Where wolves live, forests grow

We don’t know when we lost the last wolf in Britain – some say the last wolf was killed in Scotland in the 18th century, others think that wolves were lost long before that. Some records indicate that that wolves may have been present on Shetland between 17th and 19th century – but investigations are still on-going to confirm this! One thing we do know is that wolves were once in Britain living alongside humans – we have a long history of them and they are a missing piece in our ecosystems.?

Now wolves are making a comeback in Europe. They have now spread as far as the Netherlands and Belgium, returning to countries that also have a high population density. Work continues to work with communities and we are learning to co-exist with them again.?

Talking about wolves can be taboo for rewilders. But on a sunny June weekend, on the Devon/Cornwall border, around 80 attendees came together to learn about wolves – their history in Britain, the benefits they bring, and more importantly how experts in Europe are living and managing these wild animals. The event was not one that demanded the species return immediately, but aimed to start a conversation around this magnificent animal, one that is an echo from the past and a keystone species for nature recovery.?

Supporting Nature’s Recovery

The wolf is a keystone species and has a huge impact on natural processes and ecosystem function. Where wolves have returned, nature is awakening. There is a saying ‘where wolves live, forests grow’. This is a reflection of their impact on herbivores in the landscape. They change herbivore behaviour through the ‘ecology of fear’ moving them on in the landscape so they can’t graze in one area for too long. They also directly predate on smaller herbivores, such as fallow and roe deer, reducing their numbers and therefore the impact they have on regenerating vegetation, including tree saplings. Healthier deer are recorded, as numbers are reduced resulting in more food in the landscape to sustain them.

Predators also help with reducing disease transmission as? they take out the diseased or sick animals. This has reduced the spread of diseases such as TB and common swine fever in many countries in mainland Europe.?

Where predators are present, we also get more carcasses in the landscape. This helps to close the nutrient cycle, getting important nutrients back into the soil as well as providing food for a range of smaller carnivores and scavengers. [link to How death gives life | Rewilding Britain ].?

In Britain, we try to mimic the role of the wolf through deer management and harvesting livestock on rewilding sites. However, there are things we cannot mimic, including the ability to move herbivores through the landscape and enabling natural behaviours.?

Co-existence on mainland Europe?

We were lucky to hear from several experts from mainland Europe – people who are working with landowners/land managers and communities where wolves have returned. The overall theme was practical – we know how we can minimise the impact of predators on people, but we do need expertise and resources to enable this.?

In the Greater Coa Valley in Portugal, the Iberian wolf is currently subject to conservation efforts. Works are being undertaken to increase wild prey, such as roe deer, to reduce predation on livestock. The Rewilding Europe team are also developing new nature based enterprises and co-existence products, where items such as wool are sold for a premium by being part of a predator co-existence scheme. This has resulted in sheep’s wool being sold for 10 times the market price to be made into local products such as Wildling shoes. A combination of livestock guarding dogs and fencing is used to protect livestock from wolf predation.?

In Lower Saxony, wolves returned in 2007. Research has monitored the diet of wolves, showing that 47% of the diet is fallow deer, 25% is red deer, 24% comprises wild boar, 3% hare and fox, and only 1% is livestock. Social herds with a good age structure are better at defending themselves from wolf predation. A livestock compensation scheme is in place to cover any predation.?

In the Netherlands, nine packs are now present. The wolves that have been in the country since 2018 are mostly predating on boar, roe deer and fallow deer. Fences are being used to protect livestock from wolves. Whilst hunters are still needed to manage deer populations, the wolves are helping with numbers.?

Wolves in Britain

Whilst ecologically we have the space and habitat for wolves (and with current deer numbers we certainly have the prey base!), socially and politically we are not ready for their return. Wolves suffer from a?long history of demonisation and myth-making. This is a?key issue, because any government licence for a?reintroduction would rightly require extensive public consultation, alongside detailed practical measures for co-existence.

But, I was reassured from our friends on mainland Europe that progress has been made developing practical and appropriate schemes to mitigate for the presence of wolves. When we are ready, we can learn from their methods and lessons learnt to implement effective programmes.?

So, the question is - how wild do we allow our landscape to be??

The answer to that question will indeed lead the direction of rewilding in Britain.

Thanks to all the speakers who shared their expertise with us, and for Keep It Wild for organising such a brilliant event.