Ireland weighs wolves, deer contraceptives, and puffins stressed by influencers

Ireland is weighing proposals to reintroduce wolves, give contraceptives to deer, and curb influencers near puffins after a public consultation on wildlife laws. The National Parks and Wildlife Service published hundreds of submissions this week, ranging from a national bounty on feral cats to calls to bring beavers back. An ecologist warned that social media influencers were disturbing nesting birds with drones and walking on puffin burrows, which they said was stressing colonies. Other submissions pushed to ban foxhunting, harecoursing, and badger snaring, while opponents urged protections. One writer called harecoursing indefensible, adding that hares feel pain like us. Some contributors asked to allow electronic fox callers, night vision rifle sights, and semi automatic rifles for what they called humane vermin control. One even backed bows and arrows for deer. The ideas also included contraceptive laced bait for deer, TB vaccines for badgers, and wolves to boost trees and biodiversity, citing projects in the US and the Alps.