British Millionaire Attempts to Reintroduce Wolves to Scottish Highlands Estate
Tags: Farmers, Furniture
A British businessman wants to reintroduce once-native animals to his estate in the Scottish highlands.
Multimillionaire Paul Lister, son of the owner of the UK furniture store chain MFI, has already brought a pair of moose purchased from Sweden - he flew them back on a chartered plane. Hulda and Hercules are now free to explore the 450 acre (180 hectares) section of the deforested and depopulated highlands. Wild boars have also been released into his huge Alladale wilderness reserve.
He plans on opening the park up to the general public for a small charge in order to turn a profit. The "experiment" will cost approximately 800,000 pounds a year in capital expenditure.
It is clear that the idea is strictly for business, and is in no way a conservation effort: "Alladale is about a restoration project - it's not about conservation - we haven't got a lot to conserve." His decision to attempt to reintroduce bears and wolves into the park is one that he believes will increase business tenfold - it would also create 100 new jobs on the estate and generate 7 million pounds a year, which will contribute significantly to the local economy.
There has been scepticism from neighbouring farmers and landowners on the idea of returning these animals. They claim that reintroducing wolves in such a way as Lister is planning would have many consequences that would not all be positive. However, conservationists remain somewhat intrigued by the experiment.
But Lister's plans have sparked public debate. Richard Morley of the Wolves and Human Foundation says: "What he's doing is almost like a scientific experiment - privately funded so it is no cost to the tax payer - to see what would happen if we re-wilded and restored parts of the old Caledonian forest in Scotland."
Scientists from Norway and from Imperial College London found wolves to be important in controlling deer population, diminishing the current need for expensive culling and preventing over-grazing.
But is it ever the right time to reintroduce wolves into the UK? The animal once thrived in the British Isles, but was gradually killed off because of its continuous threat to livestock. The last wolves were said to have been exterminated in the Scottish highlands some 2 centuries ago.
Reintroducing wolves will be a complicated process. Their numbers will have to be strictly controlled. Lister himself says that any wolves he buys will have to be neutered, as populations can grow rapidly.
