Task force to assess appetite for reintroducing wolves and lynxes

BORIS JOHNSON has asked officials to set up a rewilding “task force” to gauge appetite for returning lynx and wolves to England.

A group of stakeholders, being brought together by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, will contain farmers and anglers among ecologists and other experts, and it is hoped that by including those who may oppose reintroductions of predators, minds may be changed.

Animals under consideration include lynx and wolves, as it is hoped they can keep England’s rocketing deer population under control. A consultation into the widespread release of beavers in England is also coming up this summer.

The Prime Minister and a powerful group of cabinet ministers, including Lord Goldsmith and Michael Gove, are enthusiastic about the idea of reintroducing animals that became extinct in this country hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Carrie Symonds, the Prime Minister’s fiancée, also supports the idea, and works for the Aspinall Foundation, which reintroduces rare animals to the wild in other countries.

However, there is opposition to the plans from some farmers who are concerned large predators including sea eagles, lynx and wolves could snatch their livestock, and from anglers, who worry that uncontrolled beaver populations could affect fish numbers.

Senior sources at Natural England claimed the evidence showed beavers actually improved fish numbers. An official told The Sunday Telegraph: “We need to get our wildlife into a decent state. It’s a shame that anglers don’t feel the same. They think beaver dams stop fish migrating but from the Ice Age to 400 years ago the salmon and sea trout populations were doing extremely well because beavers create habitat.”

A spokesman added: “Natural England are supporting a number of projects establishing wilder landscapes as part of our broader approach to nature recovery”.