Wild Boar  The Wild Boar is the ancestor of the Domestic Pig. Wild Boar are native to much of Europe and North Africa. Several subspecies occur and can be found from Europe across Russia, Asia and even in Japan.  Hybrids with domestic pigs have been introduced to Australia and North America where they are considered pests Wild Boar are a large member of the pig family. They are omnivorous but mainly eat tubers, bulbs and roots. Wild boar use their strong snouts to unearth food buried in the ground. They are particularly fond of acorns. They inhabit deciduous woodland in partic ..read more

The Wolf and Ireland Once the Wolf ranged right across the northern hemisphere in all terrain.  The Wolf was once widespread in Ireland. In fact Ireland was once nicknamed  “Wolf Land” as the Wolf was so common here.  The Irish People respected and revered the Wolf. They feature very strongly in our ancient stories and mythology. The Wolf is now extinct in Ireland due to persecution by humans. The European Wolf is still found in the wild in mainland Europe . The Wolf is persecuted all over its range. The European Wolf’s future remains uncertain.   The Irish count ..read more

  Happy Christmas to all our friends from Wild Ireland. Killian notices the reindeer, Blitzen and Comet, are acting strange on Christmas Eve. He calls the vet to have a look at them. The vet arrives very quick. Him and the reindeer disappear right before his eyes! Was that really the vet or was it someone else? Santa gives presents to all the animals. Watch as the bears wolves, lynx, fox, deer ferrets and Guinea pigs open their gifts from Santa. Happy Christmas to all our friends. We hope to see you again in 2023! The post Christmas 2022 Video appeared first on Wild Ireland | Wildlif ..read more

To Cull or Not to Cull: A Necessary Evil or an Ecological Disaster in the Making As a wildlife conservationist, I have been following the proposed national deer cull in Ireland with great interest. The debate surrounding this issue has been intense, with some arguing that the cull is necessary to control the deer population, while others believe that it is counterproductive and may even cause more harm than good. The proponents of the cull argue that the deer population is causing ecological damage and increasing the risk of road accidents. However, according to recent studies, culling is ..read more

Pot Belly Pig Rescue Stray Pig Rescued by ISPCA and Gardai After Dangerous Roadside Chase A stray pig caused chaos on the roads outside Donegal town on February 22, as it ran erratically in and out of wasteland and onto the main road, endangering both itself and drivers. Thankfully, local animal welfare groups and the Gardai were on hand to help. Killian McLaughlin from Wild Ireland, inspector Kevin McGinley of The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA), Donegal Animals in Need, and veterinarian Nick Garvey attended the scene with the Gardai to assess the pig’s con ..read more

Do wolves pose a danger to humans? According to a report titled “Wolf attacks on humans: an update for 2002-2020” by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, the risks associated with a wolf attacking a human are “above zero, but far too low to calculate.” Between 2002 and 2020, researchers found 26 fatal attacks throughout the world, with the most (12) in Turkey. In Europe and North America, the researchers found evidence for 12 attacks (with 14 victims) of which two (both in North America) were fatal, across a period of 18 years. Rabies played a significant role in most of the attacks ..read more

Wolves are keystone predators that play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems. They have a significant impact on prey populations, plant communities, and even the physical geography of landscapes. In this summary, we will explore some of the benefits of wolves. Regulating prey populations One of the most significant benefits of wolves is their role in regulating prey populations. Wolves are apex predators, which means that they are at the top of the food chain. They primarily hunt large herbivores like elk, moose, and deer. By doing so, they keep the populations of these ani ..read more

  The original Celtic Tiger, the Eurasian lynx is a large cat that once roamed Ireland. The European lynx was long thought to have never reached our shores as it was mainly absent from our fossil records. In 1934 a mandible of a young lynx turned up amongst the animal remains excavated from a cave in County Waterford. It was then confirmed that the lynx was in fact a native Irish big cat. The Irish climate is not ideal for preserving animal remains. If an animal died in the open, the wet climate assists decomposition very well. Wolf and Bear bones are common because they slept and freq ..read more

The Brown Bears The Brown Bear is one of the largest land carnivores in Europe. For thousands of years Brown Bears roamed Ireland. Ireland was once clothed in dense woodland and the Irish Bears called these ancient Celtic rainforests home. Irish Bears would have preyed upon Red deer, wild boar & Irish hares and they would have fished in our salmon rich rivers. The Bears would have fattened up for their winter hibernation by eating berries and other seasonal fruits in Autumn. Bears hibernated in caves and this is where we find many bear bones. 10,400 – 4,000 year old bear bones at the A ..read more