Why we’re smitten with rewilding Britain

‘Nothing to do’ during the school holidays would be a thing of the past

What do the brown bear, Dalmatian pelican and European pond turtle all have in common? A tricky one, but wrack your brain no more because they’re all species being touted for reintroduction to the UK. The ‘rewilding’ of Britain has been a hot topic for some time, with over 80% of Joe Public calling for wilder national parks.

It’s easy to see why. Beavers, wild boar and white storks are but three examples of how these projects can work. However, controversy starts to brew when animals you probably wouldn’t want to find in your back garden enter the conversation.

Okay, wild boar would certainly give you an excuse to put off the weeding, but what about wolves, bison and the aforementioned brown bear? The chances of any of them wandering into the neighborhood would be next to zero, but there’s plenty of folk who find the very idea of them making a comeback in even the remotest British countryside alarming.

Then there’s the other, quite compelling side of the argument. Picture going on safari without having to pay big bucks to travel abroad – school holidays would never be the same again! The New Forest, Brecon Beacons or Scottish Highlands with their own ‘Big Five’ would be exciting stuff, and the immediate economic benefit to what’s one of the most wildlife-depleted countries on earth are clear, but that’s only the tip of this quite complicated iceberg.

“Any successful ecosystem needs an apex predator.”

Despite human habitation wiping out much of our native fauna over the centuries, there’s one species whose population continues to soar: deer. Subsequently, even the biggest, baddest wolf would turn out to be the good guy as they’re critical to restoring ecosystems, overgrazed by said deer. Although wolves avoid people and have had little to no effect on agriculture in other places they’ve been reinstated, it’s likely to be a while before they’re seen in the wild on these shores. The outlook for other animals could, however, be much brighter. Lynx, which would pose even less of a threat but still keep deer numbers down, are a safer bet due to their smaller size and habit of sticking to woodland habitat. Besides, it’s a fact that any successful ecosystem needs an apex predator.

As the reintroduction of the beaver has shown, the benefits of rewilding are almost immeasurable – reducing floods, anyone? Perhaps instead of being scared of the unknown, the doubters need to look at the bigger picture, then more and more people would inevitably connect with nature, to which there are zero downsides. Harry Shepherd, Media Manager of the Wildlife Trust, is well aware of the need for such change. “The economy, what we eat, the availability of clean water, a stable climate, and our own health and wellbeing are all dependent on a healthy natural world,” he insists. “I’d say that making landscapes wilder is fundamental to safeguarding our future.”

Unfortunately, opposition seems to be as poorly-informed as it is vocal. Conservationists and even large sections of the farming community, as well as the vast majority of the general public, are being left frustrated. Take Kent’s Blean Woods successful bison project. Now, 1,000 kilos of bad-tempered cow is no joke, but within the confines of the reserve (so unless you’re looking for trouble, no worries), they naturally engineer habitat restoration, so that their environment is more able to cope with climate change. This in turn leads to more carbon stored in woodlands to reduce the emissions driving up temperatures.

We need only look to the red kite, a genuine rewilding success story, to see that the UK is a safe pair of hands when it comes to these projects nowadays. Back in the 1980s, poor planning and execution meant that attempts to restore dwindling kite numbers failed miserably. Lessons were learnt, however, and since 1998 these magnificent raptors have gone from strength to strength.

For now, that summer holiday safari remains something of a distant dream, and kids will have to make do with ninja turtles rather than the European pond variety. What are your thoughts on rewilding Britain? Let’s have your comments.