Is Conservation Too Cruel?

[@articfox1066]

Have you seen the poor Town Fox. He's not an happy chappie, when he's not being squished into the tarmac he's riddle with parasites and dies amiserable death especially in winter.

[@theotheseaeagle]

4:12 there’s plenty of wildlife in cities, and I’m saying this as someone from the countryside . Look at London, they have huge bird populations, especially in parks such as Hyde Park and Richmond Park. They have all kinds of different reptiles too such as grass snakes and aesculapian snakes. Of course some cities are more bio diverse than others, but to say all cities have is rats and foxes is very incorrect

[@XtraOrdinar-y]

There is if you can find it but people in the city tend to live on the land instead of with it which detaches them from wildlife. Like most people just stomp through grassland and then are surprised when they see nothing

[@hyundai170]

Brilliant film as ever TGS.

[@theotheseaeagle]

Reintroducing top predators certainly has a positive impact on rare birds. Lynx can help control things like foxes as well as help control small deer like muntjac and roe deer. Lynx aren’t generally interested in ground nesting birds, especially when there’s an abundance of larger prey, the same applies for wolves. Lynx and wolves can increase biodiversity drastically by preventing over grazing by keeping herbivores on the move. This can help regenerate woodlands helping songbirds your thrive. As for livestock, lynx and wolves generally don’t go for domesticated animals, unless there’s a shortage of natural prey. All these stories you here of “wolves kill 200+ sheep” are in areas with a minimal herbivore population, so wolves hunt people’s livestock as a last resort

[@nationalgamekeepersorganis9866]

Thank you for your take on predation. We would love to see where lynx help to create more diversity please post a link

[@XtraOrdinar-y]

@@nationalgamekeepersorganis9866theoretically it makes sense. Lynx predate on predators like squirrels, rats and foxes and may take some birds but won’t take nests. Ultimately rewinding predators would only work in remote places because livestock predation is a problem

[@raymondvaulks4977]

Great conservation film, I'm pleased I've just renewed my NGO membership.

[@jamesturner7728]

U should never let it lapps

[@garethhurley820]

Great film. I just wish those that pontificate and profess an unfounded conservation ideology would watch this with an open mind, and not with their vitriol

[@wizwop5066]

It's amazing, that in a society that demands people are suitably qualified to perform certain tasks, that unqualified & inexperienced members of the public/self processed "conservation experts" have become the authorities on an environment that has been successfully managed for hundreds of years by people who know their onions.

[@theotheseaeagle]

Because wiping out hundreds of different species in the UK is a “successful” management 🤦‍♂️

[@XtraOrdinar-y]

@@theotheseaeagleit is. Maybe hear in Wales stoat management doesn’t make sense considering this is the only place in the UK where they’re not least concern but foxes and corvids are wonderful and intelligent species. I have 9 or 10 magpies, jackdaws and rarely crows in my garden and plenty of songbirds. I do control invasive predators like grey squirrels and rats but generally it’s a working ecosystem. That being said in the they kill a lot more. Maybe because they don’t have my fat balls and seed, but if you look at the earlier videos on this channel corvid predation is quite common. So management is crucial to a working environment. Obviously most people don’t want to kill these animals. I hate having to kill foxes and mustelids but it’s necessary. Personally I think people should focus more on mink and squirrels more than anything considering they’re not native.

[@theotheseaeagle]

@@XtraOrdinar-y mammals breed much more quickly than birds of prey and corvids. When I said “hundreds of species” I meant birds of prey and ravens, not foxes or stoats. Grey squirrels and mink are justifiable as they are invasive and do damage ecosystems. After all mink single-handedly wiped out water voles whilst continuing to cause havoc for waterbirds and grey squirrels raid birds nests whilst also stripping bark of trees causing extensive damage to woodlands and nearly wiping out the native reds. Rats are also justifiable because they raid many ground nesting birds eggs and cause extensive crop and housing damage.

[@XtraOrdinar-y]

@@theotheseaeagleyeah true, raptor persecution is a very large issue. Two hen harriers were found dead near me a few months ago but most gamekeepers are fond of raptors but there are just a small few who ruin it for everyone. However gamekeepers a century ago only cared for game birds. That’s why martens and some raptors aren’t common but now things have changed. It’s about conservation but some people are stuck in the past.

[@christopherhinton6456]

think of the plague in london who cared then.