Wolf sightings in Ireland

Crann na Beatha

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Judgement Day

How do you think they would have got here? They can't fly and were definitely hunted to extinction a very long time ago. That said, so many irresponsible pet lovers have all sorts of exotic pets anything is possible.

TheBigLebowski

Judgement Day wrote: »

How do you think they would have got here? They can't fly and were definitely hunted to extinction a very long time ago. That said, so many irresponsible pet lovers have all sorts of exotic pets anything is possible.

Pretty sure wolves aren't extinct.

Teferi

I'm pretty sure the poster just meant Ireland...

Anyway, there are no wolves in Ireland as far as I know 'cept the zoo?

Run_to_da_hills

Timber wolves make great pets, a guy had one in a motorcycle scrap yard in Mountrath a number of years ago.

Dusty87

Iolar wrote: »

Have there been any confirmed sightings of wolves in Ireland?

Not since Wolfe Tone:p

Dusty87

Judgement Day wrote: »

How do you think they would have got here? They can't fly

Id say they'd get here the same way wild boar and Muntjac deer got here, they didn fly either:eek:

meathstevie

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Timber wolves make great pets, a guy had one in a motorcycle scrap yard in Mountrath a number of years ago.

No they do not and neither do foxes just in case...

padi89

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Timber wolves make great pets, a guy had one in a motorcycle scrap yard in Mountrath a number of years ago.

Do they fvck :mad: That asshole should be prosecuted for keeping one.

Judgement Day

This site: http://www.invasivespeciesireland.com/news/alert.asp
maybe of interest to some here. Ducks and deer but no mention of wolves!

Wibbs

Run_to_da_hills wrote:

Timber wolves make great pets, a guy had one in a motorcycle scrap yard in Mountrath a number of years ago.

No they don't. They're very different to a dog. Very. They're useless as guard dogs for a start as they're very timid. Their default position is to run like fook:). They are almost impossible to housetrain and as they fully mature mentally(unlike a dog who acts like a pup all its life) they are much more pack orientated etc. If your man siad he had one and it would interact with you, or act anyway "aggressive"(confident rather than angry) like a dog, then it wasnt a wolf, it was a wolf dog hybrid at best.

There were wolves here. Big buggers too by comparison to the ones in the UK. The last one AFAIR was killed in Kerry in the 1700's

Dusty87

Wibbs wrote: »

No they don't. They're very different to a dog. Very.

Ah in fairness Wibbs they make as good of pets as Siberian Tigers.........


Just ask Siegfried and Roy

Valmont

Wibbs wrote: »

There were wolves here. Big buggers too by comparison to the ones in the UK. The last one AFAIR was killed in Kerry in the 1700's

If I recall correctly, it was 1786 (I read it in a natural history article somewhere). An absolute shame really. There is nothing quite as magical as trying to sleep in the woods with a pack howling only a mile away!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

[quote=A geographical perspective on the decline and extermination
of the Irish wolf canis lupus— an initial assessment Kieran R. Hickey:Department of Geography, National University of Ireland, Galway]
The last reliable observation of a wolf in Ireland, surprisingly comes from county Carlow when a wolf was hunted down and killed near Mount Leinster for killing sheep in 1786 (Moffat, 1938).
Although there are a number of claims for later wolf kills than this, none of them so far are based on documentary evidence from the time of occurrence and must be considered dubious at best (Fairley, 1984).[/quote]

This is the most reliable info.

jackthekipper

Valmont wrote: »

If I recall correctly, it was 1786 (I read it in a natural history article somewhere). An absolute shame really. There is nothing quite as magical as trying to sleep in the woods with a pack howling only a mile away!

Remind me not to go drinking with you, seriously though if wolves were around until fairly recently what would their main food source have been?

Kess73

jackthekipper wrote: »

Remind me not to go drinking with you, seriously though if wolves were around until fairly recently what would their main food source have been?

Guys drinking in the woods.

lightening

We Irish got on pretty well with wolves it seems, much to Cromwell's horror. England's wolves had long been exterminated. But as 1800 approached our Oak forests were decimated, livestock took over and the Irish wolf disappeared. So, Valmount is correct, wolves were knocking around here until relatively recently. And run to da hills is horribly wrong, they don't make good pets at all.

E39MSport

off topic.

I'm convinced I saw a black panther in Marley park in the railway area about 5-6 years ago. The warden wasn't convinced.

Crann na Beatha

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jackthekipper

Iolar wrote: »

Why wont the government take steps to re-introduce the wolf?

