Highland Recovery
- About Wolves
- British Wolves
- Why Reintroduce
- For & Against
- Why The Highlands
- Timeliness
- How Many Wolves
- Reintro Scheme
Wolves lived all over Britain but were exterminated almost without trace.
| Web Address www.wolftrust.org.uk Email Address Wolf Trust |
British Wolves
What Ever Happened to Brit-wolves?
The last wolves in Britain were exterminated in the 17th century. Indeed, Britain may have been the first country successfully to exterminate its wolves.
British wolves have vanished almost without trace. Just a few bones, some vague mentions in parish and historical records, and a few place names tell that they were ever here (eg see Rackham 1986). They vanished like the dodo and are virtually forgotten.
 British wolves are as dead as the dodo. A dodo, from "The Dodo & Given" by G. Edwards (1759). |
The Forgotten Beast Of Britain
Yet wolves were common throughout Britain. A few thousand years ago as many as 6,500 could have inhabited the mainland (Maroo et al 2000). People steadily exterminated wolves from south to north and the last wolves perished in the Scottish Highlands (Aybes et al 1995; Harting 1880).
Reintroducing Wolves
In the 1980's and 1990's the British Government signed conventions agreeing to consider reintroducing wolves and to promote public awareness about them.
Continental Wolves?
Wolves were exterminated throughout western Europe, except for a few hundred in Spain and Italy. Now that wolves throughout western Europe have better legal protection they are re-establishing themselves. Presently, a few wolves are recolonising France, Germany, Portugal and Switzerland and there are occasional reports of wolves turning up in other countries, like Austria and Hungry.
 Almost every wolf in western Europe was killed. Now wolves are reclaiming old ground. Wolves can presently be found scattered within the speckled areas. |
Wolves are recolonising the Continent by themselves. In Britain we have to make a committed effort to reintroduce them.
References:
Aybes C & Yalden D W (1995): Place-name evidence for the former distribution and status of wolves and beavers in Britain. Mammal Review, 24, 210-227.
Harting J E (1880): British animals extinct within historic times. Trubner, London.
Hickey K R (2000): A geographical perspective on the decline and extermination of the Irish wolf Canis lupus - an initial assessment. Irish Geography. 33(2), 185-198.
Maroo S & Yalden D W (2000): The Mesolithic mammal fauna of Great Britain. Mammal Review, 30, 243-248.
Rackham O (1986): The history of the countryside. J M Dent, London. Pages 34-36.
 Page revised 8.04 |
| The Last Wolf When was the last British wolf killed? See The Last Wolf in Britain. |
| Calls To Reintroduce British Wolves in: BBC News BBC News New Scientist New Scientist The Scotsman |
| Irish Wolves Irish wolves survived longer than in Britain. The last were exterminated in the 18th century (Harting 1880; Hickey 2000). |