Latest news with #reintroduction
The Guardian
25-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Western quolls and brushtail possums thrive in national park a decade after reintroduction
Western quolls (Idnya) and brushtail possums (Virlda), once locally extinct, are flourishing in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges national park 10 years after their reintroduction. 'They're pretty funny. We go spotlighting at night … you can spotlight at the campsite there and see them running around, looking for bits of food,' National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) reintroduction ecologist Talitha Moyle said. 'They can be quite inquisitive, but they can also be shy … some can be bold, it depends on their personality.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email In March, NPWS rangers and volunteers caught, scanned and released 135 western quolls and 30 brushtail possums over five nights. The Idnya and Virlda are culturally significant to the Adnyamathanha people of the greater Flinders Ranges area. The quolls lived in the area for centuries, and over about 80% of the continent before European settlement. They were last seen in the Flinders Ranges in the 1880s and are extinct everywhere except part of Western Australia. 'They're a carnivorous marsupial. They scavenge carrion, they eat insects, birds, eggs, reptiles, baby rabbits … any opportunistic things if they can get it and it's the right size to grab,' Moyle said. 'The females are about 800g to 1.2kg and the boys are up to 2.5kg – like a small native cat.' The possums used to be common but are thought to have become extinct in the 1940s, according to the Landscape SA arid lands board. While some consider them a pest in urban areas, their populations are only considered stable in two regions outside Adelaide. The Bounceback program and the Foundation for Australia's Most Endangered Species (Fame) reintroduced the quolls in 2014 and the possums in 2015. They are now breeding in 'safer havens' in the national park, areas where feral animals have been reduced. Through Bounceback, Fame and the environment and water department have established three havens, each about 500 sq km, for endangered species in the state's far north. The Fame chief executive, Tracy McNamara, said it took 'bold action' to return the animals to the Flinders. And she pointed out that it has been done without the need for a fence. Moyle said while fencing could be useful, it was good to have them back in the wild by managing cats, foxes, and grazing pressure. Upcoming SA projects included protecting threatened plants, bilbies, Bassian thrushes and red-tailed phascogales – tiny, carnivorous marsupials. The state environment minister, Susan Close, said the Bounceback program was SA's longest-running, landscape-scale biodiversity program, helping people learn more about the species being reintroduced. 'The western quoll has shown it can be adaptable to harsh conditions if other factors such as boosting biodiversity and feral control are in place,' she said. There are various projects across the country to reintroduce quolls. Last year, the Wild Deserts project saw 20 burrowing bettongs and 20 western quolls released into Sturt national park, in New South Wales, as part of a project to reintroduce seven locally extinct mammals. The Wild Deserts principal ecologist, Dr Rebecca West, said it was 'like time-travelling … going back to what it would have been like 200 years ago if you set up camp in the Strzelecki desert'. In 2016, Australian National University researchers reintroduced the eastern quoll to the mainland after 50 years' absence. In 2022, 50 eastern quolls were released in the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary in the Great Dividing Range. Eastern quolls were also released to boost the Tasmanian population in March. Moyle said visitors to the Ikara-Flinders national park might be able to see a western quoll in the wild near Wilpena. 'If you are incredibly lucky, your camping trip might go to the next level in terms of spotting endangered wildlife,' she said. 'The key is to be quiet and to use a torch.'
BBC News
23-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Rare storks first to be born in West Midlands in 600 years
Two rare baby white storks are the first to be born in the West Midlands region in more than 600 were born in Staffordshire as part of a conservation project that aims to reintroduce the newborns need 24-hour care, according to experts at Celtic Rewilding, a conservation company based in the county that is looking after are fed with a white glove and red tweezers so the offspring think they are being fed by an adult stork rather than a human. "We've assembled this flock here to try to breed this lost species in Staffordshire again," said Harvey Tweats, one of those involved in the project."We've had two baby chicks hatch, under controlled conditions, and we're just really, really excited."The parents have become inseparable, those behind the scheme said. The birds were once a familiar sight across the UK but vanished due to habitat loss and is hoped this project will help reverse that, and it has been supported by locals."They're not shy of people, so one day you could have a pair of white storks nesting near your house, on your community building," said Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's Katie Last."And those storks are families - they'll come back each year, and you will have a great bond and connection with those storks."Tom Whitehurst from Celtic Rewilding added that people had been contacting them to say how amazed they were to discover the species once lived in the babies are expected to grow to full size in just two months, reaching about 3ft (1m) in height and having a wingspan of 6.5ft (2m). Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
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The Independent
23-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Warning over plan to reintroduce lynx to the UK
