx back is Donnie Broad. At times Broad, from Aberfeldy, seems a paradox. He has many roles: gamekeeper, stalker, forester, and estate manager, and keeps numerous exotic feathered and furred creatures. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the countryside and a great respect for many of the species others don’t like. But he also understands the need to control certain animals. I always enjoy a thought- provoking craic with him. He manages a sporting estate near Strathtay where as well as four species of deer (including moose, mouflon and European bison), he keeps Przewalskis’ horses. He is passionate about the idea of a trial reintroduction of lynx in the electric-fenced 720 acres. ‘Currently I am the person responsible for all this. We are not a zoo, nor a safari park, nor a farm though we do have some commercial sheep. We have dangerous wild animals here and having all the grazing niches filled, we now need a predator. It would be an ideal place to try out lynx and we would learn a huge amount and see how they fitted into the grand scheme of things.’ ‘I have planted hundreds of thousands of trees,’ continues Broad. ‘There seems little point in all this planting if we cannot eventually reinstate some of the creatures that should be there. The wolf is probably untenable, though I would love to see it back too, but it would be far better to start with the lynx. If we did reintroduce them into wilder parts of Scotland, we would have to find a bona fide way of dealing with any issues, but frankly I do not think there would be many.’ Broad believes an experiment should be carried out in Scotland within the next decade. ‘I keep hitting a brick wall with the government reintroductions committee but hope eventually they will agree to us doing a proper trial with a pair of lynx here,’ he says. ‘We have badgers, foxes, otters, red squirrels, pine martens, hares, rats and small mammals as well as game, so we could find out exactly what lynx do predate, and learn from it. Frankly the system’s screwed without a top predator. There simply has to be more balance.’"
Lynx UK Trust have planned a second license application for the release of Eurasian lynx into the UK for late this year. The organisations initial application was rejected in July 2017. If this new one proves successful, Lynx should be reintroduced into Kielder forest by mid next year.
https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/env...aces-again
Not exactly Britain but close enough
Minister pours cold water on calls for return of wolves to Ireland The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has poured cold water on calls to reintroduce wolves to Ireland. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan had called for the reintroduction of the predator to help rewild parts of the countryside. The last wolf in Ireland was killed near Mount Leinster in 1786. Mr Ryan said their reintroduction would create a real sense of wilderness and help develop more resilient woodlands. However, Minister Josepha Madigan has said her department has no plans to reintroduce the species. In a tweet, she said that the reintroduction of a large predator that had been absent for 250 years might undermine existing conservation programmes. "The reintroduction of a large predator which has been absent for 250 years might undermine existing conservation programmes and would do considerable damage to farming." Ms Madigan also said their reintroduction would do considerable damage to farming. Meanwhile, a Dáil motion, being brought forward by the Greens, is calling for a switch away from short-rotation plantations to more natural woodlands. "It is now time to change our ways and restore nature in every Irish landscape, neighbourhood, farm, home and street," Mr Ryan said. https://twitter.com/rtepolitics/status/1...-wolves%2F https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/10...33-wolves/ The response to this article has been far from positive. It shows we have a long way to go until the public psyche is collectively ready for the reintroduction of wolves. It's a shame that the first thing people think of when they hear wolves is attacks on people and livestock, with the first being increasingly rare, and the second something that can be mitigated with proper preventative measures. Even more unfortunate that they value farmers' profit margins over the ecology of their wilderness, with many seeing this as an attack on farmers. There's a false dichotomy in the minds of many between people and animals. It reminds me of a talk given by the leader of the snow leopard trust, who said that it is not about helping humans or animals in conservation, it's about finding a compromise between these two variables which benefit both. Animals need to be seen as a part of the basic furniture that we have to account for, rather than an exotic addition. The response isn't even about the feesability of actualising a reintroduction which of course will have to be critically evaluated, rather it's the very concept itself which people are staunchly opposed to, irrationally at that. Without doubt lynx have to be reintroduced first. They're a less scary predator and won't pose any threat to humans. Hopefully if their reintroduction is succesful and the benefits of it are illustrated to the public, down the road people may warm to the idea of wolves. That's still a long way away at the moment though.
