Should the UK bring back the Lynx?

[tyrantqueen]

It's being considered.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31813207

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-31793404

What is your opinion on this? (I would like to know especially if you're a UK resident)

Personally I am okay with it. I like the idea of species being reintroduced back into our ecosystem, as long as it's done carefully. Maybe if we brought this species back, it would stop the constant influx of "big cat" sightings that crop up every year

What do you think?

EDIT: I might have posted this in the wrong category. If mods could move it to an appropriate one, I would appreciate that

[SpittersForEver]

How long until they turn out like foxes, foraging in bins and also competing with foxes, I'm also sure hunters would go after them. So I don't think it would be good.

[Newt]

Is there an adequate prey base for them? My understanding is that European lynxes are big-game hunters, going after deer and such. Maybe they'd help keep the wallaby population down...

Spitters- I don't think that would be an issue. If lynxes are anything like my local bobcats, they will stay well away from humans and their dwellings. I doubt they would compete much with foxes, though they might prey on them. And if there are enough lynxes that hunters can shoot them, well, that's better than no lynxes, right?

There was an initiative to re-introduce red wolves in my area several years back. It was defeated, largely by farmers concerned the wolves would go after livestock. It's also possible they would have been genetically swamped by the coyotes that moved into the area after the wolves were extirpated. It's a shame, really. On the bright side, there are several other ongoing  re-introduction efforts in Tennessee, including wapiti, alligator gar, and alligator snapping turtle.

[Crackington]

Good post TQ. On reading the article, it seems like a one sized fits all approach might not be for the best. Maybe introducing the Iberian lynx in areas where deer aren't a problem and it can hunt rabbits etc and the European Lynx in our larger forest areas. I'm not against this at all if managed well. Beavers have been successfully re-introduced in some pilots I believe and isn't there a proposal to introduce wolves to remote areas of Scotland?

[Gwangi]

I'm all for re-introductions if the human influenced landscape allows for it. I think we have an obligation to restore habitat and species that we've destroyed in years past. That said (and I don't know much about the UK) I don't know how altered the habitat in the UK is, maybe it's no longer a suitable habitat for lynx? I live in NY where similar issues come up concerning big predators, wolves especially, but the problem is that NY is not what it was just a few hundred years ago. Lots of farm land, lots of rural development. Sounds like the lynx is facing similar conflict with it's own reintroduction. The difference between NY and the UK though is that NY has been heavily reforested in the recent past. Is the same true for the UK? I don't know, my impression is that the modern day UK is basically lacking any wild spaces and those that do exist are used heavily by humans. An interesting topic that requires a lot of thought. If the lynx in Europe is anything like our North American bobcats, you'll never even know they're there!

[tyrantqueen]

Speaking of big cats, there was that episode of Monster Quest which featured Darren Naish. Monster Quest is pretty terrible show but it was interesting to see him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJm-rGsBhPw

Go to 1:41 for Naish

[laticauda]

First let me just say, there is no such place as the wild, we as many people like to think, where ever we live, we own.  Magically we live in a bubble.  Mother nature tends to remind us how wrong we are.  Despite my beliefs, in the world, habitats change, and species come and go as new niches develop.  I also live in New York, where the need for natural Deer control, is some what lacking, despite what many Miller and Budwiser hunters think.  Top predators keep the herbivores  from overgrazing and second tier predators from lets say; killing off the song birds. 

In the USA, the re-introduction of top predators such as the wolf, or the Puma has been met with fear and hatred in many locations and people.  Ranchers and farmers are afraid of losing livestock, and suburbia are afraid that their kids will be attacked in their own back yards.  According to research by the US Fish and Wildlife service, it has shown most livestock is lost is due to the elements and Disease, only around 1-5% are due to predators. So, no problem there.

Mean while, Yellowstone, has seen new growth of trees and other animals in the park.  Even the prey animals are healthier, so the ecosystem is being re diversified. 

Could there be a strange attack against a person, sure, but for example:  in Alaska, you are more likely to attacked by a moose than a Bear, so most our fears are illogical.  So, I guess what I am saying , if their is forest land for them to hunt, let them hunt.

