About the
Large Herbivore
Working Group
The overall aim of the ‘Large Herbivore Working Group’ (LHWG) is
To advance the return of large grazing animals and other ungulates to aid in the restoration of natural processes to the UK.
To this end, we work towards providing guidance, influencing policy and enabling shared learning which would be supportive of this agenda.
About Us
About
The group was first proposed by Rina Quinlan with support from Sir Charles Burrell and the Knepp Estate in October 2022, with the purpose to recover the missing species of the herbivore guild. Our work is focused on reducing the barriers to achieving this purpose and on facilitating the return of these species.
We are a group of experts in the fields of ecology, conservation, academia, law and policy. Our aim is to advance the return of large grazing animals to aid in the restoration of natural processes to the United Kingdom. To this end we are working to provide guidance, influence policy changes and enable shared learning which would be supportive of this agenda and by extension support a wilder Britain. The group includes members from Knepp Rewilding Project, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), The National Trust, The Wildlife Trusts and Rewilding Britain. Although the group functions under the auspices of the Royal Society for Wildlife Trusts, our membership spans across the UK and Europe.
Focus
The Large Herbivore Working Group is the only forum which currently exists for the specific purpose of returning large herbivores at a UK scale. The Group aims to fill the gap in knowledge sharing which exists by bringing in relevant expertise and facilitating collaborative discussion. Many examples exist internationally of successful projects to return these animals, and this group provides a way for this expertise to be brought into a UK context.
Why
Britain is one of the most depleted nations on Earth in terms of its wildlife. Climate change, intensive agriculture, habitat fragmentation, over-fishing and urbanisation are all clear contributors. So far however less has been made of the role of keystone species and particularly the loss of almost the entire large herbivore guild of wild grazers – our wild cattle (now extinct), wild horses (also extinct), wild boar, red deer (extirpated from large parts of the UK), elk and bison species.
Rina Quinlan
Meet the Steering Group
Rina Quinlan
Founder of the Large Herbivore Working Group
Rina is a rewilding consultant and PhD researcher studying elk and bison. Rina is also a wildlife guide at Knepp Wildland.
Stan Smith
Head of Nature and Species Recovery for The Wildlife Trusts
He leads a team seeking to return missing species to the UK. Previously he led the UK’s first reintroduction of European bison and has a background in project delivery for nature restoration.
Stephanie Smith
Leads the Rewilding Law team at the Lifescape Project
Stephanie works across the UK and EU to develop and advance legal frameworks that support large-scale ecological restoration. She comes from a background in environmental and planning law.
Paul Whitfield
Director General of Wildwood Trust
Paul has led Wildwood through the development and delivery of nationally significant conservation programmes, including reintroductions of European bison, red-billed choughs, wildcat, beaver and hazel dormice among others. Paul also has a law background having been a solicitor for over 20 years.
Sara King
Rewilding Manager for Rewilding Britain
Sara works with Landowners, land managers and project managers to provide practical advice and support for rewilding Britain's landscapes.
Christopher Price
Chief Executive of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust aims to secure the future of our rare and native breeds of farm livestock through monitoring, gene banking, direct intervention and promotion of rare and native breeds.
Kieran O'Mahoney
Researcher at the Institute of Ethnology, Czech academy of Sciences
Kieran is a more-than-human geographer with an interest in human-nonhuman relations. Currently, Kieran works on a project looking at animal disease governance, with a particular focus on wild boar and pigs.
Rina Quinlan
Member Organisations
Aims
Assess current management legislation required for domesticated large herbivores (cattle and horses) such as requirements for ear tagging, microchipping and passports. Proposing test cases for exemptions to these practises and making the case where appropriate for a new regulatory framework around ‘kept wild’ herbivores and other ungulates.
Create a body of evidence to enable the progress for the reintroduction of other large herbivores/ungulates where appropriate such as Eurasian Elk, Reindeer, European Bison, Red Deer, Wild Boar and Water Buffalo.
Investigate removal of species from Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 (DWAA 1976) or seek modifications to the provisions within the Act that practically enable wild grazing.
Reduce barriers for movement of wild and domesticated large herbivores across landholdings in nature recovery network areas and other land clusters.
Advocate for best practise animal health and disease management in large herbivores, and thereby reducing the need for unnecessary medication and surveillance.
Promote a better understanding in the UK of the importance of the supply of carrion as a missing ecological function. By disseminating the latest research on carcass management and proposing test cases for exemptions or modifications to the fallen stock regulations to allow carcasses to be left in situ. Additionally, examine regulations to allow for the creation of feeding stations for scavenging animals in appropriate areas.
Support research to further understand large herbivore behaviour in rewilding projects including natural social structures, ecological impacts and human safety.
Rina Quinlan