The re-introduction of some eagles didn't go down well, imagine how the population would react to rabid packs of man eaters prowling the country.

Crann na Beatha

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bijapos

Would be a few months of work for Joe Duffy and Liveline if we did reintroduce them. It would be almost impossible to convince people, esp the IFA, Daily Mail and what have you.

I have a friend who has a house in Yukon, he told me no human was killed by a wolf in the US or Canada in the whole of the 20th century. Don't know if this is true but I think its not too far off the mark.

Ideal place would be Wicklow Mts National Park. Could be used to control the deer population, they need to be culled every year anyway. But I admit keeping them in a set environment is difficult.

jackthekipper

Iolar wrote: »

Please tell me you arent serious with that statement.....

Of course, I was even going to mention werewolf; but I bet that would be the reaction of alot of people, as bijapos mentioned Joe Duffy would be flooded.
I think lightening brought up a very good point about habitat, Irish decidous forests have been decimated over the centuries. Don't some urban areas get foxes, imagine if a wolf started prowling around Mullingar or Tuam.

I'm sure Romania would give us a few wolves (and even bears) if we asked nicely.

jackthekipper

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm sure Romania would give us a few wolves (and even bears) if we asked nicely.

Bears haven't been around for a couple thousand years, I think.

lightening

jackthekipper wrote: »

I think lightening brought up a very good point about habitat, Irish decidous forests have been decimated over the centuries. Don't some urban areas get foxes, imagine if a wolf started prowling around Mullingar or Tuam.

They are very adaptable. There was a pack released in Scotland a while ago on private land, positive results began to appear after the reintroduction, the deer moved upland and the river banks flora began to rejuvenate massively supporting all sorts of other species that haven't been seen in a while. The people involved are in a quandary now, people want to fence the reserve now to stop the wolves wondering out of the reserve. But, if you fence it in, it becomes a zoo under law and you can't have predators and their prey in the one compound. So red tape may win this one.

Killarney might be a goer for this type of a project in Ireland, but I really can't see the farming community going for it. Also, it might leave a few upset hunters with us reverting back to the natural way of culling the deer.

There are urban foxes in most urban areas, but they are no harm. Wolves would be a good bit shyer than foxes. I don't think there would be a threat to humans.

Kaldorn

lightening wrote: »

They are very adaptable. There was a pack released in Scotland a while ago on private land, positive results began to appear after the reintroduction, the deer moved upland and the river banks flora began to rejuvenate massively supporting all sorts of other species that haven't been seen in a while. The people involved are in a quandary now, people want to fence the reserve now to stop the wolves wondering out of the reserve..

Can you give us a link to this story please? first I have heard about it and I should know because i am a wildlife reporter.

Rovi

Kaldorn wrote: »

Can you give us a link to this story please? first I have heard about it and I should know because i am a wildlife reporter.

Do some searching on Alladale Estate or Alladale Wilderness Reserve.

LINKY

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

lightening wrote: »

Killarney might be a goer for this type of a project in Ireland, but I really can't see the farming community going for it. Also, it might leave a few upset hunters with us reverting back to the natural way of culling the deer.
There are urban foxes in most urban areas, but they are no harm. Wolves would be a good bit shyer than foxes. I don't think there would be a threat to humans.

I'm amazes at times with how little some people seem to know about the needs of a species or of the populations and habits of our native wildlife. Killarney does not have the area required for even a small Wolf pack to survive. Also the Deer population is not sifficient to sustain a Wolf pack. The forests are not substancial enough and the variety of prey available too limited.
The dig at farmers is (from my experience of dealing with them on wildlife matter) is a bit unfair in this particular instance.

As for the assertion that Wolves would be shyer than Foxes and no threat to humans....Don't even start me on the errors in that.

lightening

Right, fair enough, I stand corrected. You are obviously a lot more experienced with wolves than I am. I have only been in their presence a few times. (they were shy) I said Killarney might be a goer. I thought with all the non-native deer knocking around there might be a chance of natural culling. I didn't have any "digs" at the farming community, I just said they wouldn't go for it and I'm probably right.

It's only a forum, I actually don't have a pack of wolves in the back of the golf ready to release. It's all just speculation and chat, so you might want to shorten those horses legs.

johngalway

lightening wrote: »

I just said they wouldn't go for it and I'm probably right.

As a much persecuted, misunderstood and future endangered species myself (sheep farmer with cattle experience) I would agree that your statement is correct.

cruizer101

I could be mistaken but I am pretty sure that wolves havn't been introduced in Scotland.

