British mammals!!!

Tutorial: Re-wilding the UK

•! Should we reintroduce the top predators

wolf, lynx, bears

•! Should we reintroduce keystone species

the beaver, wild boar

Today Background

Wolf reintroductions in the US

Wolves in the UK

Beavers

Questions to consider

Reading package for Week 11

Mix of science and newspaper articles - read at least 1 science paper

Tutorial - week 11

2 teams Pro- wolf No wolf No beaver vs Pro-beaver

Wolves

Musiani and Paquet 2004

•!Have the broadest natural distribution of any mammal except humans

•!Resilient to modest levels of human disturbance

- High annual productivity (~4 pups/year per adult female)

- Disperse over wide ranges (typically as much as 200 km)

•!Hunted almost to extinction in the contiguous US and Western Europe

Wolf numbers

Exterminated from lower 48 states, except Minnesota

Yellowstone reintroduction begins

Musiani and Paquet 2004

•! are rebounding from very low levels in the US

- natural: migration into Minnesota, Montana from Canada

- reintroductions: Yellowstone, New Mexico

•! are recovering in western Europe

- natural: migration form eastern Europe

But wolves compete with humans

Algonquin Park example:

•! 68% of mortality outside park,

•! 48% of this related to seasonal movements to track deer

•! Protection may require management inside and outside of protected areas

Forbes and Theberge 1996

Prey on species humans like to hunt

Can prey on lifestock

wolves can be killed to protect livestock or ungulates

1949 1964 1982 1991

What do wolves need?

Urquhart 1998

USGS Fact sheet 2005-3011

•!High ungulate density

•!High forest cover

•!<4 humans / km2

•!<0.7 km roads / km2

•! Low livestock density

Wolf reintroductions to Yellowstone National Park

BACKGROUND

extirpated in region since about 1920s

reintroduction first proposed in 1940s

Public debate was intense

local inhabitants, park users, interest groups, stakeholders, scientists

Reintroductions went ahead in 1995

Wolf reintroductions in the US

Soft and hard released wolves produced pups in the first year

YNP Central Idaho Montana

Translocated Alberta-caught wolves

14 wolves in 1995; 16 in 1996

“Soft” or “slow” released-held in 1acre pens for 4-6 weeks before release

Packs/partial packs used

Translocated Alberta-caught wolves

15 wolves in 1995, 20 in 1996

“Hard” or “quick” released-released immediately into the wild from their transport containers

Yearlings and juveniles used

Natural recolonization

1st wolves recolonized in 1986

Wolf reintroductions in the US

•! pack formation occurred within the

soft release pens (YNP) and soon after release (YNP + Idaho)

•! recovery targets had been met (30+ breeding pairs total for 3yrs running)

by 2002

•! Population in NW US should continue

to grow

•! Population in Yellowstone isolated

and nr capacity

•! wolves alters elk behaviour & density

----> regrowth of cottonwood, willow

----> restoration of riparian habitat

----> increases songbird spp richness and diversity

----> beavers recolonize the area

Impact of reintroduction on the ecosystem

•! Wolves reduce the coyote population; ----> mesopredator release increase in fox and wolverines

•! Wolf kills provide food

----> +ve impact on bears, eagles, ravens

Impact of reintroduction on humans

•! Wolves have

spread more rapidly than expected

Colonized areas outside “core habitat”

—> greater contact with humans and livestock

•! Wolves are killing livestock

88 “problem” wolves translocated

70% fail to establish or join a new pack

30-40% continue to prey on livestock,

•! Wolves were de-listed in March 2008

hunting of wolves in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming has resumed

Wolf reintroductions to Arizona and New Mexico

Mexican grey wolf

Reduced to 7 individuals in 1960s

---> Captive breeding efforts increased

Reintroductions commenced in 1998

First pups born in wild in 2002

But

extensive wolf human conflict

---> legal trapping/shooting by government

----> illegally shooting common

Why?

2/3 of wolf range is open to cattle grazing

area also used for mining and recreation

Wolves in the UK

Once common

extirpated from England and Wales in 1500’s

extirpated in Highlands of Scotland in early 1700’s

“the wolf was doomed to extinction because of increasing exploitation of woodlands for charcoal, a more commercial style of farming, and a big expansion of cattle droving”

James Hunter, Centre for History, Inverness

2000+ Calls for “serious debate” about reintroductions

Why reintroduce wolves?

Natural Heritage

Conservation ethics

Ecological

–! restoring the Highland’s natural integrity

–! deer overpopulate the Highlands

–! wolves will regulate deer allowing flora and fauna to recover

Economic

Conservation leadership

Atonement

We like them

The Wolf Trust, UK

“Serious” debate?

Let's declare the entire island a 'wild zone' and bring wolves, tiger, lions, T Rex, elephants, and other assorted animals here and let them run wild, slaughtering sheep, deer, mink, seagulls and those cutting peat whilst rich hunters are helicoptered in to stay in expensive private hotels guarded by 20ft of razor wire and big guys with automatic rifles.

Angus Nicholson,

Councillor Western Isles, Scotland

on wolf ecotourism

Castor canadensis

Canadian - 20 kg - 1 m

Castor fiber

European - slightly bigger - slightly longer

European beaver

Extirpated from UK in 1500’s

Survived on mainland in isolated pockets (black)

European augmentation and reintroductions began in 1920’s

Range expanding (grey)

Why reintroduce beavers?

Ecological

–! Role in riparian ecosystem

–! Renew and recreate wetlands with benefits to frogs, toads, dragonflies, freshwater fish, water vole, otter

Moral/Ethical

- most large mammals have been extirpated from the UK

- Scotland is “biologically impoverished”

Because we can

- 13+ reintroductions have been successful in Europe

We like them, too

Issues with reintroducing beavers?

Ecological

Dams can create wetlands and lead to flooding of riparian woodlands

Required aspen habitat is limited

Economic

Dams can close drainage canals and lead to flooding of agricultural land

Moral/Ethical

Conflicts with humans can lead to culling (eg Estonia - 2000/yr)

is it ethical to introduce a species which then has to be controlled by culling

Current status of reintroductions in UK

England

2001 - Kent - 2 families introduced but failed to breed

2005 - Lancashire - 6 introduced from Bavaria

- 500 acre fenced private estate

- monitoring ongoing

Scotland

2005 Inverness - Pair released into private loch

2005 Scottish Wildlife Trust - applied to release 20 animals in Argyle

Application denied

2007 Scottish Wildlife Trust - applied again

Public consultations lasted 2 months

2008 Scottish Gov’t agrees to release of 4 families in May 2009

Release would be “totally irresponsible”

–!Robin Malcolm, Local landowner

Do they meet IUCN guidelines?

Wolf and beaver reintroductions in the UK

need to increase number or range no risk to source population cause of decline removed sufficient protected habitat community support impact on people +ve $$$

Has it been too long? Can they be put back?

What are your goals? Are these viable?

How would you proceed?

Who needs to be involved in discussions?

What stock do you reintroduce? How many?

How do you manage human-wildlife conflicts?

Wolf and beaver reintroductions

Today Background

Wolf reintroductions in the US

Wolves in the UK

Beavers

Questions to consider

Reading package

Mix of science and newspaper articles - read at least 1 science paper

Tutorial 2 teams Pro- wolf No wolf No beaver vs Pro-beaver

Pleistocene rewilding in North America www.rewilding.org

American cheetah Pleistocene horses American camel

Endangered modern replacements