Moves are afoot to reintroduce the enigmatic lynx to Britain, but there are strong arguments for and against
IN the 200,000-year history of Man’s war on other species, the extinction of the Eurasian lynx in these islands is recent news. However, during the past 1,300 years, the closest anyone has got to lynx in the UK has been in a wildlife park or downwind of the men’s deodorant brand. now, pressure is building to bring lynx back, using stock from northern Europe where they’re plentiful.
Alongside the moral responsibility felt by some ecologists to reintroduce lost species, the main impetus to do so comes from the rewilding movement. Wild areas need an apex predator to control overpopulated deer and smaller predators, rewilders reason, to produce the sort of balanced environment that allows other native species of flora and fauna to thrive. They advocate a controlled reintroduction like the one that took place in Scotland with the Eurasian beavers. Beavers are vegetarian; lynx are most definitely not.
Although some rewilders accept that wolves and bears may be steps too far, they suggest the shy and retiring lynx, presenting no danger to humans, might be more acceptable and a draw for eco-tourists (if they’re lucky enough to spot one). However, their proposals have set the big cat among the pigeons in sheep-farming circles, where the animal is viewed as a threat.
この記事は Country Life UK の January 24, 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Country Life UK の January 24, 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
