r/rewilding

There has been many insights and suggestions about the possibility of reintroducing an Apex Predator into the UK.
Many argue that Wolves or Bears should be reintroduced, however the Lynx is the best option.

The United Kingdom has lacked a lot of biodiversity in their Wildlife, and an Apex Predator like the Lynx would be a great addition to our nation. This animal specialises in hunting deers which is what we need due to a mass overpopulation of deers, they would help revitalise natural processes while opposing little to no threat to humans, as they tend to avoid us.

This is what our country needs, so act now, comment your thoughts on this nationwide debate, and if your an activist for the greater cause of the UK, submit your survey to spark a larger conversation on the reintroduction of Lynx here - https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/t/missinglynxprojectquestionnaire/

Iranian conservationists go above and beyond for there animals but I think many people overlook Iranian conservationists a bit(not that people dont know about Iranian Asiatic Cheetah and there struggles).But there is a struggle of people who are trying to save them too.

Irans wildlife isnt just Asiatic Cheetah but a whole network of bio-diversity:Wild Ass/Deer/Bear/Wild Boar/Antilopes/Persian Leopard and many more.The habitats can be very diverse.From deserts to grasslands and more elevated places.Many herbivores and carnivores inhabit these places.

From the first picture(Top row from left:Niloufar Bayani;Taher Ghadirian;Houman Jowkar and Sepideh Kashani.Bottom row from left:Amirhossein Khaleghi Hamidi;Abdolreza Kouhpayeh;Sam Radjabi and Morad Tahbaz)/Kavous Seyed Emami(in the second picture)/his son Ramin Emami(in the third picture).And many others are some of the most caring and deeply devoted to nature conservationists there are.

They where working in Persian Wildlife Foundation(while it was still running)with many other conservationists.

To protect the wildlife of Iran.

Protecting Asiatic Cheetahs from the road Meyami-Sabzevar between there protected areas.Making wildlife crossings between the road and adding fences to protect the Cheetahs(guide them to not go near unprotected road parts).

Going to Africa and seeing how there captive-release Cheetah program works.Captivley breeding Cheetahs.Tracking and monitoring Cheetahs and working with local people for less poaching.Making first successes in captively breeding Asiatic Cheetahs(even tho all 3 cubs did die eventually before reaching adulthood..).

Monitoring a lot of species and a lot of critically endangered ones like Asian Black Bear(Ursus thibetanus gedrosianus)going and raising awarness about them.

Helping herbivores with grasslands and monitoring Persian Leopards.

But the challenges they face are unlike most conservationists have to deal with

All of the conservationists I mentioned(except Ramin Emami)have been arrested because of the suspction that they where using the camera traps to film Iran illegally and sell data to USA and Israel in 2018.Of course the charges didnt actually have much proof behind them(the cause wasnt exactly determined either.Looking back many journalists bring up the Panthera USA based organisation for it.Cause it did help the Persian WildLife Foundation.And its CEO was a millionare who was working against Iran Thomas Kaplan).Whatever the reason may be the charges stuck(everyone was convicted in 2019.Not by papers but verbally.Again journalist point to foul play in the system).Kavous Seyed Emami died in prison shortly after his arrest(the cause told by the government and not further investigated upon.His sons doubt this claim).

The rest where released around 2024(after serving for a crime that again wasnt propely pointed out to them what they did wrong).There families where told by government to not further speak about the events.The eight conservationists after being released still cant continue there work(cause of 2 year ban after serving there sentences).

The problems for conservationists dont just stop there.War and sanctions prohibit other conservationists that wherent charged with anything from taking good camera-traps for monitoring population numbers.The cars people use for conservation are also not so awailable anymore.Satellite pictures are a out of the question too.

Up to 60% of places are out of jobs for conservationists in many protected areas.

Not to mention conservationist ranger cars can be mistaken for war cars and be struck down by heavy weaponry in a war.Leading to deaths of conservationists.

But people in Iran never give up even if they cant get funding from the other nations do to sanctions and even with these problems.They never give up.

Because they see hope in nature.In Asiatic Cheetah as symbol of hope and many other animals.They care for wildlife enough to die for it.And I think thats some of the most devoted conservation work I have ever seen(just like how people climb to trees to stop them from being cut).

Lets celebrate these amazing people and how they protect there animals!!!

(also sorry if I messed up any of there names...I had to fit a lot of text here..).

Will link all articles about these events down in the comments(cant fit it all here).

https://grist.org/solutions/a-new-plan-to-preserve-georgia-marshes-give-them-space-to-migrate/

I’ve been building a small game called Wild Willows around an idea I thought people here might appreciate: the animals aren’t something you buy, breed, or manually place into the world.

Instead, you start with a degraded landscape and work on the conditions around them: water, vegetation, shelter, food sources, terrain, and other habitat needs. Once the right conditions exist, wildlife begins returning on its own.

There are 150 species across six different biomes, and I’ve been trying to make the progression feel less like “collect every animal” and more like rebuilding a functioning place that can support them.

It’s definitely a simplified, cozy interpretation of restoration rather than a realistic rewilding simulator, and lately I’ve been thinking about how much further I could take that side of it. Things like starting with invasive-dominated landscapes rather than empty ones, having existing native species that need protecting, making some restoration more passive, or having actions create unintended ecological consequences.

I’d be really curious what people interested in actual rewilding would want a game like this to represent. What would make the process feel more like rewilding to you, rather than just landscaping with wildlife as the reward?

There’s a browser demo here if anyone wants to see what I mean:
https://wildwillows.app

Let's Save our Kaziranga National Park from being turned into an Urban Centre

Sign the petition

https://c.org/m9SQnxFyqY

They have every incentive to do it and it's very difficult to catch arsonists who start wildfires.

I've seen it locally where a person stopped letting their farming neighbor cut their field to let it rewild and in a heated interaction between the two the farmer broke off the argument saying "oh and be careful of wildfires in your field." It sounded exactly like the threat you probably read that as.

We live in quite a wet climate and there's never been a wildfire in our community or even nearby. To date this person hasn't experienced a wildfire on their property; human-caused or otherwise.

Inspired by this article:

https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/08/08/rewilding-in-britain-from-concept-to-controversy/