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Should we re-introduce wolves to Ireland?

begsbyOnaTrain

The Greens want to reintroduce wolves but the current government aren't having any of it.

Other countries have in tandem with re-widling areas. Should we?

The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has poured cold water on calls to reintroduce wolves to Ireland.

The leader of the Green Party, Eamon Ryan, had called for the reintroduction of the predator to help rewild parts of the countryside.

The last wolf in Ireland was killed near Mount Leinster in 1786.

Mr Ryan said their reintroduction would create a real sense of wilderness and help develop more resilient woodlands.

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/1001/1079433-wolves/

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storker

I like the idea of wolves being reintroduced where suitable, but this is Ireland, not Wyoming, and at 103 km sq, Killarney National Park isn't exactly Yellowstone either (8,983.18 km sq), so no, it wouldn't be a good idea here because we just don't have enough wilderness.

By the way, according to the National Wildlife Federation, a wolf pack's range can be between 129 km sq and 2,590 km sq, so Killarney national park doesn't event contain enough space to support one pack.

jmayo

Leg End Reject wrote: »

Look, I'm sure if the wolves were given a tour, and the rangers reprimanded them when they stepped outside these corridors, they would ignore their instincts and obediently stay put.

In Canada petrol station I once stood beside what I was told was a wolf dog cross type thing.
Looked like wolf for all intends and purposes.
He was beautiful but feckin hell was he big.

The other thing the proponents of this haven't thought through, well apart from everything logical, is that packs will split and when they do they need room. Lots of room.
It is not some Disney movie.

This would be a luagh, but for the fact that numbnuts like Ryan ocassionally make it into government and some of the people posting here possibly have positions of responsibility in the real world.

storker

Shamelessly lifted from Cool Pics, Vids etc, but seems appropriate...

Graces7

wolves... wow..met one once.

Wibbs

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

I said increase the fencing as high as required. No biggie. U Havnt addressed the obvious benefits of rewillding Ireland.

FFS, this level of... Look, I've already stated we need to "rewild" Ireland and start with rebuilding our native forest and what wild lands we can across this island. But like I also said - and if you had even a quarter of a clue about "ecology" as you seem to think you'd know this - releasing wolves into anywhere in Ireland would be like introducing goldfish into a dry aquarium. The habitat simply isn't present.

But let's imagine it was in the areas you want to fence off. You even want to have people living within this 8ft high fenced off areas and film crews while we're at it. How do they get in and out? Do you have open roads through the fencing? Do you have any inkling how utterly moronic this "plan" of yours reads? Or are you Eamon Ryan?

HorrorScope

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Sheep/cattle farmers will be a dying breed over the coming decades. Sad but true. Climate emergency takes precedence. Rewilding is the way to go

It’s going to take a while but ppl need to realise that the co2 levels are completely off the fckin reservation. HUGE changes are coming.

There is no climate emergency only manufactured hysteria and you’ve bought it hook line and sinker. Guess what? In 50 years the world will still be turning and pretty much the same, maybe a small bit warmer but the apocalypse isn’t coming.

And what exactly do you think wolves are going to do for the climate???

jmayo

Weston Witty Volcano wrote: »

If you really know such a person then do us all a favour and report them.

The pine marten is protected in Ireland by both national and international legislation. Under the Irish Wildlife Acts it is an offence, except under licence, to capture or kill a pine marten, or to destroy it's resting places.

Actually aren't Pine Martens the ones responsible for helping our native squirrels reconquer our country from those yankee invaders?

storker wrote: »

I like the idea of wolves being reintroduced where suitable, but this is Ireland, not Wyoming, and at 103 km sq, Killarney National Park isn't exactly Yellowstone either (8,983.18 km sq), so no, it wouldn't be a good idea here because we just don't have enough wilderness.

By the way, according to the National Wildlife Federation, a wolf pack's range can be between 129 km sq and 2,590 km sq, so Killarney national park doesn't event contain enough space to support one pack.

As I said earlier Yellowstone is roughly half the size of Connacht.

