mmmmmm still undecided on this one.
What do you think?

BBC NEWS | Magazine | The rodent to ruin?

On reading this article, I am feeling that maybe, their plan to re-introduce wolves, is not a good idea, if they are only being re-introduced just for 'killing'.
As for the main of this article, I am un-decided too RM.

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I'm slightly sitting on the fence with this one, but perhaps leaning more towards being against it..

If beavers are reintroduced, in a decade or so I think they will regret it, given the incredible amount of damage they're capable of causing. We're talking about an area of Scotland here which is far smaller than the vast area's of the North American Continent where their damage is less apparent (although NOT everywhere).
As far as wolves are concerned I'm sure the deer population is large enough to withstand them, and being hunted by man. So possibly I agree with this one. I wouldn't want to see the wolves being hunted though, but they undoubtedly will be. They'll be far too hard for hunters to resist.

This is a sticky one. I'm quite pro the idea of re-introduction but I can see that it will cause problems. I don't think you'll need to worry about hunters going for the wolves, it'll be the narrow-minded myopic gamekeepers who'll see it as their function in life to get rid of them. I've seen enough stupidity from some gamekeepers to last me a lifetime. Show some of them a bird of prey and they want to kill it. They're living in a timewarp.

I feel the same, not sure about the reintroduction of beavers here. We saw a programme on this some while ago and even whilst the programme was on air the beavers had already felled two small trees.
Whilst it would be lovely to be able to see them here I think it wouldn't be that long before there was a conflict between beavers and peoples gardens and fence posts. Their habitat needs to be remote and with all the house building goes on it wouldn't be long before there was a conflict of interests.
I hate the idea of something being reintroduced just so it case be hunted again, in the case of the wolves...

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My concern is different. We have seen the ecological carnage caused by the ALF releasing fur trade Mink willy-nilly into the wild. We have almost lost several native species as a result. The re-introduction of Wolves and bears would not be without similar issues. Beavers hate running water and will dam streams or small rivers in an attempt to stop it. This causes localised flooding and marshes. Given th rising average temperature in the UK do we want the midge and mosquito expansion that would follow?

I think not

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I tend to think that man's interventions generally have unforseen consequences, so best not to, even though they were driven out all that time ago. Britain has changed alot since then.

and nods in a agreement with Sooty
I agree , mink have done so much damage to the local wildlife...especially the poor water voles...
The grey squirrels have all but eliminated the reds from all but a few small pockets of this country...
Even so I can't condone plans to cull them...
Introductions or reintroductions have unforseen consequences...
I wonder what impact the reintroduction of the red kite in some areas will have...they have been so successful but not dispersing as much as was first hoped...
They have asked people to stop feeding them in the hope that they will move further afield in search of food...
.It is wonderful to see them soaring in the skies again....but I can't help but wonder what their impact will be on being so successful and what other species will suffer ....
No discernable negative affect as yet...
Just came across this, talking about the reintroducing of species and its impact...
We watched a documentary about the boar in the Forest of Dean the other day...

BBC NEWS | England | Gloucestershire | Wild boar shot on school grounds

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Sorry Sylvander, must disagree here. The grey squirrel in not indigenous to this country. It should be ruthlessly pursued and exterminated. After all it is a rat...not a true squirrel...and it does a lot of damage to our own native wildlife.

And damage to our trees. Tree rats is what we call them.