WOLVES ARE roaming free in the Cairngorms for the first time in 300 years, but farmers needn’t fret – they will receive double the market value for any livestock taken by this ‘top of the chain’ predator.
Nine wolves from Norway were released yesterday (March 31) into the ancient Caledonian pine forest of Rothiemurchus in the Cairngorms National Park.
National park boss Magnus Muir explained: “Wolves are the missing link in the park’s ecosystem. They will control deer and will enable our magnificent Caledonian pine forests to expand and flourish.”
Seamus Macdonald, senior biodiversity officer with Scottish Natural Heritage reassured farmers that their livelihood won’t be affected: “It is unavoidable that wolves will kill the occasional cow and sheep, so we have introduced a generous compensation scheme.
“Farmers suspecting a wolf kill have only to cut off the ears, with tags, of the dead animal and post them to us. A refund of double the market value will be forthcoming.”
Peter Lister, the Cairngorms wolf specialist also reassured potential visitors that they can much their sandwiches without fear of losing an arm: “The public have nothing to fear,” he said, “The wolf is a shy animal and will avoid human contact.
“To minimize conflict we are putting up notices around the park to encourage visitors to stay on the trails and, most importantly, to keep their dogs on a lead at all times.”
International wildlife expert Roy Day was consulted by the park on how best to reintroduce the wolf. He said he looked to America for guidance: “We have consulted closely with the Yellowstone National Park in the United States where the reintroduction of the wolf has been massive success.
“The Cairngorms National Park have shown equal vision and I hope that the wolf will soon be joined by the elk, the lynx and the brown bear,” he added.
A spokeswoman for Rothiemurchus Estate added: “Our family have lived here for 450 years and may have been partly responsible for the wolf’s demise. So it gives me huge pleasure to see this magnificent animal once again roaming the forests of Rothiemurchus.”
The Wolf Initiative was funded by a special grant of £7.5 million from the Scottish Government. Local MSP and Minister for Biodiversity Gregor Grant, said: ‘I am delighted that the reintroduction has been so successful, it will provide a great boost for our tourism industry and will be another reason to celebrate 2014 as a momentous year in the history of Scotland.”