Paul Lister the land owner is trying to bring them back but is having problems with the legality of it, as there is no legislation in place in UK for large nature reserves.
So its either enclosed and a zoo, illegal to have prey and predator together, or not enclosed and the wolves can wander freely.

I've had a look at the Alladale website and could find no mention of wolves being realeased so unless they did it and just aren't publisising the fact I don't think its happend yet.

It is something I'd love to see, but I'm not sure if Ireland has a large enough unpopulated area for it.

Finally just taken from website:
In the past 400 years a wild wolf has never killed a person in North America.

Amtmann

Grey Prickly Shoulder wrote: »

As for the assertion that Wolves would be shyer than Foxes and no threat to humans....Don't even start me on the errors in that.

Indeed. While I have no experience with wild wolves, I met a German ecologist who was working in many forested regions of Europe for the EU. He had no doubt that wolves can be very dangerous, particularly for women and children.

doctor evil

In Scotland they have right to roam where people can (supposedly in a responsible fashion) go across any land. The problem here is that for the enclosure needs to be permanently fenced in so noone will be able to cross it.

lightening

I may have read it wrong. Still looks like an amazing project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw6dftleQlU

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

lightening wrote: »

I didn't have any "digs" at the farming community, I just said they wouldn't go for it and I'm probably right.

Of course you are right in the case of wolves in that environment, or indeed any in Ireland at present. But it's irrelevent to the discussion as the feelings of farmers on this would not be an issue as it's an impractical suggestion anyway.

I realise this is only a discussion but that doesn't negate the need to have a proper balanced and educated debate. Lets reintroduce the Great Bustard although we don't have any of the conditions necessary for it's survival. Let's bring back Bears etc...

No high horse intended. I just correct where necessary and try to give the practical points omitted in some assertions made.

lightening

Grey Prickly Shoulder wrote: »

No high horse intended.

Yeah, fair enough... I was sort of clambering up on one myself there.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

cruizer101 wrote: »

In the past 400 years a wild wolf has never killed a person in North America.

Research carreid out (Linnell et al 2002) showed that in the last fifty years the researchers could only find records of something over seventeen people killed in Europe and Russia, and none in North America. However hundred of non-fatal attacks were recorded.
They identified three kinds of wolf attack:
Rabid - where wolves have gone mad because the rabies virus has infected their brains.
Predatory - unprovoked attacks where wolves appear to regard humans as prey.
Defensive - where wolves are provoked by people to attack, such as when trapped or cornered.

In 1996 a wolf was reported to have killed dozens of small children from about 50 villages in Uttar Pradesh, central north India (Jhala et al 1997).

Why do attacks on children occur? One hypothesis (Mech 1998) is:

- there is almost no wild prey for the wolves;

- the wolves live very close to people;

- the wolves lose their fear of people;

- the wolves are inquisitive;

- a wolf approaches small isolated children;

- the wolf learns children can be grabbed;

- the learning spreads to other wolves;

Food for thought!

johngalway

doctor evil wrote: »

In Scotland they have right to roam where people can (supposedly in a responsible fashion) go across any land. The problem here is that for the enclosure needs to be permanently fenced in so noone will be able to cross it.

That's not actually strictly true. There is a right to roam, but, it doesn't apply to all land. Don't ask me for the specific correction as I read it on a site I'm no longer welcome on But there are limitations to the right to roam.

lightening

Srameen, I have been to India. Things are so different over there it's just not comparable. The way kids are raised, the freedom, the isolation, the poverty, the lack of education, the age they start working on the land, the lack of natural prey for the wolf. In general the regard for life is different. From what I can gather nobody worked out if it was a rogue wolf (old or injured), a pack or different wolves that killed the kids. But, its a dot compared to the amount of kids that die from other causes in India. It's the maddest country I a have been to. Driving is taking your life in your hands!

I reckon Ireland would be more comparable to North America. If we had the room, but you reckon we don't. I don't really know, I have done a good bit of hillwalking and climbing around Killarney and Jaysus, if really feels big!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

lightening wrote: »

I have done a good bit of hillwalking and climbing around Killarney and Jaysus, if really feels big!

Good One!
I've spent time in the wild in the US Mid-West and it's impossible to describe the isolation and the sheer vastness of the place. The same was true in Alaska when we moved away from the coast. Even flying over the place it's huge. Our little island seemed insignificant when we flew in on the way home.

I accept the difference in India but it still remains that Wolves have attacked and injured many people in Europe and will avail of opportunities.

jackthekipper

Bit off topic, but on News Talks sports show Off the Ball they do a section called Murphs Country Pages where they read ridiculous pieces from regional newspapers. Think it was last summer they read about a sighting of a black beast in Kerry. it was described as having the head of a dog with the legs of a dog.

