In the absence of apex predators in Scotland, key ecological interactions, such as carcass scavenging, are either absent or significantly suppressed. A steady supply of dead deer, partially eaten by lynx, would increase the year-round availability of carrion – a resource that, ironically, supports so much life.
In Slovenia, hunters are helping conservationists to reinforce a critically threatened lynx population, recognising the lynx has a vital role to play in a healthy forest ecosystem.
With global nature loss inextricably linked with climate breakdown, the place for top predators in a future Scotland, is an increasingly pressing discussion. Gordon Eaglesham explores the complex and evolving science around the foundational role of large carnivores in living systems around the world.
Opinions on the return of missing species vary widely, but in the face of increasing biodiversity loss and calls for a wildlife comeback, should the question around reintroductions be shifting from ‘whether’ to ‘when’?
