Reintroduction of wolves ‘like a Little Red Riding Hood story’ says Tipperary councillor

Nenagh Cathaoirleach Councillor Rocky McGrath has said some suggestions about controlling wild deer are “like a Red Riding Hood story”.

Cllr McGrath was referring to a suggestion that wolves be reintroduced to control the deer population. He said the suggestion was “not sensible”.

He told council officials and elected members at last week’s sitting of Nenagh Municipal District Council that he felt it was an important issue to highlight.

“In a few years, they will come down. They will do savage damage,” said Cllr McGrath.

He said that he was reading an article that quoted a local TD welcoming a cull.

However, he said that while the deer situation was “beyond a joke”, some suggestions were “just silly”.

“It’s going to be dangerous for civilians as well as for deer,” said Cllr McGrath.

While the local representative did not specify who suggested reintroducing wolves, Green Party leader and Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan has been reported as an advocate for a reintroduction of wolves.

He has said that it would help control the deer population.

But could it work?

A simulation study from UCD and published in the journal Wildlife Biology in 2023 found that reintroducing wolves to Ireland could be “ecologically viable”.

But there were a few caveats.

The study examined the effect of reintroduction into national parks only.

The study also examined various management strategies to reduce the likelihood of the wolves wandering into farming areas and attacking livestock.

But they said the effectiveness of these depended on the park being examined.

So, what works for one area may not work for another.

The study also looked at the impact on deer populations in and around the parks.

The authors said that their modelling suggested that wolves may keep deer populations down, reducing accidents on roads, as well as the spread of bovine TB.

But they also said they did not know what effect wolves might have on other areas of biodiversity outside a controlled space like a national park.

So, while the authors did say that the reintroduction of wolves could work and may help manage deer populations and its effects, they were not suggesting releasing wolves into the countryside.

In fact the authors said large agricultural areas would not be good places to put the wolves.

Danger deer ahead

Bovine TB was a concern of the councillors at last week’s sitting of Nenagh MDC.

Cllr Michael O’Meara said farmers have been contacting him saying TB has been a “catastrophe” on their farms.

He said that farmers not only suffer financial loss but mental stress when their animals become infected.

Cllr O’Meara said he believes all animals have a right to life, but deer must be culled for the “welfare of the family farm”.

“I know farmers completely cleaned out because of TB. It’s a national crisis,” said Cllr O’Meara.

Cllr Ger Darcy said the deer population has “gotten out of hand” over the past ten years. He said aside from TB, deer pose a serious danger on roads.

“A deer can do unbelievable damage to a car and the people in the car,” said Cllr Darcy.

He said a cull was needed to stop them invading human spaces.

“A deer does not understand boundaries,” said Cllr Darcy.

Cllr Seamus Morris said he had a close call with a deer on the road recently and knows from personal experience the danger they pose.

“It frightened the life out of me and the speed of the stag - I couldn’t believe it,” said Cllr Morris.

A welcome cull

In December, Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill welcomed a culling proposal being brought before Cabinet by the Minister for Agriculture.

He said the Bill could address the dangers posed on roads, and the spread of TB.

Mr Cahill said that overpopulation puts pressure on natural resources forcing deer to travel further to forage.

Culls, he said, can reduce the need for the animals to spread into human spaces.

“I’m delighted to hear that Minister McConalogue will be bringing a deer cull proposal before Cabinet shortly.

“This is long overdue, and it is essential for a variety of reasons.

“One major issue many of us are familiar with, myself included, is the huge number of accidents that have occurred as a result of deer crossing on roads,” said Mr Cahill.

It should be noted that there is no suggestion the forthcoming Bill will initiate a reintroduction of wolves.