Reintroduction: A good or bad idea?

[Hawk]

Hey

I recently read in my newspaper that a farm near to where i live was having its livestock attack by a bird of prey. THe farmer is confident it is a sea eagle 1 of 15 release as a reintroduction programme for the Tay and Forth Estuaries.

Should we reintroduce species of wildlife which we have caused to become extinct from the British Isle if they are going to cause conflicts of people's jobs and their lifestyles?

What is your opinion?

Hawk

[Dogghound]

Yes they belong there, aslong as people are educated and opinions have changed, if they havet changed and persecution still goes on, then persecution must be harder. Until people accept wildife.

[demicav]

I agree as they belong here except maybe in the case of Wolves as it's questionable whether there would be enough habitat for them.

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by demicav

I agree as they belong here except maybe in the case of Wolves as it's questionable whether there would be enough habitat for them.

Not wolf, but Lynx yes.

[paulchandler6]

Originally Posted by Hawk

Should we reintroduce species of wildlife which we have caused to become extinct from the British Isle if they are going to cause conflicts of people's jobs and their lifestyles?

What is your opinion?

Hawk

I have no problem with the reintroduction of species back into this country. I feel its up to people now to adapt (as we are, maybe the most adaptable species that ever lived) and to co-exist with whatever, even if it does cost a little more.

Paul

[paulchandler6]

I forgot to add - As long as there is a viable and sustainable habitat for them to live in.

Paul

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Hawk

THe farmer is confident it is a sea eagle

Hawk

Just like there 'confident' that culling Badgers will stop TB despite the research pointing to the cattle being the ones giving it to Badgers and culling makes the spreading worse.

Im not saying all farmers make this stuff up as excuses but im very sceptical. But I spose there all end up shot by christmas now

[Meles meles]

re introducing anything will be a subject of trickyness. Suppose in a way the animal concerned needs to readapt to the area/country. As much as we have to learn to adapt for them.
Why was this bird killed out of the isles?? shooting trapping??
Sorry a little dumb in this subject

[almostnormal]

re-introducing species which we as a race have hunted to extinction in this country is only viable is there is sustainable habitat available for the species in question. i personally have no issues with well thought out programs with research and habitat analysis behind them, and which are done by conservation bodies with enough scienctific knowhow to make it work. i think the idea behind re-introducing wolves into the scottish highlands needs looking at properly before they do anything, but it might be a sustainable way to control deer populations, which is needed. i'm a bit dubious about the sea eagle attacking livestock as they generally feed out to sea, on fish,for the majority of the time.

[Gaina]

I'd love to see Sea Eagles make a come-back. The way I look at it is the Eagle needs to hunt, that's just what it does and humans are smart enough to come up with prevention methods to reduce the loss of livestock as much as possible.

There are all kinds of ways to engage with nature and work a balance between our needs and those of non-human animals. The tricky part is getting humans to accept that like it or not we are animals and part of nature, not superior to it or immune from it's laws.

[ChrisJB]

Bring back the wolf, lynx and bear. It would add a complete new dimension to ones countryside rambles. Magic!

Regards, Chris

[FlyAgaric]

Originally Posted by Hawk

Hey
Should we reintroduce species of wildlife which we have caused to become extinct from the British Isle if they are going to cause conflicts of people's jobs and their lifestyles?

Yes, we should. Humans in my opinion have no right to wipe out a whole species just to suit our pampered lives, and if we wiped out a whole species we have the responsibility to put right that wrong. Animals such as birds and wild mammals were around a lot longer than what we were. Nature is our home, its about time we started realising that we need nature to exist here in the first place, and without it we would all be doomed. If nature intrudes on our manufactured way of life, its just tough, we cant have it both ways, both destroying nature for our own wants and greed. but at the same time have nature healthy in order to sustain our very existence.

Nature can support human needs, but not human greeds.

[Gill Catton]

No-way spend the money to stop Water Vole and white clawed crayfish going extinct - protect what we already have. What's gone is gone.
If you want Lynx and wolves while you're walking go walk where they already are don't move them to suit yourself.

Not a huge fan of introductions myself - too much like theme park conservation- though I ike to see the red kite so I'm conflicted all over again!

[naturelover]

Originally Posted by Gaina

I'd love to see Sea Eagles make a come-back. The way I look at it is the Eagle needs to hunt, that's just what it does and humans are smart enough to come up with prevention methods to reduce the loss of livestock as much as possible.

There are all kinds of ways to engage with nature and work a balance between our needs and those of non-human animals. The tricky part is getting humans to accept that like it or not we are animals and part of nature, not superior to it or immune from it's laws.

well said gaina i agree with all that you have said.

[FlyAgaric]

I think its good to remember that we need nature a lot more than nature needs us. In fact if humans were to vanish over night, nature would thrive even more than it does now.

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

No-way spend the money to stop Water Vole and white clawed crayfish going extinct - protect what we already have. What's gone is gone.
If you want Lynx and wolves while you're walking go walk where they already are don't move them to suit yourself.

