Rewilding
- Thread starter vogelcommando
- Start date
Oh, I'm not saying that Kulan wouldn't be a good option for rewilding in the place of European Wild Ass - as I think it is a great idea - I am merely saying that your claims that they are genetically identical taxa are untrue and not supported by the study 
despite your cherry-picking of quotes by omitting the first half of a sentence explicitly stating the EWA merits subspecies status in its own right*, and misrepresentation of what the figure in question says, in order to suggest as much.
* Instead, it is probably more appropriate to consider it a subspecies (Equus hemionus hydruntinus), as has been proposed for other current Eurasiatic wild ass populations, even though it is not clear whether in biological terms this level of taxonomic differentiation corresponds to something more than naming a population.
despite your cherry-picking of quotes by omitting the first half of a sentence explicitly stating the EWA merits subspecies status in its own right*, and misrepresentation of what the figure in question says, in order to suggest as much.* Instead, it is probably more appropriate to consider it a subspecies (Equus hemionus hydruntinus), as has been proposed for other current Eurasiatic wild ass populations, even though it is not clear whether in biological terms this level of taxonomic differentiation corresponds to something more than naming a population.
Another rewilding-project at the Danube Delta : Eagle owls
:Eagle owl reintroduction programme complements Danube Delta food chain | Rewilding Europe
In cooperation with the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation 7 young White-tailed sea-eagles were released on the Isle of Wright :
:
I saw this article today about 'maverick' rewilders in the UK, who breed native species privately and then release them illegally into the wild. One such reintroduction is of the mazarine blue, a butterfly that has been extinct in Britain for over a century.
The article is included here:
How maverick rewilders are trying to turn back the tide of extinction
The article is included here:
How maverick rewilders are trying to turn back the tide of extinction
Facinating.
For me this article shows how absurdly slow and bureaucratic is wildlife conservation in Britain. And highlights how little action on the ground it really takes to protect many species.
So, if a guy could breed some butterflies at home. Why any government agency, nor any of several huge non-governmental organizations did not do it already, perhaps decades ago?
And, actually, much of past distribution of farmland plants and small animals in Europe is believed not to be the result of natural migration, but the result of humans moving them with crops, hay and so on.
So are you supportive of these reintroductionists?
Yes, generally so.
Besides that 'official' reintroductions are almost dysfunctional and associated with considerable waste of money due to bureaucracy, and that the original distribution of animals was also shaped by Man, some points:
- These people are highly skilled in their topic, so are unlikely to make a gross blunder. For example, they don't think of introducing exotic species. Actually, they may be better qualified in butterflies etc. than all-purpose government biologists.
- Ecological connectivity is mostly lost in Britain and much of Europe. Wildlife habitats are small islands with no ecological corridors. The only way how most species can get there is with human assistance. Only a small minority of species (mostly migratory birds) can freely cross European landscape.
- That many trials of reintroduction fail is natural by itself. In natural dispersal, wildlife also fail to establish themselves in most places.
- Much of research surrounding proper conservation plans is pointless to the topic. For example, measuring non-actionable items (e.g. measuring environment when it is poorly known what variables are good for the animal). Or research which is more expensive than trying more places at an educated guess (as in this article, when private releasing more butterflies was ridiculously cheap).
- Native game animals are reintroduced in the same way, and this is generally accepted. I see no reason not to extend it to releasing native butterflies or such because people like to look at them.
I am saddened to read that Mr White just died. I would personally give him a medal for conservation in Britain.
Besides that 'official' reintroductions are almost dysfunctional and associated with considerable waste of money due to bureaucracy, and that the original distribution of animals was also shaped by Man, some points:
- These people are highly skilled in their topic, so are unlikely to make a gross blunder. For example, they don't think of introducing exotic species. Actually, they may be better qualified in butterflies etc. than all-purpose government biologists.
- Ecological connectivity is mostly lost in Britain and much of Europe. Wildlife habitats are small islands with no ecological corridors. The only way how most species can get there is with human assistance. Only a small minority of species (mostly migratory birds) can freely cross European landscape.
- That many trials of reintroduction fail is natural by itself. In natural dispersal, wildlife also fail to establish themselves in most places.
