Scotland could become the world’s first ‘rewilding nation’

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Over the last 50 years, two-thirds of the world’s wildlife has been lost. Around 40 per cent of plant species are threatened with extinction and scientists say we may be losing them faster than they can find, name and study them.

Our world exists in a balance and, with so many species lost or disappearing, that balance is under threat. Restoring this natural mosaic of interrelated species is vital to the future health of the planet and our own, say experts.

Rewilding has become an increasingly popular movement in Scotland over the last few years. Politicians are being called on by the Scottish Rewilding Alliance (SWA) to create policies that would see the country become the world’s first “rewilding nation”.

Ahead of the Scottish parliamentary election next month, the SWA want to see a solid commitment from political parties to tackle the nature and climate crisis as well as bringing employment to rural communities. Rewilding, the alliance believes, should be a part of those commitments. 

“The parties and the public face many choices at this election, including major decisions which will shape the future of Scotland’s lands and seas,” says Steve Micklewright, convenor of the SWA.

The Scottish public is behind the idea too. Last year the SWA commissioned a poll across Scotland which found widespread support for the principle of rewilding. More than three-quarters of people who expressed an opinion backed the concept, ten times as many as those who objected to it.

S: https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/04/26/scotland-could-become-the-world-s-first-rewilding-nation-how-did-they-get-here

[Better Day 5,766]

Well done to our fabulous First Minister and SNP Government for helping Scotland become a green friendly and progressive Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[Lucas 31,089]

Amazing news! I hope this will serve as an exemple for the whole world 

[bionic 50,111]

The UK has always been a frontrunner in rewilding, so makes sense that the Scottish government would follow suit  

IIRC though there are some concerns amongst environmentalists about whether rewilding is a good thing or not

[Economy 52,838]

@vyle plz tell me ur reaction was an accidental press 

[Starlit 68]

I live in the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands and welcome this like sunshine. A dear friend of mine is unfortunately tasked with stalking all of the deer up north as they are destroying the fauna and other habitats. I don’t much like the thought of him shooting them. I stalk them but only to deer-watch. I much prefer the idea of introducing wolves back into the highlands. 

[Fuffy 1,049]

1 minute ago, Starlit said:

I live in the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands and welcome this like sunshine. A dear friend of mine is unfortunately tasked with stalking all of the deer up north as they are destroying the fauna and other habitats. I don’t much like the thought of him shooting them. I stalk them but only to deer-watch. I much prefer the idea of introducing wolves back into the highlands. 

That's a very good point.

I love deer (they're majestic) but they are actually quite destructive to the environment and are a hazard on the road. Though wolves can be a bit of a nightmare for farmers with free roam herds.

The Highlands are one of my favourite places in the UK (or Scotland) btw. Some of my family come from the Cairngorms. 

[RAMROD 116,997]

Y'all really want wildlife in there, huh? Take all our rattle snakes, cougars, grizzlies, gators and more from North America if you please. And experience how sudden life threatening events are like when you mind your business jogging in the woods...., or crashing your house. It isn't al.that great. The romance of living side by side with wildlife died  instantly  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Suspiria 10,683]

25 minutes ago, RAMROD said:

Y'all really want wildlife in there, huh? Take all our rattle snakes, cougars, grizzlies, gators and more from North America if you please. And experience how sudden life threatening events are like when you mind your business jogging in the woods...., or crashing your house. It isn't al.that great. The romance of living side by side with wildlife died  instantly  

 

 

 

 

 

I understand your point. And as an urban dweller I don't have much desire to be terrorized by wild animals every day.

But this is about far more than human comfort. It's about creating sustainable ecosystems.

As a basic example, deer and sheep eat any plants that begin to sprout, preventing forests from regrowing. Reintroducing larger predators like wolves would reduce deer and sheep numbers, allowing some trees so grow and spread. These trees will store carbon from the atmosphere and provide habitats for millions of animals and microorganisms. The trees will then shade and fertilise the ground, allowing more plant species to thrive and in turn provide more habitats and store more carbon. As the wild areas grow the area becomes more and more biodiverse, creating a healthier world for animals and plants and for us as they deliver uncountable ecosystem services.

[StrawberryBlond 15,555]

While the benefits for this are all well and good, I do wonder about what this could mean for the tourist trade in these areas. Rural areas rely heavily on the trade of hill walkers. If there are dangerous wild animals introduced, less people may want to risk that. One of the great things about walking in the wilds of Scotland is that you don't have to worry about being attacked by bears, wolves, cougars and so on. I don't like the idea that this safety could be in jeoprady. And it'll also mean the safety of our pets (letting our cat out on a wander and walking the dog) could be at risk as well.

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4 hours ago, Suspiria said:

I understand your point. And as an urban dweller I don't have much desire to be terrorized by wild animals every day.

But this is about far more than human comfort. It's about creating sustainable ecosystems.

As a basic example, deer and sheep eat any plants that begin to sprout, preventing forests from regrowing. Reintroducing larger predators like wolves would reduce deer and sheep numbers, allowing some trees so grow and spread. These trees will store carbon from the atmosphere and provide habitats for millions of animals and microorganisms. The trees will then shade and fertilise the ground, allowing more plant species to thrive and in turn provide more habitats and store more carbon. As the wild areas grow the area becomes more and more biodiverse, creating a healthier world for animals and plants and for us as they deliver uncountable ecosystem services.

I don't even think is a confort issue, but an issue of being scared by irattional fears propagated culturally in Western Europe, where people see as nature is completely unhinged and full of agressive beats ready to attack you..

I live in a country with 2500 wolves, 6000 bears and 1500 lynxs and I encountered no problem walking in nature, neither my pets. The only news I hear are about wild animals being killed by humans, and not the reverse, as seen in this most recent exemple: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/07/europe/romania-bear-shooting-investigation-scli-intl/index.html