The reintroduction of lynx to Scotland could bring both environmental and economic benefits, but would pose a threat to sheep and other small livestock, a new report has found. Scotland's National Lynx Discussion concluded that while lynx could play a positive role in deer population control and support other species, sheep and lambs around wooded areas would be more vulnerable to predation. The nine-month discussion, involving 53 stakeholders including farmers, landowners, gamekeepers, conservationists, and tourism operators, explored the complex issue of lynx reintroduction. The report suggests a multi-faceted management system to mitigate the risks, including compensating farmers for livestock losses and promoting co-existence strategies. Relocation or lethal control of lynx are also identified as "necessary components" of any framework. While the report acknowledges lynx could impact gamebird populations locally, it's unlikely they would become a major part of the lynx diet nationally. Crucially, the study found that Scotland possesses "sufficient quantity and quality of habitat" to support a viable lynx population. The report emphasizes that lynx are not a "silver bullet" for all ecological challenges, but their presence could contribute to a more balanced ecosystem. The National Lynx Discussion was organised by the Lynx to Scotland partnership which is assessing the feasibility of reintroducing the Eurasian lynx to the Scottish Highlands for the first time in about 1,300 years. Steve Micklewright, chief executive of Trees for Life and a member of the stakeholder group, said: 'We met 12 times for over 50 hours in total. Deep and extensive discussions allowed us to learn lessons from lynx reintroductions in Europe, assess possible impacts if lynx are returned to Scotland, and recommend key actions to avoid or manage potential problems. 'While not everyone who took part supports the return of lynx, we now have a clear understanding of what needs to be put in place if a reintroduction is to happen. 'The Lynx to Scotland partnership must now work out if and how the recommendations can be delivered, and take that out to local consultation when we have clear proposals.' When considering the impact on deer populations the report said that lynx could help achieve a more 'natural balance of species' within the ecosystem, though noted that they are unlikely to replace culling by humans or the impact of weather. They may also have a positive impact on species of conservation concern such as capercaillie, black grouse and wildcats by preying on 'mesopredators', particularly foxes. The report acknowledged that there might be 'some concern around the public safety aspect of having a large carnivore in the landscape.' However, it noted that lynx are 'secretive animals which are rarely encountered by humans in the wild in their current natural range' and said there are no recorded instances of healthy lynx attacking people. The report stated that lynx pose no realistic threat to humans and said the predators 'should not discourage anyone from letting their children play in the woods'. It also noted that despite their elusive nature the presence of lynx could boost income from tourism. Evidence from Europe suggests that merely the knowledge that a large carnivore exists in the landscape is enough to increase visitor numbers and significantly increase tourism income, according to the report. Any reintroduction of lynx would need approval from the Scottish Government, which would follow ecological assessments and a full public consultation. Stakeholder group member Andrew Bauer, who has experience of species reintroduction policy in Scotland, said: 'Our recommendations aim to address the fact that we agreed there could be negative impacts on some rural livelihoods if lynx were reintroduced without proper checks and balances to prevent problems or manage them.' Lynx to Scotland is a partnership between Trees for Life, Scotland: The Big Picture and the Lifescape Project.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
White storks hatch in Cornwall in rewilding plan
A farmer is nurturing a brood of white storks chicks as part of a charity's aim to reintroduce them in the Swiderski has welcomed eight stork chicks from the adults he keeps in a woodland near Wadebridge as part of work by the Cornwall Stork expert Chris Packham said the project was "exciting" as it would "hopefully recolonise Cornwall" with the first wild white stork chicks in the UK for hundreds of years hatched at the Knepp Estate in West Sussex in 2020. Wildlife expert Chris Packham said reintroducing storks was "something that's not easy to do".He said: "You can't just get some storks and let them go in the UK because they will only return to where they were hatched."This is what is so exciting about the storks in Wadebridge."Because those storks have hatched there, when they're released they'll have a yearn to return to Wadebridge or the surrounding area which will mean they will hopefully recolonise Cornwall."White storks have been seen flying across Cornwall as they migrate Packham said migration was tough as some storks could be hunted and some affected by natural catastrophes."This is a project which needs to run for a number of years to get those numbers up because there will be natural mortality."So the idea that all eight of these storks that migrate away when they're released will make it back is a little fanciful."Storks are slow to mature, he added, so breeding would take a while. A few of the chicks born near Wadebridge were fragile and needed specialist care from the nearby Screech Owl Sanctuary. Karen Hopkins, who is caring for them, said: "The hope is that these lovely birds will fly over the Cornish skies and we can be a small part of that process by giving them the food they need at this young age."
E&E News
17-05-2025
- General
- E&E News
Colorado's relocated wolf pack marks fourth death in 2025
Colorado state officials on Friday announced the death of a female gray wolf, marking the fourth such incident this year as the state pursues a voter-mandated reintroduction of the species. Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed that it received a 'mortality alert' Thursday from a collar on a female gray wolf, identified as 2512-BC, that was relocated from British Columbia earlier this year. The agency did not provide details on the death, which occurred in northwest Colorado, and said the Fish and Wildlife Service will conduct an investigation into the incident. Advertisement 'A final determination of the cause of death will not be made until the investigation is completed, including the necropsy, a foundational component of the overall investigation process,' a CPW statement reads.
