Reintroducing wild animals

[Dave2002]

Today I saw an article about wolves in Oregon, and in particular about the shooting of a wolf known as OR4. There are other articles, such as this - http://www.takepart.com/article/2016...family-wolves/

I wonder what is the purpose of reintroducing wild creatures into areas from which they have been eradicated.

In the UK we have Red Kites reintroduced - splendid birds which now seem to thrive in parts of Scotland and in Buckinghamshire.

In other countries I think bears and wolves have been reintroduced. What is the motivation for this?

I’m not against this, but I am curious as to why it’s happening. Is it to assuage guilt because humans have interfered too much with nature?

[Bryn]

Today I saw an article about wolves in Oregon, and in particular about the shooting of a wolf known as OR4. There are other articles, such as this - http://www.takepart.com/article/2016...family-wolves/

I wonder what is the purpose of reintroducing wild creatures into areas from which they have been eradicated.

In the UK we have Red Kites reintroduced - splendid birds which now seem to thrive in parts of Scotland and in Buckinghamshire.

In other countries I think bears and wolves have been reintroduced. What is the motivation for this?

I’m not against this, but I am curious as to why it’s happening. Is it to assuage guilt because humans have interfered too much with nature?

In the case of beavers, they offer a major contribution to water flow management. Wolves might offer a more effective mode of controlling the dear pupulation, etc.

As to Red Kites, they have successfully spread well beyond Scotland and Buckinghamshire. It's not that long since one had to go to the area to the west of Rhandirmwyn to see Red Kites in Britain (i.e. England and Wales).

[doversoul1]

Lynx

Their presence will return a vital natural function to our ecology helping control numbers of deer and a variety of agricultural pest species whilst protecting forestry from deer damage caused by overpopulation.

Reintroductions into other European countries have been a remarkable success, with the best managed programs constructing whole new eco-friendly industries such as wildlife tourism around their presence, breathing new economic life into remote rural communities.

http://www.lynxuk.org/

[Serial_Apologist]

Today I saw an article about wolves in Oregon, and in particular about the shooting of a wolf known as OR4. There are other articles, such as this - http://www.takepart.com/article/2016...family-wolves/

I wonder what is the purpose of reintroducing wild creatures into areas from which they have been eradicated.

In the UK we have Red Kites reintroduced - splendid birds which now seem to thrive in parts of Scotland and in Buckinghamshire.

In other countries I think bears and wolves have been reintroduced. What is the motivation for this?

I’m not against this, but I am curious as to why it’s happening. Is it to assuage guilt because humans have interfered too much with nature?

Probably to some degree to assuage guilt - but, if species are being kept alive and breeding in zoos that would otherwise be extinct, were their ecosystems to be restored - which in tropical regions could be effected more rapidly than elsewhere, gioven faster plant growth rates - inasmuch as they were once part of the chain of interdependency there is surely some point? Is it just sentimentality that says animals should be in their natural habitats? The more that ecosystems that help control interactions that once kept the planet in balance can be restored by us living sustainably again, the less we as a species have to worry about survival: re-introductions could play their part is re-supplying missing links. Where I do have misgivings is in reintroducing species such as bears, birds of prey and wolves where these are not necessary to ecosystemic functioning or helpful to sheep farming, for instance; and I have my doubts as to the benefit of wild hogs. There would seem to be little point in reintroducing into environments too degraded to sustain them; and there would presumably need to be periodic culling, eg of beavers, which have proved useful in river course management for flood prevention or diminution purposes.

[Richard Tarleton]

Today I saw an article about wolves in Oregon, and in particular about the shooting of a wolf known as OR4. There are other articles, such as this - http://www.takepart.com/article/2016...family-wolves/

I wonder what is the purpose of reintroducing wild creatures into areas from which they have been eradicated.

In the UK we have Red Kites reintroduced - splendid birds which now seem to thrive in parts of Scotland and in Buckinghamshire.

In other countries I think bears and wolves have been reintroduced. What is the motivation for this?

I’m not against this, but I am curious as to why it’s happening. Is it to assuage guilt because humans have interfered too much with nature?

Depends on the species, the place, the circumstances in which they were eradicated..... Often the species eradicated are top predators, eradicated in ignorance. Every healthy ecosystem needs top predators, to maintain the balance of the species below them, which is how they evolved in the first place. When wolves disappeared from Yellowstone (for example), deer numbers rocketed, to the great detriment of tree species, which were unable to get past the seedling stage. The restoration of wolves has restored the balance, and forests are recovering. In the Scottish Highlands deer have no predators, apart from man, and here human predation is misguided as it is based on trophy hunting (large old males) rather than the females which should be culled in vast numbers (this job is left to the likes of countryside rangers in winter). As a result, the Scottish Highlands are largely treeless, except in areas from which deer are excluded. The less said about Welsh uplands, and sheep, the better.

A non-predatory species - beavers - are superb habitat managers, benefiting all sorts of other species, and incidentally controlling flooding downstream, again misguidedly eradicated.

