In Spain they worked with Farmers to live with the wolf , they provided them with something akin to Kangal Shepherd dogs and dogs pretty much stopped any predation from the wolf altogether on their livestock also loved being part of the flock. win win :)

I personally think an underrated animal for rewilding is the British Primitve Goat. There are less than 1,200 individuals left in the uk and don't tend to gather that much traction. However they have the ability to eat gorse and long grasses which are incredibly flammable. This animal however can only be found in a few sights, e.g. Isle of Wight, Valley of the rocks, the Cheviots, and dotted around Northern Scotland. They were also brought over in the neolithic period, making them more native than Brown hares, European Rabbits, and Fallow deer.

In Albania 1993 I came out of a small Church--newly painted as Albania was a strict Athiest State before this--to find a young boy of 8/9 with a dog. But such a dog, way taller than the boy. I backed the boy said 'He's safe.' I noticed this dog had a steel collar with spikes pointing outwards around the neck. 'Why the spikes?" i asked. 'This dog kills wolves,' said the boy. "When they come down from the mountains i winter. The collar & spikes stop the wolves tearing out his throat. As long as he has that he can kill a dozen wolves.' 'I believe you,' I said. Albania has a great variety of wild life for anyone interested. Bears too.

I lived in the highlands of Scotland for a many years and while it’s beautiful, much of it is baron due to overpopulation of deer. The Highlands has got to be a prime site for the reintroduction of an apex predator.

Excellent video. I too would like to see the lynx back in Britain. I find it really sad that we're talking about the reintroduction of the water vole as when I was growing up these were common and should not have suffered such population reduction (but we know why they have).

i love these videos because a lot of rewiliding people (including myself in the past) often get too passionate and a re unable to reason with other views of why to not rewild certain animals. But in these videos both sides are given although you are in favour of rewilding i really respect that. Keep up the good work 👍

In Poland we're dealing with wolves and bears pretty much OK. You will get occasional story about farmers fuming over killed farm animals, but they get compensated for losses so this is mostly mitigated. They are not compensated if animal was outside untended after night fall so it's not like they can have sheep sleeping on edge of forest and blame wolves. You should start as soon as possible though, Poland is now at about 2k wolves and 100 bears and we've got deer and boar in hundreds of thousands. Game animals are still in vast majority controlled by human hunters and not by predators. If you start with some small pilot program and then reintroduce them gradually, it will take decades until they have population big enough to make significant impact. In Poland they can migrate East where there are also bigger populations. They also migrate West. Since 2000 they started gaining a foothold in Germany. UK will have full control, so you will have to make a decision and then its up to you to bring sustainable numbers. If they are too few and you need to introduce more DNA variety a poor wolf looking for a mate would need to be tranqed and airlifted over the channel. I strongly agree that you'll probably have much easier time with Lynxes. There's less prejudice and fear and if you have them for a while it may change view on other predators. Poland is now actively working to reintroduce them (since 2010) and there's about 200 lynxes in the country. There was very small surviving population and programs to actively let more free. Also some migration from East, South and North-East where there are small but re-growing populations.

I’m going to make a bit of a mad suggestion but I think it’s got potential. We’re working from a completely blank canvas when it comes to the introduction of a top predator to the uk - it has to be capable of hunting red deer in open habitat while simultaneously not causing too much of a panic to members of the public the way wolves might do. I also think that there’s a need for protecting or giving a home to species that are threatened globally with extinction. So for that reason I think the introduction of cheetahs to the uk would be a fantastic way to not only safeguard their future but also improve our ecosystem. I also think that introducing the lynx as a forest dwelling cat alongside the cheetah that hunts in more open environments would provide a good balance. Lastly, although cheetahs look like they’d freeze to death at the first sign of a thick frost, they can quickly adapt to harsher environments and have been known to live in very cold climates.

Apparently there used to be *moose* in Britain! I'd love to see them reintroduced but you'd need lots of forest first.

