2007 seminar - a howling success!

Our seminar this year was based around the themes of reintroduction, restoration and recovery and was held for the first time at Ufton Court, a stone’s throw from the woods where our regular wolf walks take place.

The possibility of wolves in Scotland is something the media have picked up on in recent years, with all sorts of rumours doing the rounds. Roy Dennis MBE gave a talk surrounding the reintroduction of predators into the UK, including a segment regarding the possibility of wolves in Scotland. He provided an insightful commentary regarding attitudes on both sides of the argument and showed that the decision isn’t as simple as it’s often portrayed by the media. The presentation also included details of raptors, including the successful reintroduction of red kites to parts of England, as well as ospreys in Scotland.

The UK isn’t the only place where reintroduction is a hot topic. In the States the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone is famous, but a lesser known project has been running for 20 years at the other end of the country. The red wolf, a canid halfway between a coyote and grey wolf in size, is one of the world’s most endangered canids. Cornelia (Neil) Hutt flew over from the International Wolf Center to deliver a presentation regarding these intriguing animals. She told the story of the wolves’ decline and eventual removal from the wild, in order to start a controlled breeding programme. The programme was successful and red wolves are once again present in North Carolina. The story’s far from over though, with threats such as interbreeding with coyotes hanging over the wolves. Neil’s presentation finished with the showing of a DVD produced by the Red Wolf Coalition, allowing everyone to see the wolves in their natural habitat.

Pete Cairns was our third speaker. He's the founder of Tooth and Claw, a UK based organisation that opens up the debate on predators in the British Isles. He gave a fascinating talk on how the British public relate to wildlife and perceive what would happen if predators such as lynx, bear and wolves were reintroduced. The talk was thought provoking and was enhanced by the stunning visual presentation.

The talks weren’t the only thing on the agenda, though. As well as some birds of prey on the lawn outside the barn, there was an appearance by our youngsters, Mosi, Mai and Torak. They were there to allow people to see a wolf up close via a “meet and greet” and as usual proved to be superb ambassadors. In the late afternoon, there was an energetic wolf walk through the woodland behind the manor house, with both the youngsters and our North American sisters Duma and Dakota exploring the trails.

The walks raised £800 for the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme. During the day we also presented a cheque for £2300 to Zegeye Kibrit, education officer for the project, representing money raised during the “Walk for Wolves” event in London in the summer.

Finally, there was unprecedented media coverage of our seminar. As well as a radio interview for BBC Radio Berkshire, papers such as the Yorkshire Post, the Observer  and the Independent carried stories regarding the seminar and reintroduction in general.