- Much of research surrounding proper conservation plans is pointless to the topic. For example, measuring non-actionable items (e.g. measuring environment when it is poorly known what variables are good for the animal). Or research which is more expensive than trying more places at an educated guess (as in this article, when private releasing more butterflies was ridiculously cheap).
- Native game animals are reintroduced in the same way, and this is generally accepted. I see no reason not to extend it to releasing native butterflies or such because people like to look at them.
I am saddened to read that Mr White just died. I would personally give him a medal for conservation in Britain.
I generally agree, I think.
I have seen two more rewilding projects in the UK that I figured I would post here:
- A rewilding group have raised £18,000 and got the support of 200 local volunteers to run a reintroduction programme for water voles in Kingston in London. The last water voles were recorded in the area in 2017 and recent surveys have also found no sign of American mink in the area since February 2020. At least £12,000 of the raised money will be used to buy the 200 water voles from a rewilding professional. As part of the project, a weir will be removed from the Hogsmill River (a tributary of the Thames) where the reintroduction is taking place.
More information in the link below:
Endangered water voles to be reintroduced to London
- A much more ambitious project (and one I'm surprised I hadn't heard of earlier) was announced in July 2020. The Blue Marine Foundation has formed the UK Sturgeon Alliance with ZSL, the Servern Rivers Trust, Institute of Fisheries Management and Nature at Work, with collaboration from the Environment Agency. The project will involve restoring connectivity of habitats, restoring spawning and feeding habitats and ultimately exploring ways under the IUCN Reintroduction Protocol to restore European sea sturgeon in UK waters.
There have been over 400 known records of sturgeon from British rivers during the 18th and 19th centuries and in recent years tagged young sturgeon from the French population have been caught in the south of England while looking for suitable feeding and spawning sites.
More information can be found in the link below:
The Royal Fish Returns - Blue Marine Foundation
- A rewilding group have raised £18,000 and got the support of 200 local volunteers to run a reintroduction programme for water voles in Kingston in London. The last water voles were recorded in the area in 2017 and recent surveys have also found no sign of American mink in the area since February 2020. At least £12,000 of the raised money will be used to buy the 200 water voles from a rewilding professional. As part of the project, a weir will be removed from the Hogsmill River (a tributary of the Thames) where the reintroduction is taking place.
More information in the link below:
Endangered water voles to be reintroduced to London
- A much more ambitious project (and one I'm surprised I hadn't heard of earlier) was announced in July 2020. The Blue Marine Foundation has formed the UK Sturgeon Alliance with ZSL, the Servern Rivers Trust, Institute of Fisheries Management and Nature at Work, with collaboration from the Environment Agency. The project will involve restoring connectivity of habitats, restoring spawning and feeding habitats and ultimately exploring ways under the IUCN Reintroduction Protocol to restore European sea sturgeon in UK waters.
There have been over 400 known records of sturgeon from British rivers during the 18th and 19th centuries and in recent years tagged young sturgeon from the French population have been caught in the south of England while looking for suitable feeding and spawning sites.
More information can be found in the link below:
The Royal Fish Returns - Blue Marine Foundation
Rewilding Thailand : gaurs, bantengs and sambar deer to help tigers :
MEOW MIX: Study Shows How to Re-Wild Big, Juicy Prey Animals for Wild Tigers
and the complete article :
Habitat use by tiger prey in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex: What will it take to fill a half-full tiger landscape? - ScienceDirect
MEOW MIX: Study Shows How to Re-Wild Big, Juicy Prey Animals for Wild Tigers
and the complete article :
Habitat use by tiger prey in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex: What will it take to fill a half-full tiger landscape? - ScienceDirect
The admixing of kulan and onager in Israel and not resolving it is actually a big mistake in conservation science. Know your source populations in reintroductions and resolve the crossbreeding/hybridisation before it spiralled out of control. Israeli Hai Bar and the Nature Reserves Authority organisation never took the issue head on and persisted into the present with reintroductions of admixed individuals.