[Derek.McManus]

If properly managed I am sure this would be an interesting project in certain less populated areas of the UK parts of the North, Scotland and Northern Ireland. As I understand it the deer population in certain areas has exploded in the last two decades andthe reintroduced lynx might be a useful counterbalance. I suspect that a wild lynx would be hard to see anyway, cats being stealthy creatures.

[Quen]

If there's enough prey and habitat for them, then I think it's a good idea. I wish people here in the US would be more willing to reintroduce our native predators, especially where there are deer overpopulation problems (which are affecting whole ecosystems), but too many people are still afraid of the big bad wolf to even consider it.

[Gwangi]

If there's enough prey and habitat for them, then I think it's a good idea. I wish people here in the US would be more willing to reintroduce our native predators, especially where there are deer overpopulation problems (which are affecting whole ecosystems), but too many people are still afraid of the big bad wolf to even consider it.

Tell me about it, people around here can barely put up with coyotes, never mind wolves or cougars.

[laticauda]

If there's enough prey and habitat for them, then I think it's a good idea. I wish people here in the US would be more willing to reintroduce our native predators, especially where there are deer overpopulation problems (which are affecting whole ecosystems), but too many people are still afraid of the big bad wolf to even consider it.

Tell me about it, people around here can barely put up with coyotes, never mind wolves or cougars.

Agreed.

Actually, black bear is becoming a "problem" in my neck of the woods. (Quick Back story)In western New York, black bears have not been seen for many years.  Do to Black Bear population growth in southern New York State, Black bears population has been growing and spreading. 

There have been two police shootings of young, male black bears over the past couple of years.  The Bears had done nothing, except that they were seen walking to close to civilized neighborhoods.  In neither case, were the bears going through garbage, or sitting in peoples lawns, just passing through.  In both cases the police received phone calls about the bears from nervous citizens, the police checked it out, and shot them.  I do remember one quote from a police officer, who said," We didn't know what to do.  We didn't want anyone to get hurt.  It was decided to put it down." 

[stargatedalek]

Tell me about it, people around here can barely put up with coyotes, never mind wolves or cougars.

Around here (and I think in your area also?) the coyotes are hybrids with feral dogs, its made them far bulkier and more aggressive than "normal" coyotes. We've even had a few deaths in recent years from them.

[Gwangi]

Tell me about it, people around here can barely put up with coyotes, never mind wolves or cougars.

Around here (and I think in your area also?) the coyotes are hybrids with feral dogs, its made them far bulkier and more aggressive than "normal" coyotes. We've even had a few deaths in recent years from them.

I've heard nothing about "coydogs" expect that most people consider them a myth, or at least rare. Now coywolves on the other hand...yes, we have those. There is a great PBS show called "Meet the Coywolf" about them. Worth checking out, especially by us eastern North Americans.

The bear situation is similar here Laticauda, I also live in NY, in the Finger Lakes region. Naturally the general public is having trouble adapting. I for one would love to see one but alas, nothing but tracks and scat so far. The DEC has become extremely lax about hunting them this past season, opening up bear hunting state wide. Previous years there were limits on where you could go to shoot one. I'm sure it is only a matter of time until cougars and maybe even wolves return to the north east. There was a cougar hit by a car in Connecticut a few years back who's DNA was traced to western populations. Incidentally the same cougar was photographed on a trail camera in the Adirondacks. Wolves are occasionally shot in the Adirondacks, having made their way down through Canada.

[Takama]

Perhaps this is off topic, but i see were talking about local Wildlife.

We have Coyotes and Deer roaming our wooded areas, and the deer sometimes come into the city(we even found deer tracks in our back yard) However, Years ago, My dad talked to a woman who call the local police because a Wolf wandering around her property. Wolves are not native to our region, so the cops said they were shocked to see it. However they wanted to keep there story a secret to avoid stirring fear in the community.

To this day i don't know if the story is true. There was also a report of a Truck driver running into a Bison not to far from where i live. To this day no one knows were the Bison came from, and none have been spotted ever since.

