By John Dingwall
THE wildlife broadcaster reckons bringing back wolves into the wild across the Highlands ‘cannot harm anyone’ while also warning that climate change could result in a loss of many native species.
LEADING naturalist Sir David Attenborough is backing calls for wolves to be reintroduced to the Highlands.
The acclaimed broadcaster said the animals have been unfairly portrayed as dangerous killers.
He said: “I think getting wolves back into the wild cannot harm anyone.
“They have been demonised over the years, but really they’re gentle and very loyal creatures, whose sole purpose is to survive and look after each other.
“There’s no ecological reason not to welcome wolves back – they shouldn’t be in captivity when there’s so much space for them to flourish in the environment.”
The comments are part of an interview published in the April edition of The Scots Magazine in which Sir David also warned that climate change could have a “devastating effect” on Scotland, with the loss of many native species.
He said: “A two-and-a-half degree change in climate by 2050 will have a devastating effect on plants and animals native in Britain, and the Scottish Highlands in particular.
“Scotland will find itself among the worst hit places, because there are highly specialised species that thrive in the colder, wetter, windier conditions that so much of the country provides.
“Take the ptarmigan, for instance, which is so used to its habitat it turns white with the snow in winter.
“With less snow, it’s more vulnerable to prey, and the plants and insects it feeds on will die out, too.
“That’s just one example. We need to do all we can to preserve these landscapes and their habitats.”
The 88-year-old wildlife pioneer has enjoyed a career with the BBC that spans six decades.
He said filming gannets at Bass Rock, in the Firth of Forth off North Berwick, for his Bafta-winning 3D film Flying Monsters, was a “truly wonderful experience”.
He also praised Scotland’s wilderness including the Cairngorms, saying: “They are truly wonderful – desolate and sometimes dangerous, yet with a wealth of life within them.
“Then consider Loch Lomond – embracing its openness on a fresh spring morning cannot be beaten.
“Then the Hebrides – or for somewhere less exposed, the Scottish Sea Bird Centre in North Berwick, which is truly groundbreaking.”