Who’s afraid?

Isabel and Charles Wardrop voice their concerns about the potential reintroduction of wolves to Scotland (Letters, 5 July). Whatever our views on the subject, we must be realistic. Nature can’t be described as “cruel”, meaning wilfully causing pain or suffering to others. On the other hand, humans have a great propensity for cruelty, both to other species, and to fellow humans. We kill animals with powerful guns and call it sport, not survival. Gamekeepers often have to deliver the coup-de-grace to injured deer when incompetent, wealthy, game-bagging tourists botch the job.

Were wolves to be reintroduced to Scotland, they would no doubt become victims of hunters seeking more exciting prey than deer, whose numbers have risen to a damaging level because of the lack of natural predators, wiped out by humans. CAROLYN TAYLOR Gagiebank, Wellbank Broughty Ferry, Dundee