Not a huge fan of introductions myself - too much like theme park conservation- though I ike to see the red kite so I'm conflicted all over again!

Haha, have a cuppa and a biscuit, your brain will re-align itself.

You do raise an important point though, that we can secure the future of a species now before they go extinct so that must be a priority.

The one point I can see to re-introducing certain predators is where they could control the numbers of animals like grey squirrel and Rabbits in areas where they have become a problem.

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Bring back the wolf, lynx and bear. It would add a complete new dimension to ones countryside rambles. Magic!

Hehe, and a new version of 'Big Brother' is born.... I'd pay to watch that!

[Ukwildlifeo]

There is no real point introducing lynx wolfs or anything that realisticaly could predate livestock because as soon as word gets out they are there, an army of trophy hunters and gamekeepers/farmers will be there to greet them with a shower of bullets. If the hen harriers and peregrines are hunted so much they cant breed what chance will a wolf or lynx have. Id love to see it happen, but the problem is the people that don't. lets protect what we have first then introduce things later when there all sorted

[FlyAgaric]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

There is no real point introducing lynx wolfs or anything that realisticaly could predate livestock because as soon as word gets out they are there, an army of trophy hunters and gamekeepers/farmers will be there to greet them with a shower of bullets. If the hen harriers and peregrines are hunted so much they cant breed what chance will a wolf or lynx have. Id love to see it happen, but the problem is the people that don't. lets protect what we have first then introduce things later when there all sorted

Not if we made laws that stated anyone caught killing these animals for sport will face a 30 year jail sentence, and then enforced them laws fundamentally, believe me, very few would even dare think about it

[Blackbrook Eye]

Originally Posted by Hawk

Hey

I recently read in my newspaper that a farm near to where i live was having its livestock attack by a bird of prey. THe farmer is confident it is a sea eagle 1 of 15 release as a reintroduction programme for the Tay and Forth Estuaries.

Should we reintroduce species of wildlife which we have caused to become extinct from the British Isle if they are going to cause conflicts of people's jobs and their lifestyles?

What is your opinion?

Hawk

As most of you will be aware, the Red Kite has been re-introduced to some areas in the Midlands, in particular Northamptonshire and also around Rutland water, it is early days to judge the success of this project but my main concern at present is if enough food will be available to sustain a significant population growth. There is legislation requiring land owners and farmers to remove dead stock from their land and if this is done in a efficient manner there will not be a great deal for them to feed on, as dead Rabbits and other small corpses are usually carried away by foxes and buzzards. If food is scarce, will they resort to road kills which will not only put them in grave danger but could be lethal to motorists and motor cyclists, if a crow or magpie etc. is hit by a vehicle it is unfortunate and often messy but if something the size of a Red Kite is hit there is severe danger of the vehicle being wrecked.
Would the alternative be feeding stations on the lines of Gigrin Farm in Wales, I sincerely hope not. On mentioning Gigrin Farm, can someone enlighten me as to its purpose as there seems to be a very healthy population of Red Kite in Wales without feeding stations, Could it be that they are run as money raising enterprises for the landowner ? surely not.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Blackbrook Eye

Could it be that they are run as money raising enterprises for the landowner ? surely not.

People want to see them close up - natural curiosity - better than keeping them in a zoo I reckon.

I think they'l manage they'll only breed where there's suitable habitat.

[Blackbrook Eye]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

People want to see them close up - natural curiosity - better than keeping them in a zoo I reckon.

I think they'l manage they'll only breed where there's suitable habitat.

Thanks for your reassurance Gill, I will follow their progress with interest. As far as feeding stations are concerned I will try to keep an open mind, I am still not sure if un-naturally high concentrations of any species are a good thing, what happens if the feeding station closes for some reason and the food supply dries up.

[ron1863]

I am all for reintroducing species, as most of the ones they are trying to introduce were resident in the U.K. at one time. I wasn't through choice that they disappeared, man got rid of them.

[Nicola Main]

I for one do hope they reintroduce large carnivores back to Britain. I just recently watched one of the programmes from Planet Earth when they filmed the Grey Wolves hunting the Caribou. I thought to myself 'If only we had dramas like this happening in this country' and remembered that the largest carnivores we have are the Badger and the Fox (and they are not totally carnivorous).

I feel we are spoiling a chance to reintroduce these wonderful animals (whether it be wolves, lynx or bears). Yes it needs complete agreement with many parties before it becomes a reality and I'm pretty sure sheep farmers wouldn't be too keen on the idea of these animals roaming the countryside at large. It needs good planning, agreement from the communities who would be likely to have them living nearby and (like FlyAgaric says) harder jail sentences for those poachers and hunters who would hunt and kill them.

Who wouldn't be awe-struck seeing a pack of Grey Wolves hunting Red Deer in a setting like the Scottish Highlands? Or a Lynx stalking and catching a Mountain Hare or a Roe deer? We need large carnivores: the habitat is here, the prey is here. Where are the predators?