Wolf pack released in the Scottish Highlands
Wolves most likely in Alladale, Scotland released.
Tamsweg, 1.4.2015. Just this Sunday, David Attenborough was cited as backing the reintroduction of wolves in the Highlands. As it seems his wish has now become reality.
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Surprising even to most nature conservationists, a pack of wolves with 6 individuals was released today in an undisclosed location in the Scottish highlands. We believe that they were released close to Alladale, Scotland.
This move caught everyone familiar with the nature conservation and wildlife movement in the United Kingdom by surprise, including us.
According to Slovakian NGOS, the wolves were captured in the border region between Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine and were brought last weekend in a largely clandestine operation by truck to the United Kingdom via the Eurotunnel. According to Customs officials, entering the United Kingdom posed a problem for the wolves.
The release of the wolves is a huge success and reflects that more than 70% of UK citizens favouring the return of wolves to the British Isles.
Gudrun Pflüger, Large Carnivore Specialist, confirmed: ¨The Scottish Highlands are the ideal area for the reintroduction of wolves due to the abundance of ungulates. The large numbers of natural prey will minimize the human- and wolf coexistence issues commonly experienced in Germany, Switzerland, Italy or Spain where already large number of wolves roam freely in the countryside.”
But she also warns that: ¨The Scottish governments must immediately start with educating the local sheep farmers on how to effectively protect their herds and provide compensation schemes for the first years until the protection measures are adopted and effectively managed.”
There still is no official confirmation of the whereabouts of the wolf pack due to the danger of negative local repercussions by hunters and farmers as well as sheepherders. A veterinarian involved with the release of the wolf pack confirmed, that scientists are tracking the wolves and are monitoring their behaviour.
We are strongly supporting this fantastic news and are preparing educational material plus training seminars for Scottish sheep herders on how to best protect their herds.
We will keep you updated on this fantastic turn of events in the United Kingdom.
Dear All,
As you expected, this was an April’s fool joke. Interestingly enough there were quite a few wolf related April fools joke across Europe like the one concerning the Scotish inventor with the dental implants for sheep so that they could bite back.
https://mobil.nwzonline.de/wirtschaft/weser-ems/jetzt-beissen-schafe-zurueck-aber-nur-am-1-april_a_26,0,266274701.html
This is for us a good sign that the general public is in fact positive towards the come back of the wolves across the European countryside.
We know that this opinion will come occasionally under pressure if all of us wilderness advocates do not continue to educate, inform and communicate relentlessly of the positive effects wolves have on our ecosystem and therefore ultimately for human man kind.
We are dedicationg our focus and energy so that in a few years a news posting on 1 April concerning wolves in Scotland will in fact NOT be an April’s fool joke. Please help us to ensure the return of the large carnivores across Europe…
The European Wilderness Society Team
Katrin, Karin, Gudrun, Katrina, Jessica, Susanne, Anni, Michael, Otto, Kurt, Vlado, Zoltan and Max
April Fools Day joke or not, there is a serious point here about the need for detailed assessment of habitat capability and also some assessment of social reaction and management issues. That is what was done for the European beaver, so the same for the wolf please.
oh no…bad joke you guys!
My balloon of happiness popped when I relised the date. What a pity
Great!!! They are back finally after so long time!!! Welcome!!
Und wie stehts’ mit der zukünftigen Wiedereinführung des Mammuts in Sibirien? tiergezogene Holzrückung wird dann möglich!
Grüße,
Isabelle P.
from Chloe Dalglish (twitter)
@EUWilderness An incredible #AprilFools – Lets hope that in the near future #rewilding becomes a viable possibility!
From Sheila W.
I got up this morning intending to be extra careful not to fall for anything – and still nearly did!
I was really exited when I read this, then I realized what day it was. I just dare not believe it. But if it’s true, it’s really marvellous news and I wish the wolves and the Highlands a beautiful future!
If for real? It is not good at all and I am sad that the Wilderness Society would think it ‘good news’! Such a move, without effective public consultation would be impossible for the Scottish government to sanction. Thus, if carried out by ‘partisans’ it will first add to the sense of alienation many farmers and upland estate owners already feel toward ‘wildlife’ groups. It will also alienate the Scottish government, who will be placed in the unenviable position of capturing or shooting the wolves, whilst the majority of relatively uninformed public would want them to remain. Perhaps it is a joke from the Wilderness Society as well as the clandestine wolf people…if so, it is not appreciated.
I think a giant pig was also spotted flying over London earlier today…
Must be an April Fool’s joke; the legislative and licensing restrictions plus the legal requirement for public consultation are too high for this not to be!
I do so hope this is not an April Fool’s joke!
If for real, marvellous, assuming this turns out well, especially for the wolves.
Whatever, best wishes!
What’s the date today?!
I almost believed it, until I realised the date! 🙂