[DinoLord]

There was also a report of a Truck driver running into a Bison not to far from where i live. To this day no one knows were the Bison came from, and none have been spotted ever since.

Mmm, that would make for some good eating... 

I think reintroducing predators like lynx or wolf is not necessarily a bad thing. They have their place in a healthy ecosystem - the population of their prey animals (ex. white-tailed deer) has become extremely high in a lot of areas. Safety concerns are a valid issue, but in most cases these animals are a lot less dangerous to humans than most people would assume.

[Gwangi]

Perhaps this is off topic, but i see were talking about local Wildlife.

We have Coyotes and Deer roaming our wooded areas, and the deer sometimes come into the city(we even found deer tracks in our back yard) However, Years ago, My dad talked to a woman who call the local police because a Wolf wandering around her property. Wolves are not native to our region, so the cops said they were shocked to see it. However they wanted to keep there story a secret to avoid stirring fear in the community.

To this day i don't know if the story is true. There was also a report of a Truck driver running into a Bison not to far from where i live. To this day no one knows were the Bison came from, and none have been spotted ever since.

You never know what could show up where, animals can certainly move about and do, the NY/CT cougar being an example. Doesn't mean there is a breeding population but transient animals travel long distances in search of new territory and such.

[laticauda]

I also have not seen any evidence of the Coydog but, I have heard stories of wolves and Puma concolor in southern Onterio and in the Adirondack region of New York.  I have also had many bear encounters in the Allegany region, and out in New Mexico. 

Quick story:

Only once have I ever felt in danger, and that was last summer.  In that case, I was on a morning run and I stopped on a small pedestrian bridge to do some push ups.  Now, the path to the bridge is curved, one side is bushes and sumac, the other side was long grass.  From the bridge, you can't see around bend due to the bushes. 

Anyways, I just finished my first set of push ups, and around the corner comes a Black Bear.  It was just as startled to see me as I was of it.  We stared at eachother from 10 feet away, it seemed like a long time (I'm sure it was more like 5 sec), and I am wondering what to do if he comes at me.  Instead, he turned away into the long grass, and then stood up.  I am thinking did he change his mind, is going to come back toward me.  Instead, the bear got down and slowly walked in a big circle away from me through the long grass, occassionally stopping making sure it had an eye on me, until he crossed out of my view, and back into the bushes.  I stood there for a few minutes, my heart is still pounding,  knowing I need to go the same way the bear went, and you can't really see into the bushes.  When I went down the path, I found its wet paw prints crossing the path and into the bushes.  Exhilarating experience to say the least. 

A predator is usually not going to attack a human, unless it is A) wounded, B)Threatned-startled, C)Protecting it young, D)Protecting a food source, or E) rabid-diseased.   

[Gwangi]

That certainly does sound exhilarating. Like I said before, I would love to see a black bear, but only on good terms! That said, I don't fear them or any wild animal really. Most of them would rather avoid humans. But bad encounters do occur, so it pays to be smart and most of all respectful of the animal. In PA just this past summer a hiker was killed by the same bear he had just photographed. Events like these are rare, but worth educating yourself about.

Fun fact. In the book "Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance" by Stephen Herrero it states that although you're less likely to be attacked by a black bear over a brown/grizzly it's black bears that are more likely to attack you as a food source. That verses the territorial reasons behind brown bear attacks. So while it is often suggested that you play dead during a bear attack, you don't want to do that with a black bear. In a black bear situation you want to fight the bear off.

[tyrantqueen]

A predator is usually not going to attack a human, unless it is A) wounded, B)Threatned-startled, C)Protecting it young, D)Protecting a food source, or E) rabid-diseased.

Most of the time, sure. Not necessarily all of the time though. Many species engage in surplus killing. Some animals do kill for enjoyment. Cats and dolphins for example.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2572968/Pictured-Horrific-moment-bottlenose-dolphins-attack-kill-two-porpoises-FUN-cat-mouse-game.html

[SpittersForEver]

Hopefully wolves or lynxes will be re-introduced if they were carefully monitored, apparently there are still some wolves in Scotland, anyone know if this is true?