It seems that the main conflict with beavers is the loss of agricultural land. With this in mind why not have large scale reintroduction into our national parks where there is little farm land? No only would this help revive the ecology but also draw in tourism and improve water retention and down stream flooding where applicable. Where I live (in the New Forest) there has been some admirable work done to restore once canalized rivers, I can't help feel that a bunch of beavers would be a cheaper alternative?

I would love to see the Wolf, Bear and Lynx reintroduced to the UK. But realistically I think we might get the Lynx if we are lucky.

I live in a densely populated area of Germany and we have lots of pine martins.

100% need lynx, beavers, pine Martin, and bison !

Seeing channels like this alongide Leaf of life or mossy earth gives me hope on restoration.

Cool to hear about these projects!. I'm American and studied in Edinburgh for a semester last year. The UK has lots of beautiful landscapes but I definitely noticed the lack of wild animals/landscapes in some of them- even though I;m from the pretty human altered midwest! made me understand better why rewilding is such a big topic there among Enviro groups. Made me appreciate some of the things we take for granted here

Exmoor ponies are not the only semi-wild ponies in the UK; there are Welsh mountain ponies in the Brecon Beacons and North-East Wales.

1:12 ah yes I would love to see the T-Rex come back to Britain

Good ordering of them, and agree with Lynx being number 1. Although I do have a soft spot for Pine Martins and the help they provide Red Squirrels - I'd love to see more of them back!

Agreed with lynx as number 1. It would be great to have them back. And all of the other species too! If you’re going to do a video on wolves I just found out through Rewilding Apennines that Italy has over 3000 wolves and it seems pretty ok with that. Be interesting to see if lessons can be learnt.

Lynx would be fantastic for deer control

I agree with you that predators are very important for a balanced eco system. Here in New Zealand, natural predators, and browsers, have gone extinct several hundred years ago due to human interaction and overhunting. And now - the government is pushing for 'predator free New Zealand' to create a habitat that never existed here. Total folly, but the population is going along with it. I guess it will be another several hundred years until people here realize that it's not their job to tame and subjugate and constantly transform nature..it's pretty capable to find a balance by itself when you just stop the constant meddling!

Thank you for including Exmooor ponies! I'd love to see all your seven back in the UK. We really do need at least one top predator.

Another good topic would be critical insects. I saw many more lightning bugs and lady bugs when I was a kid. Beavers are critical. Like the lynx and bison as well.

I come from around halfway between Aberdeen and Inverness and we have plenty of pine martens, we could do with a predator to cut back deer numbers because, at the moment you have to employ a deer stalker to protect your trees, I think a wolf or lynx would be perfect!

i really like this rewilding idea

Scotland has the Scottish Wildcat and the capercaillie which are both protected. I would assume the Lynx would be too much of a threat to the capercaillie...

You're spot on. Bison's are truly majestic.

All Species of Squirrels are echo system engineers, Some naive people call them distructive, but on our Bee yard there are thousands of Hazel Conker Sweet Chestnut Maple Sycamore Oak and Beech saplings and young trees all planted by squirrels, must be at least 2 acres now that was just grass 20 years ago at the side of the woods. The trees are now so dense that you can get lost among them. Squirrels plant and maintain forests Period. If they kill the odd tree here and there it creates woodpecker habitat. Woodpeckers eat tree pests. Squirrels plant far more seeds nuts and fuits then they will ever need all planted at exactly the perfect depth for germination. Bees feed on masny flowers of trees that squirrels plant. Nature is awesome.

I agree, I think the Lynx would be top of my list as well.

I was mugged by a group of Welsh mountain ponies. The ring leader stood in the road to stop cars, then the rest of the group sprang from unsee dips to lick the windows of vehicles and demand treats.

Your videos are so lively and capturing. I wish I could produce something like those for Germany.