In general, I'd say, in some places, some people have realised that the huge gaps we've left in our ecosystems are to be regretted, and reintroductions are righting an ancient wrong. Nowhere would this be more the case than in the UK's uplands, which are the most ecologically impoverished in Europe. At least in every European country I've visited and walked or birded, the uplands are at least repositories of wildlife amidst the farmed lowlands. In the UK, the uplands are even more impoverished than the lowlands. George Monbiot has written eloquently and at length on this subject.

[doversoul1]

Depends on the species, the place, the circumstances in which they were eradicated..... Often the species eradicated are top predators, eradicated in ignorance. Every healthy ecosystem needs top predators, to maintain the balance of the species below them, which is how they evolved in the first place. When wolves disappeared from Yellowstone (for example), deer numbers rocketed, to the great detriment of tree species, which were unable to get past the seedling stage. The restoration of wolves has restored the balance, and forests are recovering. In the Scottish Highlands deer have no predators, apart from man, and here human predation is misguided as it is based on trophy hunting (large old males) rather than the females which should be culled in vast numbers (this job is left to the likes of countryside rangers in winter). As a result, the Scottish Highlands are largely treeless, except in areas from which deer are excluded. The less said about Welsh uplands, and sheep, the better.

A non-predatory species - beavers - are superb habitat managers, benefiting all sorts of other species, and incidentally controlling flooding downstream, again misguidedly eradicated.

In general, I'd say, in some places, some people have realised that the huge gaps we've left in our ecosystems are to be regretted, and reintroductions are righting an ancient wrong. Nowhere would this be more the case than in the UK's uplands, which are the most ecologically impoverished in Europe. At least in every European country I've visited and walked or birded, the uplands are at least repositories of wildlife amidst the farmed lowlands. In the UK, the uplands are even more impoverished than the lowlands. George Monbiot has written eloquently and at length on this subject.

Feral: Rewilding the Land, Sea and Human Life

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Feral-Rewilding-Land-Human-Life/dp/014197558X/ref=sr_1_1?Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.x=29&Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.y=10&__mk_en_GB=%C3%85M%C3%85Z%C3%95%C3%91&qid=1561651471&refinements=p_27%3A+George+Monbiot+&s=books&sr=1-1&unfiltered=1

[jayne lee wilson]

Lynx

Their presence will return a vital natural function to our ecology helping control numbers of deer and a variety of agricultural pest species whilst protecting forestry from deer damage caused by overpopulation.

Reintroductions into other European countries have been a remarkable success, with the best managed programs constructing whole new eco-friendly industries such as wildlife tourism around their presence, breathing new economic life into remote rural communities.
http://www.lynxuk.org/

Wonderful science...!
Pretty good to look at too....go on, give us a cuddle...

[Richard Tarleton]

Wonderful science...!
Pretty good to look at too....go on, give us a cuddle...

Indeed. Commensurate with the poverty of our ecosystems, we've let farmers - specifically the NFU - frame the argument in this country. OK it was an accident not a reintroduction but it was instructive that when a half tame and probably terrified lynx escaped from a wildlife collection in Wales every sheep farmer in the area and wider had an attack of the vapours and the poor thing ended up being destroyed. We've a long way to go in the UK.

[DracoM]

Strongly recommend Sarah Hall's novel on this topic: 'WOLF BORDER'.

[jayne lee wilson]

Indeed. Commensurate with the poverty of our ecosystems, we've let farmers - specifically the NFU - frame the argument in this country. OK it was an accident not a reintroduction but it was instructive that when a half tame and probably terrified lynx escaped from a wildlife collection in Wales every sheep farmer in the area and wider had an attack of the vapours and the poor thing ended up being destroyed. We've a long way to go in the UK.

Yes, I recall that - terribly upsetting.
We need extensive education-into-reintroduction...as a key part of environmental study.

[doversoul1]

As long as they will leave grey squirrels alone.

[CallMePaul]

In the UK we have Red Kites reintroduced - splendid birds which now seem to thrive in parts of Scotland and in Buckinghamshire.

I have seen red kites soaring less than 2 miles from the centre of Leeds. They appear to be breeding in the vicinity of Harewood House.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I have seen red kites soaring less than 2 miles from the centre of Leeds. They appear to be breeding in the vicinity of Harewood House.

- I saw one whilst I was on a walk near Skipton back in the balmy days at the end of February. Heart-stirring sight.

[jayne lee wilson]

As long as they will leave grey squirrels alone.

Sparky little things aren't they? Always on the lawn after bird food....one comes up the lower roof to peer in at me in the bathroom...

They go into the freezer room outside where I keep all the birdseed sacks, to have a nibble at things. I surprised one actually inside a sack, and it leapt out past me using my shoulder as a springboard...

I wish some of those Kites would finally come to the NW.... still only Buzzards and Sparrowhawks here...
Years ago I went on special day trips to see them in S Wales. Only way then.

[Old Grumpy]

As long as they will leave grey squirrels alone.

I took this as a TIC comment - grey squirrels are basically rats with bushy tails and are not welcome up here. I can remember when we had red squirrels in our garden, but no longer.

OG