Reintroductions

Following on from your beaver post, micky, did you see this from Loch Lomond, where an offer is believed to have killed two beaver kits from the introduced family?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-64666850

No, Nellie, I didn’t. Sounds very much like natural predation for territorial reasons, sad though it is, such behaviour appears everywhere as part and parcel of the natural world. Let’s hope for better outcomes here and elsewhere in the coming years.

More ill conceived ideas by the armchair warriors. Just like the wildcats. If we believe the hype birds and small mammals are in terminal decline. What does releasing more killers do.

Not sure if you are aware fish but beavers are predominantly herbivorous! Beware the killer veggies!😉

Fully aware. It is a bit odd though that  here where we do some control of predators we have a healthy population of Large birds ie Kites and Buzzards, Curlews and Lapwings on the open tops and songbirds everywhere. Not noticed the declines ( apart from Summer African migrants) some of the organisations talk about. But then they have their own agendas.

That’s good then you will be aware that it may be down to area and the activities in them. For instance 40+ million non-native pheasants are released into the wild annually in the UK. Where this happens it has a detrimental effect on some wildlife populations, reptiles in particularly, but also insects which many birds and other creatures depend upon. This huge release  doesn’t happen everywhere but concentrated in some areas including some rare habitats and arable land. 

Not into the pheasant shooting brigade, but most seem to be city gents who come for the day. No interest in the countryside, the environment or anything but money. Probably the same ones who scatter lead shot everywhere. Probably would not know a Robin from a Kite, but hey "networking"

Like you fish, I’ve no interest in them either but unfortunately some ‘country folk’ profit from this activity and promote it. Something should be done, it continues year after year, it  should not be swept under the carpet and ignored as it is damaging the environment and habitats within. I have no issue with sensible and properly regulated control of some predators where their numbers cause issues to livestock, wildlife recovery or reintroductions but I do object to this being done in inhumane ways by humans dressed for the occasion for what they call sport. Afterall, we have caused much of the imbalance and we need to address it.

By golly we seem to agree on something. However the one issue mindless arm chair environmentalists ( in awe to some so called personalities) are the main problem. Badgers with  their diseases the most protected animal in the UK. The place is over run with them and costing millions in TB compensation annually. The drive for reintroductions when the landscape has changed so much since they became extinct, for whatever  reason. The grant chasing tree planting schemes, not for the environment but profit. And the list goes on.

I don’t think anyone is suggesting reintroducing anything into a sterile environment man made environments. More to do with repair to habitats and the reintroduction of those creatures which truly belong there. Needs careful thought and management but it can be done as so many projects are now proving. Just needs things doing on a greater scale and with the correct ecosystem at the fore of developments and a positive attitude towards nature.