Have loads of pin Martins in cairngorm scotland. Hear the owls at night and down in woods there a huge badger home. Great there for them no roads near by to hit them. Wild cats are getting introduced in to the wild here too

The countryside is not a wildlife theme park. It is an industrial landscape providing food for the population. The British Isles was a very different place when most of these animals lived here. In the reign of Elizabeth 1st the population was around 4 million with huge areas of forest whereas today it is in excess of 70 million and growing which means that reintroduced species will inevitably come into conflict with people and the consequence will, for some families, be tragic. The British people have become accustomed over generations to be able to walk in the countryside free from the fear of attack from wild animals and this fact must be a prime factor in any decision to release former species back into the UK.

The Netherlands was not ready for wolves, but the wolves didn't care. They're here now, and we are forced (fortunately) to find a way. Just plop them down as if you're not on an island :)

It amazing to see how far we come with rewinding

Yea! very happy to hear that the adorable European red squirrel 🐿️🐿️ is increasing due to the reintroduction of the pine martens. like to know why though??

Im actually doing an EPQ on rewilding projects, and as part of it im looking at the reintroduction of species. From the data ive seen, the lynx actually provides minimal threat of predation to livestock, they much prefer wild animals such as deer. There was a study that looked at kill rates of lynx populations across countries in Europe which found they rarely kill more than 200 sheep across up to 5 year periods. Definitely should be brought back to the UK

Amazing quality and knowledge distributed, well done!

honestly a very interesting video coming from a farmer and a hunter, i do alot of management of deer, foxes, rabbits and birds. in essence my rifle replaces what lynx and wolves would've done. currently managing the population of all these animals is a mammoth task.

I’ve read that the reintroduction of the lynx in Europe has seen extremely limited death of live stock. If that’s the case I don’t think it would be costly to the tax payer pay farmers for each sheep or chicken killed by a lynx. Up to £1000 per sheep. I’m sure there are other costs that come into play but I think there are ways to reassure farmers, whose worries are definitely valid.

Great video Rob, obviously I'm partial to the water voles ;)

bring back the lynx!

There are many other animals that could have made this list. Primitive goat, for instance. They are an essential part of the grazing chain. It would be impossible to replace the Caledonian bear and the houting, but I think people are largely more open to rewilding than they were fifty years ago. Here in Wales, they have recently reintroduced the wildcat. Not our native subspecies, but the closet one; the Scottish wildcat. And while we are making progress helping our native wildlife, I think more should, in fact must, be done to eradicate non-native species, especially the grey squirrel and the rainbow trout (except in fishing ponds).

In Germany the bison, the wolf, the beaver and the lynx are already back 💪

There is an article that state’s a pack of 6 individual wolfs were released into the highlands 4-6months ago.

Great vid man 👍 Looking forward to the steps for wolves vid

Rob I love these videos, keep them coming!

For me, beavers and pine martens are absolute no-brainers. Both have multiple benefits and very manageable downsides. Wolves and lynxes have very similar benefits but quite challenging obstacles. Exmoor ponies and bison also double up in terms of approaches needed. I note that bears didn't make the list. I'd have thought the upsides and downsides of reintroducing bears would be similar to those of wolves and lynx, although perhaps the direct threat to humans is greater.

Sounds like there’s a lot of cool upcoming videos. Gonna have to be in the lookout

Well done Robb enjoyable and very informative.

Darwin will be pleased...he was always looking for the missing Lynx!

Totally agree. Lynx is the UKs best option for an apex predator. As for sheep farming losses that probably needs to be discussed alongside how to manage overgrazing and farming subsidies in general. Odd how much objection there is to reintroducing native species given so many of our current countryside animals are non-native; pheasants and many game birds, several deer species, mink and grey squirrels to name a few.

Thanks for the video 👍🏻

Great video thank you

Have any of these animals been reintroduced into the UK yet

If lynx are an issue with farmers, you could always try American Bobcats; they’ve been known to go after small livestock and unguarded pets, but they are also smaller and less likely to take out a sheep or seriously injure someone’s child. They like to keep to themselves too but can be VERY aggressive if they feel threatened.

the wolf and the lynx both play a very similar rule in the eco system

I think the lynx is a great choice as they will avoid humans and happily live off the deer population. In Wales we have far too many sheep which are smothering regeneration of natural flora. Pine Martens are wonderful, and will help to reduce the enormous Grey Squirrel population, while at the same time this will help native bird species. I think water voles are more problematic, until we can think about getting rid of mink.

