Bringing back Britain's large carnivores

[santaman2000]

....Interestingly, there have been many sightings (including by me) of "big cats" of puma/leopard size in our area, around the Forest of Dean. Last time I saw one was with a sheep-farmer friend. The cat came over the hedge from one of her fields about 25 ft ahead of us. She told me she'd seen the cat several times over the previous 5 years and wasn't in the least worried as she had never lost any sheep to the beast, nor had her neighbours who had also seen the beast....

Then they're not cougars. If they were there's be loss of human life as well. There were dozens of confirmed attacks here between 2000 and 2010; six resulting in human deaths: www.cougarinfo.org/attacks3.htm

 

[Gasparo]

I would like to see the reintroduction of the wolf, but I know it will not happen in my life time.

I don't think we should regard it as non-native because it's been absent for 300 years. That is a very short time, when you think they have been present for 10 000 years before that. They are genetically the same as they were.

Like all things in ecology, you cannot consider the wolf in isolation. It disappeared because of habitat loss and human attitudes towards them. So the first step has to be reintroduction of habitat. There is an ongoing program to restore the Caledonian pine forest. Obviously a very large area would be required, with corridors connecting different areas. This is a very, very long term idea.

Then there is attitudes. Europeans and Scandinavians who have wolves seem much less anxious about them than the British, who don't. I think it likely that an eventual lynx reintroduction might pave the way for a rather more emotive animal.

I do think it odd that if the wolf had been almost, but not completely wiped out, it would be protected by law, with massive efforts to save it. But because it disappeared, people think: 'well, it's gone, can't do anything about it now.'

It's true that there may be some livestock losses, though these do not seem to be a huge problem elsewhere in Europe. Of course, if you take the view that livestock losses are more important than biodiversity, you should be campaigning for the total eradication of the fox, and nobody argues for that.

+1 on that... although I wouldn't say that "nobody argues for.." the eradication of the fox, I'm sure there are plenty of rich land owners and farmers who would love to see that happen. We, the people need to show these monsters that we won't let them kill what little we have left : ) grrr

 

[Gasparo]

Then they're not cougars. If they were there's be loss of human life as well. There were dozens of confirmed attacks here between 2000 and 2010; six resulting in human deaths: www.cougarinfo.org/attacks3.htm

So 6 people in 10 years... balance... I will say no more

 

[Opal]

I dont see the point in this, they no longer live here because Man wiped them out, bringing them back as has been said to such a overcrowded isle would lead to man coming into conflict with them again either through attacks on livestock,or on humans which would lead to them being hunted agian totally stupid idea as far as im concerned.

A man with brains, totally agree, Andy.

 

[Gasparo]

A man with brains, totally agree, Andy.

Several previous posts have already argued what a ridiculous argument that is as a reason for not reintroducing wildlife, just pointing that out for you... just in case : )

 

[Gasparo]

This is not going to happen the estate owners are not going to let anything that will eat there profits...

hits the nail on the head really

 

[tomongoose]

Gasparo its all very well calling the death of 6 people balance but if it was someone close to you, you might not agree. I don't know what you do or where you live but if you owned any stock or lived somewhere where you children freely roam the countryside you might not be so keen on the return of Large predators.

 

[Gasparo]

Gasparo its all very well calling the death of 6 people balance but if it was someone close to you...

like I didn't see that one coming

 

[santaman2000]

So 6 people in 10 years... balance... I will say no more

6 people spread over the US and Canada. Imagine what that would be in far more in the UK. Far more heavily populated and compact.

But the severity wasn't my point. My point was that if (as Elen stated) there haven't even been any livestock losses, then you don't have any cougars. Whatever's being sighted is something else.

 

[GordonM]

Hi folks, a very interesting thread. There is much good information provided by contributors of this thread. One thing for certain is that reintroduction of predator species can become quite emotional and resulting in many sides drawing their 'lines in the sand'.

I have seen the beauty of predatory species in the wild. I have heard the howls of coyotes in the wild. I have had coyotes respond to my mimics of coyote vocalization, both in vocalizations in reply and their movement to my location. I have witnessed a single coyote take down an otherwise healthy Whitetail deer (very natural in my view). I have been very attentively followed/pursued by a coyote for a distance of over seven miles. I have seen the result of coyote predation on livestock. I have witnessed the attempt of both foxes and a coyote in preying upon my personal pets. I have been called by my neighbors to assist with controlling their predator/livestock problems. I have hunted predator species (fox, coyote and bobcat) for control purposes and for obtaining the fur. Yes, I have eaten coyote, fox and bobcat backstrap (I'll try anything once), however, this is not a reason I hunt these species.

Although I hunt these species, I fully understand the importance these species have in maintaining a balance in the ecosystems they live. I also am of the belief that man contributes to the health of our ecosystems in both a positive and negative manner. I also fully understand that at the current time, here on earth, man is the apex predator, for better or worse.


Information on the reintroduction of the Red Wolf in my region and other parts of the Eastern US.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_wolf

Information provided about predators by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/habitat/landowners/infosheets/predators.asp

Information provided about how to prevent or reduce conflict with wildlife.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/problems/

An information sheet about the coyote in Virginia.
www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/habitat_partners/infosheets/coyote.pdf

 

[santaman2000]

Thanks for the links Gordon. Interesting to see they conceded that the coyote isn't native for us in the East (not all sources like to admit that) Their spreading here and their abundance seems to be the result of the declining Red Wolf population in the South and Grey Wolves in the Northeast.