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CHANGING PLACES
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Fridays 15.00 - 15.30 |
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Changing PlacesÌý tells stories about greening Britain - intiatives byÌýindividuals, local communities,Ìýgovernment or multi-national corporations that contribute to a sustainable future. |
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Wilderness Park |
FridayÌý29 April |
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Much of the highlands of Scotland has traditionally been privately owned and managed as sporting estates for deerstalking, grouse-shooting and salmon fishing. One new owner, Paul Lister of the Alladale Estate in Sutherland, spent 7 years waiting for the rightÌýproperty to come on the market as he has plans to do something very different.
On his 23,000 acre estate, Paul hopes to abandon deerstalking as a method of managing deer numbers and reintroduce self-sustaining populations of predators. He hopes to have wolves, lynx, bear and other wild animals on the land and turn it into a "wilderness reserve". Although he will be providing upmarket accommodation and visitors will have to pay for guided tours with a ranger, he doesn't want to run a type of safari park. Instead, it is modelled on African game reserves.Ìý
His amibitions are to restore both the landscape of the highlands and the native wildlife that would have once lived there. But there are concerns aboutÌýthese animals escaping and killing sheep on neighbouring farms.
Paul also needs more land to establish a big enough territory for the animals to live in.ÌýAlso, these animals can not be released into the wild, so the estate would have to be fenced.ÌýÌýHowever, Paul's plans for "managed access" run into difficultyÌýbecause the Land Reform (Scotland) Act of 2003Ìýsecures public access.
Despite these obstacles,Ìýsome peopleÌýfeel strongly that the time is right for these native animals to return andÌýPaul hopes to be a catalyst in the process of transformingÌýthe highland landscape to its former wildness.
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We're keen to hear your suggestions for future programmes via our contact us page or write to Changing Places, 91Èȱ¬ Bristol BS8 2LR |
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