Should wolves be reintroduced to Ireland?

catrat12 · 23-09-2018 9:48pm

It was more grey than red and much bigger than fox

John_Rambo · 23-09-2018 9:58pm

catrat12 wrote: »

I know this sounds stupid and to be honest it was probably a Fox
But I thought I saw a wolf in glencullen chasing sheep one evening few weeks back from my window

Huskies have a strong chase instinct and they became incredibly popular in a very very short amount of time in Ireland because of nothing to do with their traits and everything to do with their looks.

There's a lot of unwanted ones in various rescue centres around the country which usually means there's lots of uncared for huskies not being looked after properly. They're a high maintenance, high energy dog that need plenty of play time, exercise, stimulation and attention. A lot of people that dropped a cool 1k on their Malamute or Siberian husky were very unprepared and unable to keep up with the demands of such a dog.

It's not unknown for people to dump dogs in rural areas thinking they'd "fend for themselves".

Foxes don't really chase sheep. Not in the manner dogs do. They'll hang around for dead lambs or the afterbirth. I've seen foxes casually walk through fields of sheep without a bat of an eyelid from the flocks.

Fathom · 24-09-2018 12:41am

8 times zones west wolf news... The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is a native species that was likely extirpated from California in the 1920s. The gray wolf is now returning to California on its own by dispersal of individuals from populations in other states. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is working to monitor this recovering endangered species.

The Pheasant2 · 24-09-2018 12:48am

I like the idea, but in practice the habitat for them simply does not exist.

Tragically we're one of the most deforested countries in Europe and most of us don't seem to give a ****.

Tuco88 · 24-09-2018 1:49am

Plenty of space in dail eireann.

The Irish Wolfhound is another thing thats not really "Irish" you could say the Harp also?

No wounder our ancestors had such respect for the Wolf. Like the native Irish it too was hunted into smaller regions of the country by eh... "outsiders"

In truth the Wolf is a shy mystic creature... Nothing at all the the old tales. Still to be respected.

Wailin · 24-09-2018 2:05am

Complete fairy tale stuff lads this talk of wolves in Ireland. The country is basically one giant farm with absolutely no wilderness. Sheep are everywhere, up in the mointains and no way of preventing re-introduced wolves in taking easy prey. They'd be hunted to extinction again in no time. We'd need a national park 3 or 4 times the size of the Wicklow mointains with no farmers livestock, just impossible in this country.

Fathom · 26-09-2018 4:53am

Wailin wrote: »

They'd be hunted to extinction again in no time.

That summarizes it.

Teyla Emmagan · 26-09-2018 11:17am

What about the Blaskets? Or are they used for sheep? You'd think we'd have one unpopulated Island that we could put a few wolves on. Look at the wallabies on Lambay, they are thriving. Though they are herbivores I guess.

Avatar MIA · 26-09-2018 12:10pm

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

What about the Blaskets? Or are they used for sheep? You'd think we'd have one unpopulated Island that we could put a few wolves on. Look at the wallabies on Lambay, they are thriving. Though they are herbivores I guess.

Well, you'd need some sheep or such to be on the island

But, probably way to small an area for a wolf.

mzungu · 26-09-2018 12:18pm

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

What about the Blaskets? Or are they used for sheep? You'd think we'd have one unpopulated Island that we could put a few wolves on. Look at the wallabies on Lambay, they are thriving. Though they are herbivores I guess.

Yep, there is still a population of sheep on the Blasket Islands. Those numbers would soon dwindle if predators were introduced.

Not sure if there are other animals inhabiting them, but there would be smaller mammals like rabbits and mice etc.

Space wise, I doubt it would be a runner. Ireland 200 years ago would be perfect, now, not so much.

lalababa · 26-09-2018 12:22pm

Fathom wrote: »

In some US states you can. Wild animal restrictions apply. Friend had one. Had to be "introduced" to wolf by owner. After that, no problems.

Was it a handshake or a quick howerya and and a nod, or what? Tell us more.

lalababa · 26-09-2018 12:44pm

Wailin wrote: »

Complete fairy tale stuff lads this talk of wolves in Ireland. The country is basically one giant farm with absolutely no wilderness. Sheep are everywhere, up in the mointains and no way of preventing re-introduced wolves in taking easy prey. They'd be hunted to extinction again in no time. We'd need a national park 3 or 4 times the size of the Wicklow mointains with no farmers livestock, just impossible in this country.

French wolf packs reportedly need around 220km2 per pack. Wicklow park has that, we could extend Donegal from 170 to 220, and Killarney to 220. Reduce the livestock units per hectare down to minimum for BPS etc. with a very little extra 'wolf payment ' 'coz livestock farming is only breaking even a.t.m. We could tie this scheme into the eagle projects!
So we could have 3 packs, and every so often we could mix them up a bit for genetic diversity. They could eat the deer and bits and bobs. Locals could run airbnbs for the wolf/ deer /eagle tourists. Twould be a boon to the tourist industry'coz God knows we don't get enough tourists.
In other news......

Fathom · 27-09-2018 2:12am

lalababa wrote: »

Was it a handshake or a quick howerya and and a nod, or what? Tell us more.

They have a sign. Backyard door in 8 ft fence. "Trespassers will be eaten." I wouldn't challenge that. Wolf owner took me by hand. Walked me slowly over to couch. We sat. He continuously talked to wolf. Reassured I was friend. Hugged me. Called him to come over. He approached. Ears perked. I did not give him eye contact. I held out my hand with owners together. Sniffed me. Then closed against me and I could pet him. After that I could go to my friend's house and enter. No problems. I guess I was a part of the pack. Not sure if this wolf ritual was common. Worked for this wolf.

mzungu · 27-09-2018 6:31pm

Fathom wrote: »

They have a sign. Backyard door in 8 ft fence. "Trespassers will be eaten." I wouldn't challenge that.