How reintroducing wolves to Yorkshire countryside can help tourism: GP Taylor
Imagine, standing on Ilkley Moor and hearing the call of a wolf pack, or walking the North York Moors and seeing wild boars grazing. To many, that might sound outrageous, but to a growing number of people it is a dream they want to come true. Wolves, wild cattle and pigs once roamed freely across Yorkshire. The wolves were hunted to extinction and the cattle and pigs domesticated. Much of the county was stripped of its woodland and the eco system radically changed. As farming became more and more intensive, the land became a giant food factory. The fearsome wolves of Yorkshire Thankfully, there are a growing number of people who would like to ‘re-wild’ some of the countryside. This doesn’t mean that we’ll all be having wolves in our back gardens, but it does mean that the way the land is managed will change. Returning more of our county back to wilderness might just be the thing to revitalise farming and create jobs with new nature-based economies. I believe this will not only be good for farming, but also for the environment. It was William Pitt who said that the parks were the ‘lungs of London’. How true it is now, as it was back in 1808. We need more trees to soak up our carbon emissions. A two-tonne tree can absorb seven tonnes of carbon dioxide. As it stands, only 13 per cent of this country has tree cover whereas in Europe it is around 35 per cent. There is an urgent need that Britain doubles or triples its tree cover by 2045 to fight climate breakdown. There is an even greater importance with climate change to plant more trees. In Nidderdale there is an amazing project to convert land back to its former glory. Trees are being planted, ponds dug and wildlife encouraged to return. Make It Wild is a Yorkshire-based project with an ethos to encourage a greater understanding of nature and improve habitat and biodiversity. Throughout the country many people are doing the same thing. The Knepp Castle Estate in West Sussex is one place where an intensive farm that often ran at a loss was turned into a profit by re-wilding. Is it time to let wolves back into the British countryside? Since 2001, the land, once intensively farmed has been devoted to a pioneering re-wilding project. Using grazing animals such as cattle, ponies, pigs and deer as the drivers of habitat creation, and with the restoration of natural water courses, the project has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife. Wildlife tourism generates income. In Scotland, the osprey is estimated to bring in £3.5m a year. A pair of ospreys breeding at Wildlife Trust’s Cors Dyfi reserve in Wales draws in around £350,000 a year for local businesses. Visitors travelling to Finland to see brown bear and wolverine have boosted the economy by €4-5m in 2012 alone. The reintroduction of vultures attracts 80,000 visitors each year to France. In 1995, wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park, which transformed the ecology of the area. This allowed forests to regenerate and biodiversity to increase. Wolf-related tourism also brings $35.5m annually to Wyoming. So why not here? Re-wilding encourages farmers and landowners to diversify and secure different types of income streams to help them survive what could be a doubtful future. It also changes the way the landscape looks. The Yorkshire Moors haven’t always been miles and miles of lifeless heather with very little animal diversity. They were once thriving woodland that provided a home for many different species of animals. One only has to look at the Carrifran valley in the Scottish Borders to see how an area like our moors can come alive and radically change in appearance. When the Carrifan Wildlife Group took over the valley in 1999 it was in a poor state from hundreds of years of sheep grazing. The group planted half a million trees in its first decade of work. Now the valley is thriving with wildlife, which is a great draw for tourists. It would not be too big a step to reintroduce some of the species of animal that once roamed Yorkshire. Beavers, wild boar and red kites have been successfully set free in other parts of the country. According to the RSPCA, there are over two million deer in the UK. In such numbers, they are a threat to biodiversity. What would be the problem with reintroducing an apex predator like the wolf to take down deer numbers? Wolves play a critical part in revitalising ecosystems that have been over grazed by deer. Yorkshire could be the leader in bringing this much needed mammal back. GP Taylor is an author and broadcaster from Whitby. https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opi...1-10088816
Could we live with reintroduced large carnivores in the UK?
Could we live with reintroduced large carnivores in the UK? Charles J Wilson Mammal Review 34 (3), 211-232, 2004 1. Literature on the wolf Canis lupus, brown bear Ursus arctos and lynx Lynx lynx is reviewed to determine if sufficient semi‐natural habitat exists in the UK for a viable population of any of these species and to assess the potential risks to human safety, livestock and economically valuable wildlife. Public attitudes to the recovery and reintroduction of some other mammals are also briefly reviewed. 2. The large home range sizes and low population densities of large carnivores mean that the Scottish Highlands is the only UK region with the potential to support a viable population. Human population density is also lower in the Highlands and the density of wild ungulate prey higher than in many parts of Europe where large carnivores survive. 3. Attacks on people have been recorded in Europe for healthy bears and for rabid bears and wolves but there are no reports of attacks by lynx. Bears are more carnivorous in the north of their range than in the south and although wild mammals seldom appear to be important prey serious predation of livestock can occur. Livestock predation is also reported for the wolf and the lynx but they appear to prefer wild prey if available. However, mass kills of up to 100 or more sheep are occasionally recorded for wolves. 4. Attitudes to reintroductions and carnivores generally tend to be favourable amongst the general public, but negative amongst those most likely to be adversely affected. Fears for human safety and significant livestock predation with bears and wolves, respectively, suggest that reintroduction of these species is unlikely to be acceptable in the foreseeable future. Reintroduction of the lynx may be feasible but habitat suitability and potential impact on vulnerable native wildlife need to be assessed. Socio‐economic and legal issues also need to be addressed before such a reintroduction is considered.
Erlend B Nilsen, EJ Milner-Gulland, Lee Schofield, Atle Mysterud, Nils Chr Stenseth, Tim Coulson
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 274 (1612), 995-1003, 2007 Reintroductions are important tools for the conservation of individual species, but recently more attention has been paid to the restoration of ecosystem function, and to the importance of carrying out a full risk assessment prior to any reintroduction programme. In much of the Highlands of Scotland, wolves (Canis lupus) were eradicated by 1769, but there are currently proposals for them to be reintroduced. Their main wild prey if reintroduced would be red deer (Cervus elaphus). Red deer are themselves a contentious component of the Scottish landscape. They support a trophy hunting industry but are thought to be close to carrying capacity, and are believed to have a considerable economic and ecological impact. High deer densities hamper attempts to reforest, reduce bird densities and compete with livestock for grazing. Here, we examine the probable consequences for the red deer population of reintroducing wolves into the Scottish Highlands using a structured Markov predator–prey model. Our simulations suggest that reintroducing wolves is likely to generate conservation benefits by lowering deer densities. It would also free deer estates from the financial burden of costly hind culls, which are required in order to achieve the Deer Commission for Scotland's target deer densities. However, a reintroduced wolf population would also carry costs, particularly through increased livestock mortality. We investigated perceptions of the costs and benefits of wolf reintroductions among rural and urban communities in Scotland and found that the public are generally positive to the idea. Farmers hold more negative attitudes, but far less negative than the organizations that represent them. |
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