Agree wholeheartedly with 1 and 2, but I think I'd bump wolves down to the bottom simply because of the human barriers in the way. Totally agree we need apex predators back but the wolf sadly has a bad (mostly undeserved) rep :(

When i was much younger, i was always in search of wild Beavers.

Lynx best control is Guardian dogs they keep foxes away and don't tolerate gone feral domestic dogs, for big herbivores agree bison but feel that the English longhorn cattle are a good start, tough docile free range don't need antibiotics or special foods to survive, they do wonderful job here in Epping Forest near to London in keeping down unwanted growth, and as used on Knepp Estate can be a commercial herd as well..

Totally agree with pine martens being reintroduced to combat the grey squirrel, and the pox / disease ,they can carry .Seemingly , ineffectual to them,but has decimated the red squirrel population ,that a predator such as the marten,is possibly the best control method, to deal with them.I know of red conservation projects, and though their work is superb!, the poor red squirrel must live,in isolated controlled areas.If martens,are reestablished in uk,their odds of surviving extinction are rising.

We have wolfs in Denmark to, i the part nomed Jylland

Bravo especially for the wolves, Rob. 💫🐾💪 Too bad that people continue to eat so much meat tbh. It affects the entire planet: it's particularly ironic when some folks go on about wildlife without taking their own consumption into consideration. Thanks for the great info.

Very informative video

Waterfalls and Links we all need them

Bison are definitely dangerous and it doesn't take prolonged irritation, but they're still very neccessary.

Great channel!!

I would love to see all of them coming back to the UK. Especially the lynx. However, the biggest issue at the moment might be that the woodland habitats are still too small and too fragmented for viable lynx populations. But with increased efforts to reforest and restore those needed habitats I see a good chance in near future. Fingers crossed

Another way livestock could be protected (and I believe if large-scale rewilding were to happen this would be an inevitable step) is a diversification of land use in the countryside. Instead of a farmer looking after one or several large herds they may only look after one smaller herd but they stay with it the whole day, only taking their eyes off it at night to sleep. It would end up being more historical. Although with the help of another farmer and a livestock protection dog of some sort a larger herd could probably be kept. There are many modern technologies even that would help out the process so it wouldn't completely just be going backwards in time. Personally I think that the best two things to show people how rewinding would work are: looking at other countries around the world to see how they deal with it and looking into the past of our own country as the same land cows graze now they have been for centuries.

I like you have a great list. Good luck getting the job done.

I voted water voles as was concerned that yet another largish grazer without predators to encourage them to keep moving on could be problematic. Glad to learn that ponies more selective grazers.

we have lynx and wolfs here in switzerland and from lynx i never heard of any problems. farmers mostly dont like wolfs but they get compensation if an animal gets killed

Wow, I didn't realize there were that many deer ... I think about Yellow Stone National Park in the US ... When the species of wolves were wiped out the deer and Elk populations exploded... Until the wolves were reintroduced in the early 90s, be it Timberwolves who tend to be bigger then the species of wolves that were there before.. So in Yellowstone, you have now wolves, grizzlies and mountain lions keeping the deer and Elk populations in check ... I wonder what an American Timberwolf or mountain lion would do for the ecosystem in the UK?.. I would leave out grizzlies, I don't think they'd be enough space for those huge beast... But I think all three could control the out if control deer problem in the UK...

