The idea of unleashing a pack of wolves in the Scottish Highlands might sound like the start of a horror film.
But scientists want it to become a reality – to help solve the climate crisis.
Researchers from the University of Leeds claim that reintroducing wolves to the Scottish Highlands could help to reduce red deer populations.
This, they say, would lead to an expansion of native woodland that could take in and store carbon dioxide (CO2).
The researchers estimate that each wolf woud lead to an annual carbon uptake of 6,080 tonnes of CO2 – making each animal ‘worth’ £154,000.
However, not everyone is on board with this plan, with Bob Carruth, Communications Director at the National Farmers Union (NFU) for Scotland, calling it ‘wholly unacceptable’.
Speaking to MailOnline, he said: ‘NFU Scotland remains crystal clear that any proposals to re-introduce predators such as lynx, wolves or bears are wholly unacceptable to Scottish farmers and crofters.’
The idea of unleashing a pack of wolves in the Scottish Highlands might sound like the start of a horror film. But scientists want it to become a reality – to help solve the climate crisis
Using a predator-prey model, the researchers esimated that reintroducing wolves to areas in the Cairngorms, South-west Highlands, Central Highlands, and North-west Highlands would lead to a total population of 167 wolves.
Wolves roamed Scotland from the inter-glacial times (roughly 50,000 years ago) to the middle of the 18th century.
But when the wolf was hunted to extinction, this left red deer with no natural predators, leading to a surge in their population.
The latest estimates suggest that there are as many as 400,000 red deer in Scotland, which comes as bad news for Scotland’s native woodland.
‘Wild deer pose a significant threat to forests,’ Forest Research previously explained.
‘They strip the leaves, shoots and bark of trees, decimate plant communities in the undergrowth, and prevent natural regeneration of trees.’
In their new study, the researchers set out to understand whether reintroducing wolves to the Scottish Highlands could help these native woodlands to regrow.
Using a predator-prey model, the researchers esimated that reintroducing wolves to areas in the Cairngorms, South-west Highlands, Central Highlands, and North-west Highlands would lead to a total population of 167 wolves.
According to the model, this would be enough to reduce red deer populations to a level that would allow trees to regenerate naturally.
Researchers from the University of Leeds claim that reintroducing wolves to the Scottish Highlands could help to reduce red deer populations. Pictured: Lochnagar in the Cairngorms National Park
According to the model, 167 wolves would be enough to reduce red deer populations to a level that would allow trees to regenerate naturally
In turn, these trees could remove one million tonnes of CO2 each year – the equivalent of about five per cent of the carbon removal target for UK woodlands suggested by the UK’s Climate Change Committee as being necessary to reach net-zero by 2050.
Professor Dominick Spracklen, an author of the study, said: ‘There is an increasing acknowledgement that the climate and biodiversity crises cannot be managed in isolation.
‘We need to look at the potential role of natural processes such as the reintroduction of species to recover our degraded ecosystems and these in turn can deliver co-benefits for climate and nature recovery.’
One example of a successful reintroduction of wolves is Yellowstone National Park back in 1995.
By controlling elk populations, the wolves reduced overgrazing, allowing vegetation like willow and aspen to recover, which in turn supported species such as beavers and songbirds.
However, not everyone is on board with the plan to reintroduce wolves in Scotland.
Many farmers have raised concerned that wolves could wreak havoc on their flocks of sheep.
For example, in 2016, Norwegian authorities paid out compensation on nearly 20,000 sheep lost to predators, including lynx, bears and wolves.
The latest estimates suggest that there are as many as 400,000 red deer in Scotland, which comes as bad news for Scotland’s native woodland
Speaking at the time, Martin Kennedy, NFU Scotland Vice President, said: ‘The Norwegians told us that to reintroduce predators into our country would be an absolute catastrophe.
‘Their experience has simply strengthened our resolve to ensure that any proposals to do the same in Scotland receive rigorous scrutiny.’
What’s more, while wolf attacks on humans are rare, there have been several cases in recent years.
According to a report by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, between 2002 and 2020, there were 26 fatal attacks throughout the world.
Despite these concerns, the University of Leeds team argues that the benefits of reintroducing wolves needs to be considered.
As well as helping to combat climate change, the scientists say that wolves could boost ecotourism, reduce deer-related road traffic accidents, and reduce incidents of Lyme disease.
‘Our aim is to provide new information to inform ongoing and future discussions about the possibility of wolf reintroductions both in the UK and elsewhere,’ said Lee Schofield, a co-author of the study.
‘We recognise that substantial and wide-ranging stakeholder and public engagement would clearly be essential before any wolf reintroduction could be considered.
‘Human-wildlife conflicts involving carnivores are common and must be addressed through public policies that account for people’s attitudes for a reintroduction to be successful.’