Judgement Day

How unusual ' the head of a dog with the legs of a dog' - was there no body or was it just the head with four legs sticking out of it?

Valmont

cruizer101 wrote: »

Finally just taken from website:
In the past 400 years a wild wolf has never killed a person in North America.

Wrong I'm afraid. Kenton Joel Carnegie was killed by wolves in 2005 (coroner's inquest after two years said so). The point that wolves are, for all intents and purposes, harmless still stands however as the odds of even seeing a wolf in North America let alone get attacked by one are slim indeed.

We definitely don't have the room for wolves here in Ireland although I'd imagine that Scotland could maintain a few dozen of them. I don't see it happening to be honest, too much red tape.

Srameen, where were you in Alaska? I lived in Healy for 5 months this year and 4 months last year. I also spent a month on the Kenai peninsula. I loved the place and am still sad I can't go back.

Valmont

Furet wrote: »

He had no doubt that wolves can be very dangerous, particularly for women and children.

Was he implying that wolves will knowingly go for women but not men? I really don't see where the idea that wolves are really that much of a threat to people. I say this as I was surprised by one this summer and it passed to within 10 feet from me (no exaggeration, you can the photo I posted), I came across two of them last summer and they ran off and finally I was out camping this August when a pack decided to start howling, they couldn't have been more than half a mile around me. Plus, with all the Alaskan hunters and trappers I spent time with, I never even heard anything about a wolf that implied they are a threat. My two cents anyway.

Amtmann

Valmont wrote: »

Was he implying that wolves will knowingly go for women but not men? I really don't see where the idea that wolves are really that much of a threat to people.

Many large mammalian predators such as wolves go for the females and young of prey species.

Also, see here.

lightening

Grey Prickly Shoulder wrote: »

I've spent time in the wild in the US Mid-West and it's impossible to describe the isolation and the sheer vastness of the place. The same was true in Alaska when we moved away from the coast. Even flying over the place it's huge. Our little island seemed insignificant when we flew in on the way home.

Yeah, never been to that part of the world so I can only imagine. I guess you have to see it to appreciate it. Shame about the lack of our own indigenous forests. Have you been in the wilds in Kerry? I mean a good bit in? It's pretty wild, you wouldn't wonder in without a compass, map, bivvy bag and all sorts of other stuff, wild deer, wild goat, plenty of people have been helicoptered out, dead and alive. I probably have a bit of a romantic childish imagination, but I can really visualize a small pack there along with boars and other long forgotten Irish wildlife. More wishful thinking than anything else I guess. Imagine, Irish safaris and wildlife excursions with a chance to see wolves.

Dusty87

lightening wrote: »

Killarney might be a goer for this type of a project in Ireland, but I really can't see the farming community going for it. Also, it might leave a few upset hunters with us reverting back to the natural way of culling the deer.

There's Red Deer in Kerry, and if im not mistaken cant be hunted anyway.
Could be wrong, maybe one of the deer hunters could confirm this.

lightening wrote: »

There are urban foxes in most urban areas, but they are no harm. Wolves would be a good bit shyer than foxes. I don't think there would be a threat to humans.

I wouldnt think a hungry pack of wolves would be shy if a child wanders by after getting lost in the park. How often do children get lost? I dunno but it has happened.

lightening

Dusty87 wrote: »

I wouldnt think a hungry pack of wolves would be shy if a child wanders by after getting lost in the park. How often do children get lost? I dunno but it has happened.

I don't know what park you are talking about. I am pretty sure kids get lost in parks around the country all the time. I actually don't have any wolves, and I don't intend to release packs of hungry wolves with machine guns strapped to their heads in to various parks and playgrounds to maul and eat the poor trildren. I am just having a discussion about a very wild part of Ireland where lots of indigenous wildlife already exists. It's a vast area with lots of mountains and valleys. The terrain is pretty rough and I don't think a kid would get far before being missed to be honest.

anonymous_joe

Haven't they reintroduced wolves in Scotland?

I know that the over proliferation of deer married to wild goats, etc, is meant to be playing havoc with various woodland areas.

johngalway

Dunno what ye're worrying about farmers for anyhow.

Joe Duffy, would have a field day.

M.Maa.Maire! You're, in Kerrrrrrrreeeeee is that roight?

Mai Gahd, Maire, and, are they scratching at your window as we talk Maire?

Dear, dear me Maire, is the baby safe Maire, Should the army be called in Maire?

My God Maire...


And so forth