Should California reintroduce Grizzly Bears?

It's been a busy month for me. Between the job and my Masters I hardly had time for thinking about wildlife. However recently I became aware of a new campaign that attempts to bring back the Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) back to California. For those not aware, the grizzly bear is part of the Californian state flag and features in a lot of paraphernalia regarding California. However the actual species has been extinct  since 1922/1924. This was mostly due to gold fever and the human settlement in California. Human presence meant that grizzles were rapidly hunted and persecuted.

Now a new movement seeks to reintroduced the grizzly back to California, thus restoring some native pride and increasing the biodiversity.  I have to admit that I don't think it's a good idea just yet.

First things first, the habitat proposed is in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Whilst there is ample habitat there, it neighbors the Central Valley which is inhabited and also is the main agricultural center of California. Conflict is bound to occur sooner than later since bears are wanderers. Bears wander around to mate but also to find food. Not only that they maintain large territories that could include ranches and farms. This means high tensions from the start which is not how you want to start a reintroduction. Campers and hikers may not mind the presence of grizzly bears so much however people's whose property borders the potential habitat will likely come into conflict with these bears. Although grizzlies tend to have relatively low depredation rates, bears also tend to utilize trash cans more frequently than other predators. Therefore it is more likely to see grizzlies entering private property more often. Not to mention the fact that bears are omnivores, therefore certain farms that grow fruit may act as attractants for the bears.

So let's put the human/wildlife conflict and focus on simple ecological facts. Although the Sierra Nevada is suitable habitat, the grizzlies will have almost nowhere to disperse from there. Some of them may find themselves in Northern California where there is more suitable habitat but everywhere else is just fragmented habitats. One of the largest conservation challenges faced is habitat fragmentation and introducing a species to a fragmented habitat goes pretty much against the IUCN reintroduction guidelines.  Not only that but deer population is decreasing in California and with the drought, resources will be limited for a reintroduction as well as for the initial population to thrive.

There are however certain pros that come out of it. First things first, it's a case of practice what you preach One of the issues that developing nations seems to have with western countries asking them to conserve areas/species, is that it's easy for those countries to preach since they don't tend to have much to conserve or have already exploited all their national  resources for progress. Reintroducing grizzly bears will show that California and to an extent the U.S.A value their native wildlife and will aim to conserve it. In addition to that it will show other nations that the U.S is willing to conserve larger species that create conflict, a criticism that always comes from nations that have to deal with predator conservation.

Furthermore the presence of grizzlies will bring in more tourism as wildlife tends to attract more tourist. Increased tourism will mean increased capital which means that more habitats may be conserved if the government and the general public see some value in nature.

Overall however, reintroducing the grizzly should be something that's far away on a Californian's mind. Although it seems good in practice, the complications that could arise from such program would be too much to be worth reintroducing the grizzlies to limited habitat. California despite it's beauty and wilderness is densely populated and quite frankly should focus on saving other endangered species endemic to California. Though the grizzly may return at some point, there are others that need more dire help and soon.

Is Scotlad ready for the lynx?

Most people these days agree that Scotland needs an apex predator. Deer need controlling and the ecosystem needs a predator. I have already discussed the possibility of a wolf reintroduction but now with the Lynx Trust UK filling an application to begin a lynx reintroduction into the Scottish Highlands I would like to cover the issue of a potential lynx return.

The Eurasian Lynx is the candidate considered for reintroduction in the Scottish Highlands and it is a medium size cat. It mostly feeds on ungulates,unlike other lynx, so it could potentially make a good candidate for Scotland. It will potentially help the landscape recover by moving deer herds around which would reduce the pressure from the plants hence allowing the landscape to recover. This is one of the main arguments used by re-wilding fans through however the lynx has a few added benefits to its side.

Firstly lynx are usually very elusive animals. It is very unlikely that people hiking across the wilderness will come across a lynx and extremely unlikely that they will feel threatened by a lynx. This is good in regards to public image as the lynx does not bear a ferocious reputation as the wolf or bears do. Hence the general public is more likely to be more accepting of a lynx roaming the Highlands than any other predator. An additional bonus to this is the fact that lynx reintroduction can be very low profile hence people are unlikely to hear or see the lynx much. This will allow the lynx to expand it's range quietly and without much turmoil. The lynx is generally an animal that is accepted more by farmers and ranchers than wolves or bears so very little opposition will be met in reintroducing in.