Wolf owner took me by hand. Walked me slowly over to couch. We sat. He continuously talked to wolf. Reassured I was friend. Hugged me. Called him to come over. He approached. Ears perked. I did not give him eye contact. I held out my hand with owners together. Sniffed me. Then closed against me and I could pet him. After that I could go to my friend's house and enter. No problems. I guess I was a part of the pack. Not sure if this wolf ritual was common. Worked for this wolf.

I'm kinda fascinated by this. What does your friend feed him? Does he need acres of roaming space etc?

Fathom · 01-10-2018 6:46pm

mzungu wrote: »

I'm kinda fascinated by this. What does your friend feed him? Does he need acres of roaming space etc?

I'll ask him.

mzungu · 01-10-2018 11:25pm

Fathom wrote: »

I'll ask him.

Thank you

Ardillaun · 06-02-2019 11:33pm

We’ll have to wait for the farmers to die out first.

Graces7 · 18-06-2019 6:50pm

Fathom wrote: »

Question? Can you import a wolf as a pet in Ireland? Restrictions?

I would imagine so. To have a wolf as a pet would require loads of space and they would be really difficult to train.

It is only a few years ago as I was driving in an area that was vast acres of forestry that a wolf ran across the narrow lane ahead of me.
When i asked my landlord, a local man, he looked at the ground and admitted that a man nearby had a wolf and sometimes let it roam.

I asked a govt official, and yes, it is allowed, but they have to be licensed and are not allowed to roam.
He had good space where he lived but... I never saw it again so word will have got back to him.

also many years ago here on boards, there was talk of someone in Leitrim literally living with wolves, but no exact location was given.

On the same theme a couple of weeks ago there was a news item re a large black catlike critter running loose and it may just be a matter of time before escapees from private collections in a wild area ...

Graces7 · 18-06-2019 6:53pm

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Well, you'd need some sheep or such to be on the island But, probably way to small an area for a wolf.

surely wolves can swim?

LionelNashe · 17-07-2019 12:23pm

Here's an article about reintroducing a small number of bears and wolves in an enclosed forest in the UK.

Native bears and wolves will live side by side for the first time in more than 1,000 years in a patch of ancient British woodland.

European brown bears, which are thought to have disappeared in the Middle Ages, will roam beside grey wolves, the last of which were hunted to extinction in the 17th century, in a wood near Bristol.

The project, called Bear Wood, will give visitors the chance to see how these animals would have coexisted in the woodland that used to cover much of Britain.

If we had a large area of enclosed forest, which I presume we don't, that might be a way to do it.

carrollsno1 · 17-07-2019 12:55pm

LionelNashe wrote: »

Here's an article about reintroducing a small number of bears and wolves in an enclosed forest in the UK.

If we had a large area of enclosed forest, which I presume we don't, that might be a way to do it.

10,000 sq metres the article says. That is not a large area of enclosed forest that is only 1 hectare or 2.471 acres in farming terms you would stock two and a half cows to that on a well run system.

LionelNashe · 17-07-2019 6:47pm

carrollsno1 wrote: »

10,000 sq metres the article says. That is not a large area of enclosed forest that is only 1 hectare or 2.471 acres in farming terms you would stock two and a half cows to that on a well run system.

Oh yeah, I didn't notice that. 10,000 sq meters doesn't seem like enough to me, even for a couple of bears and wolves. The African Plains in Dublin Zoo is 13 hectares.

Fathom · 28-08-2019 1:33am

Reintroduction of a lost species? Numbers would have to exceed threshold. Not likely. If why they were eliminated in 1st place continues.

mzungu · 07-09-2019 9:58pm

Fathom wrote: »

Reintroduction of a lost species? Numbers would have to exceed threshold. Not likely. If why they were eliminated in 1st place continues.

Aye. Just can't see it happening in this country at all.

daheff · 07-09-2019 10:01pm

No

Why would introducing another predator to the environment be a good idea??

What animals would then become prey & maybe suffer declining population issues?

Sure while we are reintroducing animals that died out we might as well go and introduce dinosaurs

LionelNashe · 08-09-2019 7:17pm

daheff wrote: »

No

Why would introducing another predator to the environment be a good idea??

What animals would then become prey & maybe suffer declining population issues?

Sure while we are reintroducing animals that died out we might as well go and introduce dinosaurs

There are plenty of deer for wolves to be snacking on. As it stands, deer have to be culled by hunters, and even so they occasionally come down off the hills due to lack of food and graze in towns, such as Killarney.

LionelNashe · 08-09-2019 7:19pm

I don't suppose we have any islands big enough and with suitable woodland/habitat for wolves? I don't think we have.

Markcheese · 08-09-2019 8:16pm

LionelNashe wrote: »

I don't suppose we have any islands big enough and with suitable woodland/habitat for wolves? I don't think we have.

They'd need a fairly big territory to roam,
If we were attached to mainland Europe they'd probably be back and spreading of there own accord, there's wolf packs back even in the Netherlands and Denmark,

[Deleted User] · 08-09-2019 8:20pm

We have feck all forested land, for roaming wolves no?

daheff · 09-09-2019 11:46am

LionelNashe wrote: »

There are plenty of deer for wolves to be snacking on. As it stands, deer have to be culled by hunters, and even so they occasionally come down off the hills due to lack of food and graze in towns, such as Killarney.

and when the wolves run out of deer....who do you think will be coming into the towns looking for food?

I think the people of killarney would prefer to face a deer than a wolf.

Should wolves be reintroduced to Ireland?

Comments