I should know ..., cause I have been "involved" in this since my early teens almost 4 decades ago. I was closely attached with the people behind this laudable rewilding / restoration effort. Eventually, politics got in the way ... of me actually going there. I did work in neighbouring Jordan though on some of the same issues. Damn, responsible in good part for actually bringing onager in some numbers over. Cannot say much about the present, I think they went out of focus somewhere (but I might be wrong here).
Morphologically and taxonomically kulan and onager are clearly different subspecies of E. hemionus. There are clear zoogeographical barriers to any exchange between source populations of kulan in Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan and beyond and Iran/Persia. The Syrian onager of Near East/Iraq was actually a dwarfish subspecies. I sure shame it is now gone and totally extinct.
The cladistics graph TLD shows actually also that onager and kulan are not one and the same. Although, there may seem to have been various areas of possible overlap and integradation zones in the past. One would have to look at the specimens both museum / old and wild current
ones to draw any firm conclusions on that. For that matter: @TLD: show source credit of the graph please!
Where, I agree with Jurek is that kulan is a good candidate species given habitat / ecosystem health for reintroduction in the Danube deltas of Ukraine to restore another mega herbivore to the Eurasian wild animal landscape that has been sorely missing since the extinction of hydruntines.
@vogelcommando, I have actually been there. Western Forest Complex is a wonderfully diverse and species rich area. Actually some of the best protected landscapes overall in western SE. Asia! The secret should be kept from the mainstream ... though!
PM us!
Scottish Rewilding Association.
Did you view the INOO/WUR Rewilding symposium yesterday?
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I have just seen this PDF prospectus about projects that Rewilding Australia is seeking funding for. Projects that are being funded are:
- Reintroduction of Eastern quolls to mainland Australia - fully funded (2018-2020)
- Rewilding Bannockburn - an 80 hectare fenced enclosure built near a school (2020-2025)
- Rewilding Eastern and spotted-tailed quolls on islands (2020-2025)
- Returning Tasmanian devils to mainland Australia (2020-2025)
- A project to improve road safety for native wildlife (2020-2025)
- Potentially applying biocontrol or CRISPR/Gene drive to eradicate foxes (ongoing)
- Rewilding forests in eastern New South Wales (proposed)
- Reintroducing the emu to Tasmania (proposed)
- Reintroducing the long-beaked echidna to Australia (proposed)
I think the last project in the list is definitely the most interesting proposition. I look forward to seeing how it progresses.
The full PDF is included below:
https://rewildingaustralia.org.au/w...FOBeWEER1-kIeaNV63tEnEWZLZwd40Hi7RyOedDtdGm4s
- Reintroduction of Eastern quolls to mainland Australia - fully funded (2018-2020)
- Rewilding Bannockburn - an 80 hectare fenced enclosure built near a school (2020-2025)
- Rewilding Eastern and spotted-tailed quolls on islands (2020-2025)
- Returning Tasmanian devils to mainland Australia (2020-2025)
- A project to improve road safety for native wildlife (2020-2025)
- Potentially applying biocontrol or CRISPR/Gene drive to eradicate foxes (ongoing)
- Rewilding forests in eastern New South Wales (proposed)
- Reintroducing the emu to Tasmania (proposed)
- Reintroducing the long-beaked echidna to Australia (proposed)
I think the last project in the list is definitely the most interesting proposition. I look forward to seeing how it progresses.
The full PDF is included below:
https://rewildingaustralia.org.au/w...FOBeWEER1-kIeaNV63tEnEWZLZwd40Hi7RyOedDtdGm4s
Seen this article making the rounds about another series of planned reintroductions in Britain - two students, currently studying for their A-levels, have established a company that intends to bring back the European pond turtle and the moor, agile and European tree frogs to Britain as well as expand the reintroduction of pool frogs.
The main article is here:
'Who doesn't love a turtle?' The teenage boys on a mission – to rewild Britain with reptiles
A guest blog written by them is included here:
Guest blog by Celtic Reptile and Amphibian - Mark Avery
The main article is here:
'Who doesn't love a turtle?' The teenage boys on a mission – to rewild Britain with reptiles
A guest blog written by them is included here:
Guest blog by Celtic Reptile and Amphibian - Mark Avery