coyotes in the UK?? (1 Viewer)

[maersk]

so ive heard that certain people have been talking about bringing coyotes to britain to hunt in place of foxes...................good idea or bad?

 

[David FG]

so ive heard that certain people have been talking about bringing coyotes to britain to hunt in place of foxes...................good idea or bad?

I think someone is having you on!

 

[David Nicholson]

Yes I think so too. It was the cruelty issue that ended hunting with hounds, not the rarity of the fox. Coyotes have feelings too you know!

 

[egret3]

Well, I think it must have been a joke
though not funny

We have many here.. they come into the city
and have been seen in a very nice cemetery
that we have..

People want to shoot them, farmers
and others.. but.. many animals now
come down to the cities..
no wonder
We have taken all their land
with .. housing.. that we dont need
more of.. ugly housing
so.. that is what happens in some
places

 

[KnockerNorton]

Besides anything else, it's illegal to release any non-native animal into the UK. You've been had.

 

[CornishExile]

Besides anything else, it's illegal to release any non-native animal into the UK. You've been had.

Which is why the truth is that the redundant hunts are going to start hunting native ramblers instead of foxes. They wanted access to all the countryside; now they get to participate fully in country life.

CE

 

[RaptorMan]

Besides anything else, it's illegal to release any non-native animal into the UK. You've been had.

1981 wildlife act it is ilegal to introduce a non native species that wil have an effect like a coyote will on the ecosystem.

 

[Hindolbittern]

so ive heard that certain people have been talking about bringing coyotes to britain to hunt in place of foxes...................good idea or bad?

Bad. To add to the good sense below, some several years ago I worked on the coypu erradication programme for MAFF in these parts. Coypus (a South American water mammal a bit like beavers) had been released from fur farms in the wild in the 30s and had found watery East Anglia much to their liking. They not only ticked off the farmers and wreaked havoc on the drainage channels but, as a sucessful competitor, they had a negative impact on the established ecosystem. Because they had a discreet, limited habitat the scientists decided that if enough money and effort was thrown at it the coypus could be eliminated from the UK. And they were.

Despite the fact that the cull was carried out as humanely as possible and in the long term was the best thing for the environment, it wasn't a pleasant thought that tens of thousands of animals were being killed. Any introduced species sooner or later proves the law of unintended consequences. See also mink.

 

[maersk]

we have nutrias here, not in huge numbers but they are present..

 

[Hindolbittern]

we have nutrias here, not in huge numbers but they are present..

I wonder if they are escapees like ours or migrants from down south? They are amazing animals and, given a watery environment, very adaptable and sucessful.

And very orange teeth.

(NB for those without my now almost entirely useless fund of knowledge about them, nutria = coypu!)