Rural Community Gateway

I thought the object of this exercise was to extract the best ideas for predator management.

Keepered Grouse moors are noted for the highest breeding return of waders. Keepered farmland the best small bird survival returns. Traditional fox-hunt country the healthiest fox populations. Fines on wind-farms would help encourage best practice on avoiding bird-strike.

Natural levels of predation do not always encourage a good population of either prey or predator. In fact the imposition of such practice can wipe out a healthy environment on places such as grouse-moors. For some excellent reading on the subject I recommend Stephen Tapper's 'Nature's Gain', a report from the Game Conservancy Trust, 2005.

Could Mr Lounds tell us how he plans to stun deer "humanely" before he kills them? Surely, a simple rifle shot is much easier? As for wolves and bears, the former are primitive hounds and I've met the latter at night, he is welcome to them!

No, no, no. Karl Pipes has got it all wrong – his is an emotional, knee-jerk, ill-thought-through reaction. The problem of introduced species playing havoc with indigenous populations eg mink killing water vole, grey squirrel out-competing red squirrel and also the problem of pets, especially cats, decimating wild bird and small mammal populations is very worrying and needs to be tackled. But not by culling; natural predation is the best answer together with humane capture and prevention of breeding.

If some predators are causing problems on nature reserves then they too should be captured, humanely trapped and prevented from breeding locally; no killing is necessary. But I do not see that an indigenous natural predator population would even cause a problem on a nature reserve, by preying on its natural prey. The ecological balance would be very beneficial to a nature reserve and culling predators to any level lower than its natural balanced population, would lead to an increase in herbivore numbers and the consequent troubles – such as too many deer – a problem that could be solved by introducing predators to begin with! In addition, not that I approve of game sporting activities and bird shooting, but if artificially-high numbers of game and birds are required then this should be achieved by captive, well-managed, breeding programs not by culling wild predators.

The only UK species that are naturally capable of coping with being hunted by packs or groups of carnivores are the deer and European bison, if re-introduced. These have evolved and have been naturally selected to exist in such a niche. All other species – mink, foxes, badgers, etc suffer too much unnatural stress and it is cruel to engage then in pursuit. Not that I am in favour of people hunting with horses and / or hounds, but if deer numbers are to be limited, and I agree they need to be in certain areas, because of the damage they do to the natural flora, then it is by natural predation – wolves and bears – that is by far the most efficacious method. They are biologically adapted to tolerate it as a species, as individuals and as herds. They are not used to being chased unnaturally, by horses, humans and dogs.

If the deer are in areas where wolves and bear could not be ie too near built-up human populations, then the deer would need to be culled as humanely as possible – stunned and then killed quickly whilst unconscious, as cattle are. Any unnecessary cruelty to any animal is out of the question.

Wind farms that kill eagles should not be fined. Instead, research should be undertaken to ensure that the blades should be easier to spot, for birds and they could then avoid them. A minor adjustment in colour, visibility, sound etc I’m sure could be achieved, so that they are not dangerous any more to wild birds. Wind farms should be given huge tax incentives to encourage green electricity.

Culling of mink and foxes using packs of hounds should be allowed. Predators causing problems on wildlife reserves and game sporting areas should be culled to low levels. Wind-farms that kill eagles should be heavily fined by increasing penalties on their Renewables Obligation Certificate payments.