Some people don't appear to have a concept of scale.
Maybe they are too insular in their experience of the world and don't quite grasp what constitutes wildernesses in other countries.

But I suppose some bright environmentalist will reckon that they can just turn it into one big wilderness reserve.
And it will be grand.

Montage of Feck

I think I read somewhere that polar bears are descendants of extinct Irish bears. Maybe when the Arctic melts due to global warming we can welcome back our fury diaspora.

whisky_galore

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Sheep/cattle farmers will be a dying breed over the coming decades. Sad but true. Climate emergency takes precedence. Rewilding is the way to go

It’s going to take a while but ppl need to realise that the co2 levels are completely off the fckin reservation. HUGE changes are coming.

We don't have the space and the sorts of habitats they need, end of story.
Plenty other less hare brained ideas out there. Utter waste of time and money if they're going to end up being shot anyhow.

Beechwoodspark

HorrorScope wrote: »

There is no climate emergency only manufactured hysteria and you’ve bought it hook line and sinker. Guess what? In 50 years the world will still be turning and pretty much the same, maybe a small bit warmer but the apocalypse isn’t coming.

And what exactly do you think wolves are going to do for the climate???

Have a read of the inhospitable earth by David Wallace wells then come back to me

I agree with u that wolves won’t save the earth from climate change. REWILDING ireland and dtrastically reducing our carbon footprint is the logical thing to do. We can only do so much here in this little country. But we can show the way for bigger more impactful societies like China and the states.

jmayo

Wibbs wrote: »

FFS, this level of... Look, I've already stated we need to "rewild" Ireland and start with rebuilding our native forest and what wild lands we can across this island. But like I also said - and if you had even a quarter of a clue about "ecology" as you seem to think you'd know this - releasing wolves into anywhere in Ireland would be like introducing goldfish into a dry aquarium. The habitat simply isn't present.

But let's imagine it was in the areas you want to fence off. You even want to have people living within this 8ft high fenced off areas and film crews while we're at it. How do they get in and out? Do you have open roads through the fencing? Do you have any inkling how utterly moronic this "plan" of yours reads? Or are you Eamon Ryan?

Ehh I have the solution.
The wolves would have collar on and there would be one of those dog fences buried a few inches under the ground running right along whole perimeter of the other fence.

Oh and the mains connection for it would be in Beechwoodspark's house.

storker

Wibbs wrote: »

But let's imagine it was in the areas you want to fence off. You even want to have people living within this 8ft high fenced off areas and film crews while we're at it. How do they get in and out? Do you have open roads through the fencing? Do you have any inkling how utterly moronic this "plan" of yours reads? Or are you Eamon Ryan?

It reminded me of someone else who is keen on a large-scale fencing project, but I think the Mexicans are supposed to be paying for that one...

HorrorScope

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Have a read of the inhospitable earth by David Wallace wells then come back to me

I agree with u that wolves won’t save the earth from climate change. REWILDING ireland and dtrastically reducing our carbon footprint is the logical thing to do. We can only do so much here in this little country. But we can show the way for bigger more impactful societies like China and the states.

You think China, India or the US care about Ireland going back to the horse and cart? I think the correct terminology for that is LOL.

And no I won’t read a book by some spoofer - the world isn’t going to end in 10 years, 20 years or 90 years. it will be exactly the same as now. I don’t buy the climate bull****, I never will and I couldn’t care less - school strikes for climate and the likes of Greta make me laugh, as do the people who parrot this apocalyptic line. You are all pawns and nothing more.

isohon

Okay, I voted yes, but I have been dissuaded in reading through the thread. I'd still like Ireland to get to place where we could sustainably reintroduce wolves, I just don't think we are there yet.

jmayo

I thought there was way of seeing who votes what on these polls ?

Just interested to know who are the 38 (and counting) geniuses on here.

Wibbs

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Have a read of the inhospitable earth by David Wallace wells then come back to me

I have. Some good points, swamped by the end is nigh points that have almost no scientific value. The usual mix of the fringe of any sort.

I agree with u that wolves won’t save the earth from climate change.

Actually they have a large impact on local environments. For a start more trees grow and water tables rise. On a continental scale that would have an impact.

