Veteran broadcaster and nature enthusiast David Attenborough has backed calls for wolves to be reintroduced to the wild in the Scottish Highlands.
The much-revered naturalist said wolves have been unjustly
demonized historically, and allowing them back into the wild
would not cause any harm.
“I think getting wolves back into the wild cannot harm
anyone,” he told Scots Magazine on Tuesday.
Wolves disappeared from Scotland’s rugged terrain several hundred
years ago, after hunters rendered them extinct. They are now only
seen in captivity across Scotland.
Attenborough said the creatures have been “demonized”
historically. He insisted they are generally “gentle and very
loyal creatures” whose primary purpose is to care for one
another and simply survive.
The veteran broadcaster stressed there’s no ecological argument
to keep wolves in captivity, and that they should be welcomed
back to the wilderness.
“There’s so much space for them to flourish in the
environment,” he added.
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Although the idea was first floated in the 1960s, no such policy
has emerged in Scotland since.
The concept has been widely supported by environmentalists, but a
formal initiative to carry out such a proposal would require
approval by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
SNH, the body responsible for Scotland’s habitats and wildlife,
says it has no plans to reintroduce wolves into Scotland at
present.
An SNH spokesman told the Independent that an individual or group
of individuals that wish to petition for the reintroduction of
wolves should follow a number of steps.
“There are pluses and minuses to reintroducing any species.
Wolves could, for example, help reduce deer numbers in Scottish
woodlands but, on the other hand, some land use organizations
have concerns about the impact of a reintroduction on
livestock,” he said.
The John Muir Trust (JMT), a Scottish landscape conservation
charity, said in 2014 that there are no convincing ecological
arguments against bringing wolves back into the country’s
wilderness.
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Nevertheless, farmers and landowners in Scotland are opposed to
the proposal as they fear the wolves could adversely affect their
livestock.
Wolves’ legacy in Great Britain spans ages. Roman and Saxon
chronicles suggest the creatures were once extraordinarily
numerous across the UK.
The species, which was perceived as a threat to livestock and
human life, was exterminated in Britain through deforestation and
hunting.
Wolves caused such damage to cattle herds in Scotland in 1577
that James VI made it compulsory to hunt the animals at least
three times a year.
While some records
estimate the last Scottish wolf was killed by Sir Ewan Cameron in
1680, other reports suggest the animals survived in Scotland
until 1888.