Will wolves ever be reintroduced to Britain?

Answer 1

Lacking an area like Yellowstone NP in the USA with large herds of tasty elk, I don't see how wolves would be viable in modern Britian.

Maybe the "red wolf" of the SE USA would be a possibility. Genetic studies show it to be a hybrid of true wolves and coyotes. So if it has some of the coyote's ability to get along in settled areas (eating road kill, cat food, cats, rodents, etc) without traveling in packs that take down a large ungulate twice a week, maybe that would fly.

I'd think black bears would be more reasonable to introduce than wolves. Solo feeding and a more varied diet (acorns, fish, roots, rodents). They'd all cause problems, but wolves really only thrive when they're the top of the food chain. The Yellowstone re-introduction has gone amazingly well.

Answer 2

What would be the point? Wolves role in an eco-system is to prey on large herds of very mobile grazing animals. These don't exist anymore outside of our domesticated herds, so the wolves would only be a point of contention between the farmers and the environmentalists.

Answer 3

I think that there is still an ongoing study into the reintroduction of wolves in Britain, however haven't found anything on the web to clarify your excellent question.