Wolf reintroductions "ecologically possible"
John Muir Trust says the wolf has been demonised in the UK.
A landscape conservation charity has said there is "no ecological reason" why wolves could not be reintroduced to the Scottish Highlands.
In its latest journal, the John Muir Trust (JMT) argues in favour of reintroducing the wolf as part of a drive to "rewild" the UK.
JMT chief executive Stuart Brooks said the charity is hoping to stimulate debate on returning areas of the UK to more natural states and allowing predators and prey to behave more naturally.
Rewilding includes reducing grazing pressure from wild or domestic animals to allow plants and trees to grow.
In the article, Susan Wright and Mike Daniels said wolves have been demonised "beyond rational or logical argument" in the UK.
According to the authors, the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park in the US provides "hard evidence" of the species importance to ecosystems.
"The weight of evidence suggests that the absence of the wolf has a profound effect," they explained.
The authors argued there is a greater moral imperative in the UK than in Europe to consider reintroductions. "The wolf or lynx are not going to make it here on their own. If we want them back we are going to have to bring them in."
Wolves have returned to countries such as Belgium, France, Denmark and the Netherlands. The article claimed the majority of people have welcomed these returns.
However, the wolf's reappearance has sparked conflict too. A Swedish court recently overturned a proposal to cull 30 wolves, while farmers and hunters claimed their way of life was being threatened.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