1:12 nice species you got there mate

The Stoat is already in England as I've seen them down buy are river bank and in the countryside a couple of times

Guardian Dogs are the best idea for sheep flock's

Thanks, informative, they reintroduced wolves in Germany and it’s mostly pretty good

The random T Rex in the b roll lol

Hi there. So I have been following you for a while. I’m born South African but now in Australia. SA has done some amazing conservation work and why your work really matters and interests me. I just have one question. What exact area do you think would be the best for lynx in the UK. I would love to know

Hey, I'm changing careers/going back to school and I'd like to do something similar to this where I work hands on with restorative ecology/reintroduciton of species/healing of environment/etc. Do you have any advice for Americans on how to get involved and do this kind of work, maybe even without a degree? As for the degree/career would you also be able to possibly recommend a path? Thanks!

If they did rewild some of the more ‘dangerous’ animals, surely they would allow people to bring some sort of Defensive weapons when going out into nature

Really you need the Lynx and Wolf to be introduced at the same time so they Control each other’s populations

Very informative, I never knew the uk used to have native lynx

it would be really great to have the citations for the statistics in the description!d

Brilliant video again

You need lions and unicorns reintroduced so your coat of arms finally make sense 🙃

love to have wolves back into the UK but wont happen. beavers and bison and lxyn would be great

I would love to have both the wolf and the lynx back! Put them up in Scotland, as you said, where they can control the deer numbers!

Congregations on the Bison! a heads up on how the reintroduction has gone in the US and Canada. 1 The Lynx in the Adirondacks did not go well. They congregated close to roads where thier favorite pray ( snowshoe hairs ) habitat was. The brush they live in is mostly near roads . They completely went excellent again. 2) Wolves seemed like a great idea like you said. However, they really have been devastating to some species like mountain Caribou that may go extinct in BK. Also they have caused the bears to stop hibernating in Yellowstone because they are stealing easy meals from the Wolves. In the Adirondacks they could eliminate a fragile Moose population. They are coming back naturally and the Moose haven't had a chance to have a decent population yet.,they have eliminated small populations of Moose in Canada in the great lakes. In Montana , Minnesota and Michigan they have proving that predator population control is vital. There is not balance, but huge reduction in prey species. My advice to the UK would be . Bring in the prey species and let them be fully established. Then bring in predators like Wolves with strict control.

Even the Bob cat would help with Deer herds

Could you do a video on wolf reintroduction in colorado?

Deffo agree with the Lynx at number 1. Wild cat would be a close 2nd but would worry about the interbreeding with domestic cats again diluting the population. Another excellent video, thank you 😊.

Here in America, there are higher deer numbers than when the pilgrims landed! They starve, destroy crucial habitats and property, and endanger motorists. Apex predators MUST be reintroduced and protected everywhere. GO TEAM LYNX, Britain!!!

People are seeing, Thea's big cats in England even got them on video, even seeing wolves,

What about the rumors that there are already Big Cats in the UK? Panthers, pumas and lynx are said to roam the land all ready. Are these cryptid creatures in any of the areas where your organization seeks to release the Lynx? Has anyone in your organization looked into this phenomena?

I think the initial introduction of wolves might be better done northwest of the Great Glen rather than in the Cairngorms. A pack expects to have a territory that borders neighbouring packs. A pack west of Cannich say could meet what it thinks are neighbouring packs each time it approaches the boundaries that people want them kept inside. That 'neighbouring pack' could be a 'wolf warden' with a few lage dogs. The warden could know where the wolf pack was at any one time if a few of the senior wolves were radio collared. The warden's wages would be repaid by not having to pay to plant and fence 'new native forest' - the government has been paying a lot towards this. The wolves would keep the deer on the move, cull those growing old and stiff and allow forest to spread itself. Huge numbers of red deer have turned much of the Scottish Highlands into a soggy, treeless, wet desert. (BTW, red deer get called 'elk' in the US - 'elk' is the UK name for what Americans call moose)

Ive noticed the cormorant population in Cardiff has BOOMED over the last few years, what were once solely coastal sea birds can now be found all the way up the taff to the valleys

Great video

I would always vote for the beaver as no.1, to help regulate our rivers and wetlands in the face of ongoing climate change, flooding and erosion.