Ross Chainey, MSN Environment Contributor

The Return Of Britain's Wild Heritage

Britain used to be populated by brown bears (image © DAWN VILLELLA/AP/PA Photos)

Britain’s wild places could be about to get a lot wilder if some conservationists and landowners get their way.

Species that were driven to extinction in the UK, including wolves, lynx and beavers could soon be living free in the wild once again.

It is hoped that re-introducing some of Britain’s lost indigenous species could enhance the natural environment and give the country a massive tourism boost.

But not everyone thinks it is a good idea. Critics of the various schemes and campaigns to re-introduce these animals to the wild argue that it would upset the environmental equilibrium and pose a threat to livestock.

Wild Britain

To most Brits, the idea of wolves roaming the Scottish Highlands is bizarre, exciting and, for some, frightening. But wolves are just one of the many seemingly exotic species that once roamed the British Isles in great numbers.

Wolves were hunted to extinction in Scotland and Ireland in the late 1700s, while the lynx was wiped out during medieval times by deforestation, declining deer populations and hunting.

Wolves could soon be roaming the Scottish Highlands (image © DAWN VILLELLA/AP/PA Photos)

The British wild boar population lasted until the 13th century when it died out because of loss of forest habitat and hunting. Beavers, meanwhile, were persecuted for their pelts and meat and had disappeared by the 16th century.

Incredibly, our island was also populated by brown bears. But while they survive in Russia, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe, they haven’t been seen in our wild places for over a thousand years, possibly longer.

Radical plans

All this could be about to change. Plans are afoot to re-introduce many of these species to the UK. And for some of them the comeback is well and truly under way.

On the 23,000 acre Alladale estate near Inverness, an extraordinary and highly controversial experiment is taking place. Landowner Paul Lister aims to restore this part of the Scottish Highlands to its former glory and has brought back to the area long-vanished species including moose and wild boar.

And he isn’t stopping there; Lister aims to re-introduce breeding populations of lynx, brown bear and wolves to control the growing population of red deer.

The European beaver is to be reintroduced in Knapdale, Argyll, on a trial basis in spring 2009 (image © PA Photos)

Not surprisingly, the scheme has a number of opponents. Farmers are concerned about the welfare of their livestock and have demanded that any predators be fenced in – which would make the estate a glorified zoo and deny ramblers their right to roam the landscape.

Recreating ancient wilderness

Elsewhere, the plight of Scotland’s wildcat population shows how re-introducing an animal back into one of its original habitats is not as easy as it sounds.

Amos Courage, spokesperson for the Aspinall Foundation, which campaigns for the return of species to the wild, says: "It is a nice thing to do, but it is not as simple as opening a box. You have to talk to people who will be affected and consider the impact on habitat and prey species.

"Wildcats are out there already, but we don’t know to what extent they have been hybridised with domestic cats. Any re-introduction would probably have to be accompanied by a neutering programme in the area where they are to be introduced."

Return of the beaver

The re-introduction of beavers has been much-debated. The first beavers to live wild in the UK since the 1500s have slowly been returning to our nation’s waterways. The Scottish Wildlife Trust believes ‘beaver-tourism’ could be worth £101 per household and that the creatures will help regenerate wetland and help other species such as frogs, toads, water voles and fish.

Would you want to see wild bears in the British countryside? (Image © AL GRILLO/AP/PA Photos)

But in other countries the return of the beaver has proved problematic. Beavers close drainage canals to catch food and in Estonia this caused floods and damage to woodland. This led to a cull of almost 8,000 beavers, raising serious moral questions about re-introducing species only to control their numbers by killing them.

Wild boars returned to the wild by accident and are thriving in several counties in the south of England after escaping from farms.

They were originally viewed as a potential threat to people, animals, trees and crops. But they have played an essential role in maintaining the balance of their habitat while also providing meat.

But it is the possible re-introduction of wolves that is perhaps the most controversial. A report published in Proceedings of the Royal Society claimed that bringing wolves back could help the environment by reducing red deer numbers, which would allow forests to regenerate and promote the return of rare birds.

Again, it is not as simple as it sounds. Sarah Anderson, spokesperson for the National Farmers Union Scotland, says: “The re-introduction of some species into the wild could present significant problems for animal welfare. For example, wolves would be likely to attack sheep because they are slower than other potential prey.”

Anyone worried about the threat to humans can rest easy – several reports describe the risk as negligible. The benefit to our glorious, ancient, natural habitat, on the other hand, could be immeasurable.

Further Reading

Does Britain have any wilderness left?

Britain's top wild places to visit

Britain's national parks

Wonders of the world

The British countryside