Secondly lynx may aid in wildcat protection. The Scottish wildcat is under threat by habitat loss but it's greatest threat is hybridization with feral cats. Lynx has been documented to kill feral cats which could help boost the genetic purity of wildcats. However it is not documented how wildcats will react although other wildcat species seem to coexist with lynx. There are no observations on what effect the lynx will have in the red squirrel efforts although lynx are recorded to prey on squirrels if they can. In addition to that we don't know what effect they will have on pine martens or American minks. It is easy to assume positive effects but caution should be noted. Just because lynx coexisted with native animals in the past does not mean that they will do so again.

However lynx reintroduction will not without it's disadvantages. There will be livestock depredation and although it will not be in big numbers(due to the lynx solitary nature it will not take many livestock) it will probably make reintroducing other carnivores really hard. In addition to that due to the close proximity of towns and villages to natural habitats it may be possible to see the lynx slowly moving into rural areas and maybe even urban environments(although highly unlikely) and hence potentially becoming a pest. The most likely scenario of this is that lynx may venture into villages or towns every once in a while and eat from garbage or attack pets but it is highly unlikely that it will escalate to something bigger due to the shy nature of the lynx.

Overall with proper monitoring, scientific effort and the right support, lynx reintroduction can happen and should happen. It is a species that will not produce much political turmoil and might set the stage for further re-wilding and it is time that a “practice what you preach” action is actually done.

Is Scotland ready for wolves?

As my interest in wolves begins to grow and grow I tend to look into a possible wolf reintroduction in Scotland and wonder about it. Should it happen? Moreover can it happen? It seems that this is a discussion that occurs every so often and the media publish it but then it just dies out. While a few die hard groups still advocate for it, the idea in general hasn’t been discussed for a while. I decided to tell you my opinion on the matter.

I will start with the most common of all arguments. Scotland and the rest of the UK have too many deer.  This article basically sets up the scene as 50% of the deer need to cull in the UK. It’s no secret that ecosystems and communities need a balance and in my opinion Scotland does not have a balanced ecosystem. Deer are way too numerous here and that is damaging the ecosystem as deer are not hunted by anyone other than humans. Thus a lot more numbers and so a lot more damage to the ecosystem. Although other carnivores could be reintroduced, the other candidates are the lynx and the bear and although they will impact deer movement, no one could do it better than the wolf.  Wolf reintroduction advocates say wolves will provide some restoration to the system and that they are needed.

Although I agree with the point above there are other things to keep in mind. Reintroductions won’t happen unless the people want it to. Clearly you have the two fronts, farmers, livestock owners and hikers worrying about the wolf, and the advocates and conservationists who wish for the return of the wolf.  But there is more to the story. What about the average Scot? Will he/she be affected? Although wolves are not as elusive as the cat family, they can be quite elusive and it is only when they want to be seen that they will be seen. However due to the proximity of villages/town to wilderness in Scotland it is very likely that encounters with wolves will happen. The problem is that these stories may be exaggerated and demonize the wolf. A recent article put foxes in the spot as one fox attacked a child in the UK. Although these encounters are minimum, they can serve as an argument against wolf reintroduction or wolf shooting to occur if wolves were to be reintroduced. Of course on the other hand people on those rural areas could benefit as reintroduction could mean more tourism which is wolf based and so more money.

People tend to take examples of real life and almost everyone uses Yellowstone National Park and the wolf reintroduction there to argue their case. I won’t argue that Yellowstone is perhaps one of the most studied areas when it comes to wolf reintroduction but I highly doubt that what happened in Yellowstone will happen in Scotland. Yellowstone is a large area where more wildernesses surround it. The reason why wolves thrive there was because they have space. Wolf packs will travel large distances (up to 50km) for hunting and wolf packs also require vast areas for themselves. Although the European wolf tends to form small packs and break up over summer it is no doubt that wolves will spread eventually. And that is where the problems begin in my opinion. Wolves may not stay put in the areas you have designated for them. Wolves may spread and make their home near countryside towns or pastures and go into places people may not want them. The least we want is for wolves to become rural or urban pests. You have to also bear in mind that ICUN guidelines strictly state that reintroductions should be done with animal welfare in mind so it will be unfair if reintroduced wolf packs end up getting shot.  The problem is that wolves in Scotland won’t have the space they had in Yellowstone or in North America in general.

What is more Scotland already has a great deal of issues going on with their wildlife. The Scottish wildcat is in danger of going extinct while the American mink is invading the Scottish countryside and it’s forests. In addition more red squirrels are being driven to extinction by the grey squirrels and deer ran rampant, hybridizing and destroying habitats. Although the wolf may solve a few of these problems, I believe that Scotland needs to spend resources in order to manage the wilderness better. These resources will probably be better allocated to such plans in order to set up some sort of balance to the system as of present. Then letter in time perhaps these resources could be allocated to wolf reintroduction. But for now the wolf’s best chance is for an initiative that would work on a variety of programs to restore the Scottish wilderness.