Beaver and kit at Knapdale (Photo: SWT)
The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) asked its Ecology Advisor, Dr David Hetherington to assess the potential for conservation measures or re-introduction plans for 22 creatures which have been wiped out or badly affected by hunting, persecution and habitat loss. The species considered include the massive auroch, a form of wild cattle which died out almost 400 years ago but is used for active management of some nature reserves in continental Europe. Other big mammals on the list include the brown bear, wolf, lynx, elk and reindeer, but smaller species such as the great crested newt, which is thought to survive in just one pond in Strathspey, was also considered as well as a number of birds that are either extremely rare in the Cairngorms such as the crested tit, or no longer live in the area such as the Eurasian crane and the bittern.
The report outlines the legal framework under which the UK has an obligation to restore populations of native species where this would be effective and acceptable. Although the report looked at the possibility of bringing back bears and wolves, describing them as highly charismatic species with the potential to draw tourists, Dr Hetherington concluded that reintroducing these two species was unlikely due to concerns about public safety and attacks on livestock. However lynx are seen as less problematic with the report stating, “Of the three species, wolves and bears are often perceived as dangerous and do have the potential to harm humans, although the risk is small. In regions of Europe where all three species occur, the lynx is seen as the least damaging to livestock interests and is generally not perceived as a threat to human safety.”
“Indeed unprovoked attacks on humans have not been recorded while predation on livestock has been shown to be controllable.” The high forests of the Cairngorms may have been the last stronghold of Scotland’s native lynx.
However for the time being the National Park is awaiting the outcome of the European beaver re-introduction trail in Argyll due in 2014, after which it will consider whether a re-introduction project within the Cairngorms Park should be undertaken. European beavers are also already living in the wild in the River Tay catchment area where there are reported to be around 150 of the creatures which have successfully bred following their accidental release some years ago.
The full Species Reintroduction report from the CPNA can be downloaded here.