The extinction of wolves in the British Isles (UK)
Many species of wolves were once present in Great Britain and Ireland. Early pieces of writing from the Romans and the Saxons seem to indicate a huge amount of wolves in the UK. Unlike many other British animals, the wolves were unaffected by island dwarfism, with certain skeletal remains indicating that they may have grown as large as the Arctic and grey wolves. The species, which was a threat to livestock and human life, was exterminated from Britain through a multitude of methods including deforestation and active hunting through bounty systems. Not much is known about the relationship between the neolithic people in britain and the wolves but it is easy to suggest that the humans were often attacked by the wolves and in response, the wolves were hunted for protection, food and fur’s. The earliest accurate descriptions of deliberate hunting in Britain was with the Normans.The Norman kings (who reigned from 1066 to 1154) employed their servants as wolf hunters and many of these servants held lands gifted to them, granted on the condition that they fulfilled this duty. William the conqueror made Robert de Umfraville the lord of Riddesdale on the condition that he defend that land from enemies and wolves. There were no restrictions on or penalties for the hunting of wolves, except in royal game reserves, where only the lords could hunt. Bringing Back the English WolfIn the last 50 years, ecologists and conservationists in the UK have debated the reintroduction of wolves. The English wolf was a subspecies of the grey wolf, which is the most common species of wolf. Reintroduction programs would likely bring wolves from mainland Europe, where the grey wolf is already making a comeback. One study conducted by scientists from the UK and Norway suggested that reintroducing wolves into the Scottish Highlands could help control deer herds, preserving the forest ecosystem from destruction as a result of deer overpopulation. The Northumberland National Park in England and Cairngorms National Park in Scotland are also considering the reintroduction of wolves.National Park in England and Cairngorms National Park in Scotland are also considering the reintroduction of wolves. Origin of the English Wolf Wolves arrived in the British Isles at the end of the Ice Age, approximately 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Packs of wolves followed the migrating herds of deer, boar and grazing animals as they moved north. The earliest known evidence of wolves' interactions with humans is from a 6th-century Pictish carving of a wolf, found in the Scottish Highlands. Skeletal remains have confirmed that wolves lived throughout the British Isles, including England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
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