REWILDING ireland and dtrastically reducing our carbon footprint is the logical thing to do.

I'd aim to reforest the place first. I'd also make it more financially worthwhile to have fewer kids. The single biggest thing someone can do for the planet is to have one less child, yet on the other hand we're told we need more people. Hell our governments are all for encouraging importing more bloody people from elsewhere.

We can only do so much here in this little country. But we can show the way for bigger more impactful societies like China and the states.

Bless. I admire the naivety, but that's what it is. They give zero fcuks about this stuff. Though we could impact China by stopping buying their tat and penalising local industries who farm manufacturing out to them. Have fewer kids, plant many more native trees, eat less, buy much less tat and buy local = pretty large impact.

Wibbs

isohon wrote: »

Okay, I voted yes, but I have been dissuaded in reading through the thread. I'd still like Ireland to get to place where we could sustainably reintroduce wolves, I just don't think we are there yet.

The thing is Iso, I would love if Ireland was in the ecological and habitat position to house wild wolves, but we are a looooooong way off that day. First fix the habitat, then think about what we want to put in it.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

jmayo wrote: »

I thought there was way of seeing who votes what on these polls ?

Just interested to know who are the 38 (and counting) geniuses on here.

It's After Hours;what do you expect?

This has been properly and sanely discussed on the Nature forum in the past.

Nobody who understands wildlife or the environment would consider the proposal even remotely feasible.

aerburdz

Tag them with tracking devices so they can be monitored by rangers.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Montage of Feck

jmayo wrote: »

I thought there was way of seeing who votes what on these polls ?

Just interested to know who are the 38 (and counting) geniuses on here.

aerburdz

Would the Mournes be a good spot? Vast space with no nearby settlements.

Wibbs

aerburdz wrote: »

Would the Mournes be a good spot? Vast space with no nearby settlements.

Try and understand this for even a moment. They. Are. Not. Vast. Spaces. Have you any clue about scale and the difference between your idea of it and a wolf's?

CalamariFritti

Farmers can't seem to live with foxes and badgers. There are some crazy sh1ts poisoning large birds of prey. Yeah lets reintroduce wolves, that'll go well.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

aerburdz wrote: »

Would the Mournes be a good spot? Vast space with no nearby settlements.

Have you ever trekked the Mournes? Do you even know what wilderness is? There's loads of settlement throughout the Mournes. Again, look at the range required by a wolf pack.

I think you're just 'takin' the mick' at this stage.

aerburdz

The Mournes are suitable. There aren't any large settlements.

[Deleted User]

aerburdz wrote: »

The Mournes are suitable.

I've trekked the Mournes on numerous occasions, you don't have the foggiest notion. A wolf pack confined to a few square kilometres? You're wasting your time on boards altogether.

nthclare

There's enough wolves in Dail Eireann, nothing wrong with introducing more.

I cannot stand the green party, but they have a good point.

My friend has two Irish wolfhounds who are really good stock, I'd love nothing more than to walk around the wilderness with these two bitches.
They're strong 2.5 year's old and love their master.
Big broad shoulders and can they run... like the hound's of hell when they get momentum.

Imagine waking up the innermost sanctum of their hunting instinct, bringing them up the hill's...

Of course I'd only have them for protection nothing else.
Wolves are amazing creatures, very clever bastard's.

The best mode of transport would probably be a good horse, shotgun in the holster and two big dog's...

Epic absolutely epic fantasy of mine...

nthclare

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I've trekked the Mournes on numerous occasions, you don't have the foggiest notion. A wolf pack confined to a few square kilometres? You're wasting your time on boards altogether.

How about the Burren, plenty of goats need to be culled...

All jokes aside Ireland in its present form isn't able for wolves, there's no Island off the coast suitable either.

Peter T

Id love to see them reintroduced but again we simply don't have the space for them to roam. I live around 70k from killarney national park and we get wild deer out here locally from time to time. Now realistically if you exclude following the mountains all that goes through farm land (beef and sheep). If they want to control deer population they should be offering it as a food source for people to buy.