Updated: Feb 4, 2023
There is often a long debate on whether animals that are extincted in the wild should be reintroduced. Well, as there are recent talks to whether the Lynx should be introduced into the UK I thought I would weigh in. The primary concerns with reintroducing the Lynx are the effects it might have on other animals and on the local environment. However, on the other hand there is huge debate about the large cat being part of British heritage and our history, so therefore should be reintroduced. Here, I look at what the Lynx is, why it became extincted in the UK, why it is potentially being reintroduced and the objections to this.
So, what is a Lynx?
The Lynx is four species of medium-sized wild cats, which includes the bobcat. The name “Lynx” originated in Middle England via Latin. The cat is a carnivorous mammal that is between 22-44lb, approximately 1.2 meters in length and is a solitary animal. One, of the notable features of the Lynx is the tufts of hair on top of its ears that helps to improve their hearing.
What is being introduced?
There are current talks to reintroduce 6 Eurasian Lynx (4 female, 2 male) from Sweden to the UK, as part of the reintroduction projects for predators. The plan is to introduce the Lynxes to the Kielder Forest in Northumberland, which has 250 square miles covered by forest. Each Lynx will be fitted with a GPS collar and introduce over a 5-year trial.
Why did they become extinct?
There are debates to the actual reason why they went extinct in the UK but the two main reasons are; hunting and habitat loss, both of course being caused by humans (so it is our fault). They have been absent from the UK for over 1,000 years but do remain in many European countries. After recent reforestation in Northern UK, it is believed the environment created will be able to sustain the wild cats.
What are the main concerns?
There a number of concerns with introducing the feral cats into Northern England. This is mainly from sheep associations and the farming community. Additionally, there are debates about the current wildlife and the affect it might have on them, as well as the money spent on the introduction of these wild cats that could be used to help the current wildlife. The main concern for the current wildlife is with the deer population but this is countered by the fact that the Lynx’s will help to control the rise in their population benefitting the wild. Additionally, although the local residence are excited about the prospect of the Lynx being introduced they are concerned over the safety for themselves and their pets. Finally, it is still unclear whether the area and wildlife will be enough to support them.
What do I think?
Personally, I think it would be great to see such an amazing creature once part of our heritage brought back to the wild. I believe prior to the full introduction of these animals there needs to be proper studies to understand the problems that may arise and if these can be mitigated or be counted as beneficial. This is mainly the effects to the current, possibly endangered wildlife in the areas they are planned to be introduced. Having said this, I believe we have a duty to rehabilitate the wild cat, due to it extinction being caused by us (humans). Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts and input on it, so message me on social media or in the comments below. Do you think the UK should reintroduce the Eurasian Lynx? Do you think the Kielder Forest can sustain the 6 wild cats? Do you think the surrounding wildlife will be adversely affected?
Updated: Feb 3, 2023
The use of snares is an incredibly controversial subject in the UK and even around the world. There are many debates between people who agree with the use of them to help control the populations of wildlife and those who believe that it is a cruel and nasty method that leads to the unpleasant death of an innocent animal. The use of snares has a large affects on our wildlife, the environment and the ethics surrounding the treatment of wild animals. Therefore, I thought I would weigh in, here are my thoughts on the use of snares in the UK:
Are snares legal in the UK?
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wildlife Order (Northern Ireland) 1985, self-locking snares are illegal but free-running snares are legal throughout the UK.
What is a snare?
A snare is a trap usually to capture a bird or mammal using a noose of wire or cord. There are two types of snares that are most commonly used, which as mentioned above are free-running and self-locking snares.
Free-running snares: Is a wired loop that hooks onto the animal tightening to stop it escaping; when and if the animal relaxes and stops pulling the noose can become loose.
Self-locking snares: As before is a wire loop that continuously tightens, often through a ratchet action, as the animal struggles. It only tightens and will not become loose, even if the animal relaxes and stops pulling.
Why are free-running snares legal?
So, why are these contraptions that harm animals legal in the UK (UK only allow free-running snares and not self-locking). Well they are often defended for their use in 'pest control' and wildlife management, mainly for foxes and rabbits. Additionally, they are used for trapping animals for food and research programmes. The law does state that any snare set has to be set to capture a specific animal, and must be done so not to snare others. This is due to it being illegal to snare many animals such as badgers, hedgehogs, pine martens, otters, wild cats, and red squirrels to name a few. Although, the list of what can and can’t be snared differs depending on the country (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) snares can still be placed throughout the UK but does require a permit and permission from the landowner. An additional requirement is that snares are inspected daily and set in a way to not cause injury to any wild animals (often it does).
So, what is the main problem?
After all this, there is a long debate as to if snares should be legal and if they should be banned. This is often seen by the strong criticism from animal welfare groups. The strongest argument for those in support of snares is to help control animal numbers for wildlife management and although this could be argued as being beneficial, I strongly believe that snares should not be used even for this reason. Here are my reasons to why all snares should be illegal:
Death – Simply, the reason that the snare is designed to capture a free roaming, wild animal to be killed is enough in its own right.
Stress & Pain – Prior to the animals’ death the snare will cause high amount and prolonged stress and pain, which nothing should go through.
Harm protected species – Even if snares were accepted as useful when managed correctly to helps control animal population it could have adverse affects on other wildlife. There are still times where animals (sometimes endangered) that should not be caught by the snare often are and sometimes results in their death.
The mechanism – Again if snares were accept, as above, it is still a dangerous unethical and violent option to achieve wildlife management. This is emphasized in that many snares that are set-up are set-up incorrectly and in certain locations or when they become damaged, quickly become a self-locking snare and a potentially slow killing trap.
Alternatives – Further to this, if animal control is 100% required there are many other traps with safer means of capturing the animal. These alternative do not cause as much or any harm and distress to the animal. Essentially meaning there is no real reason for the continued use of the snare.
What can you do?
After all of this I would like to think you have a negative outlook towards snares and want to do something about preventing them being used in your area or country. To help you with this there are three essential ways to go about doing this:
Sign a petition – There are tons of petitions in regards to animal welfare, protecting wildlife and importantly in this case stopping the use of snares, so you can sign them right now.
Share the news – Tell people and share information on your social media about snares and what they do. This can be to persuade them to sign the petitions above and understand the harm snares really cause.
Join a group – Much like the petition there are tons of groups who protest against cruelty to animals and for the protection of wildlife. You could join a group to get people to take notice and make a change. This can also put pressure on governments to change the law on the use of snares.
This is one of my more serious blog posts that I have done but I really hope it will make you think of what is going on in the UK and how its wildlife is managed. If you haven't guested I strongly disagree with the use of snares, due to all the issues I detailed above but mainly comes down to the prolonged pain and stress that any animal caught in one goes through. I don’t think anything should have to go through a prolonged period of pain and stress, especially before they are slaughtered. Let me know what you think and start spreading this post to get more people aware of snares and how to stop them. Finally, use the hashtag #Stopthesnare on your social media accounts to further help spread the word. Remember we can make a difference.
