0:00:19 > 0:00:22The Highlands of Scotland have witnessed many upheavals.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31But they've seen nothing
0:00:31 > 0:00:35like what's happening in the glens north of Inverness.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39Here, one man is trying to realise a big idea.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Paul Lister is trying to bring back
0:00:43 > 0:00:46wild animals that were once common in Scotland.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58Mammals such as moose, wolves and bears
0:00:58 > 0:01:00that were wiped out centuries ago.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07His plans have produced howls of derision as well as enthusiastic support.
0:01:09 > 0:01:15Is he a nutcase or will he be hailed as a modern-day Monarch of the Glen?
0:01:17 > 0:01:22There are huge obstacles to overcome, but one thing is sure -
0:01:22 > 0:01:29Paul Lister is prepared to do whatever it takes to turn his patch of Scotland wild again.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45The Highlands of Scotland look like the very essence of wildness -
0:01:45 > 0:01:50primeval and untouched.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00But these solitary trees
0:02:00 > 0:02:03are all that remain of a very different landscape.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Centuries ago, these hills were cloaked
0:02:11 > 0:02:16in forests of Caledonian pine, but they've been stripped bare.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24With the timber gone, sheep took over the hills.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28They grazed out many of the fragile native plants,
0:02:28 > 0:02:33turning a once diverse landscape into a soggy desert.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Even the heather is nothing but a glorified weed.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42It's hard to make a living here.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47Crofters have mostly gone, and the land is carved up
0:02:47 > 0:02:49between a number of large estates,
0:02:49 > 0:02:55these days devoted to hunting, shooting and fishing.
0:02:55 > 0:03:01It may look wild, but in fact, this landscape is heavily managed
0:03:01 > 0:03:05for the benefit of just three commercially prized animals -
0:03:05 > 0:03:08salmon, grouse and red deer.
0:03:09 > 0:03:15People think Scotland, or the Highlands in particular, are a beautiful place, beautiful scenery,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19and they're right, it does look great.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22But if you actually know something about the history,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25you'll realise just how much devastation has taken place
0:03:25 > 0:03:27over the centuries.
0:03:29 > 0:03:36There is a tantalising hint of what Scotland looked like 300 years ago
0:03:36 > 0:03:39in the remaining forests of northern and eastern Europe.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47Here, it's also possible to glimpse the animals that once lived in the Highlands,
0:03:47 > 0:03:54creatures which either died out once the trees were cut down or were hunted out.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59It's almost impossible to imagine moose in a glen,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02but long ago they would have been
0:04:02 > 0:04:06as much a part of the Scottish uplands as brown bears.
0:04:08 > 0:04:14Each animal, up to the top predator, would have played a vital role
0:04:14 > 0:04:17in keeping the woodland balanced and healthy.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26It was on a visit to Eastern Europe
0:04:26 > 0:04:30that businessman Paul Lister saw Scotland's potential.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41But it wasn't until 2003 that his fledgling idea could take off.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Overnight, his fortunes changed,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54as he came into control of millions of pounds made by his father,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57the founder of the MFI flat-pack empire.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04Lister bought a 23,000-acre estate north of Inverness,
0:05:04 > 0:05:09where he set about challenging the centuries-old monopoly of land management.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20His base is the Alladale Lodge at the eastern end of his land.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Like the surrounding sporting estates,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35there's grouse, thousands of red deer
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and the rivers are rich in salmon.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42But along the two glens which stretch west from the lodge,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45there is very little else.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Paul wants to use his fortune to create a wilderness reserve,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54plant trees to join up the fragmented woodland
0:05:54 > 0:05:59and populate the two glens with moose, lynx, bear and wolf,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02creatures that were once common here.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11He thinks people would pay to come and see this restoration process happen
0:06:11 > 0:06:16and wants to prove that a rich and self-sustaining mix of native wildlife
0:06:16 > 0:06:21can make more money and provide more jobs than hunting and fishing.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28The area I'm looking at here is one of our richest parts of the reserve,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31and it just needs to have back
0:06:31 > 0:06:35the animals that were once living here hundreds of years ago
0:06:35 > 0:06:38to really make the place come alive.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48Trying to bring back Scotland's lost riches is not a new idea.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52For many decades, conservationists have discussed
0:06:52 > 0:06:57re-wilding parts of the Highlands, and a recent European directive
0:06:57 > 0:07:00encourages governments to do just this.
0:07:04 > 0:07:10Scotland has successfully reintroduced birds such as red kite and the sea eagle,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14but plans to bring back mammals have foundered,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17either because there isn't enough continuous forest
0:07:17 > 0:07:22to support these creatures, or because local people have objected.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Although other European countries
0:07:25 > 0:07:32have successfully re-introduced mammals such as beaver, Scotland is lagging behind.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41Re-wilding has proved to be so complicated,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43it's not surprising many people look at Lister's ambitious plans
0:07:43 > 0:07:47with a mixture of admiration and disbelief.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Well, I started by thinking he was a nutcase.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59But...I have to admire him for having a go.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I mean, the SAS motto.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05He's put his purse
0:08:05 > 0:08:08where his mouth is and he is trying,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10and I admire that immensely.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18Paul is a furniture salesman not an ecologist,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21so he's buying in the best advice.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27At Alladale, there is the potential
0:08:27 > 0:08:33to do something radical, useful, important and well founded.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37The thought that there would be an owner of a Highland estate
0:08:37 > 0:08:41who is prepared to make the top priority of that estate
0:08:41 > 0:08:48the biodiversity gain and all that flows from it - the revenue generation and so forth -
0:08:48 > 0:08:51is quite wonderful, and we should rejoice in that.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Paul's impatient to get the project off the ground,
0:08:55 > 0:09:01so as well as world-class expertise, he's found what he believes is the perfect blueprint for Alladale.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05There's nothing unique about what I'm proposing at Alladale.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07There's nothing unique.
0:09:07 > 0:09:13It's literally a plagiarisation of a success story from South Africa.
0:09:34 > 0:09:41Like the Highlands of Scotland, Shamwari Game Reserve was once overgrazed and impoverished land.
0:09:55 > 0:10:01The driving force behind its restoration is businessman Adrian Gardiner.
0:10:03 > 0:10:0710, 15 years ago, where we're driving now was farmland.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09This was all red soil, abused,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12overgrazed, degraded,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14absolutely ravaged.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Over the years, successfully,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18we've created a whole ecosystem here,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21from a dung beetle to the elephant,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25so we've put back the rightful owners to this land.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29What's impressed Paul is that the animals have done all the hard work.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32To a large extent, we've let nature repair itself.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35If you put the right animals on this land,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38that helps repair it. That's nature.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41The similarities between what we're trying to do
0:10:41 > 0:10:44are actually closer than you think.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49The right animals in their original setting
0:10:49 > 0:10:54will go a long way to restoring the vegetation at Alladale, too.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57But at the start, they would have to be heavily managed.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Paul and his rangers will have to learn how to monitor,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05dart and move grazers to help the restoration process along.
0:11:05 > 0:11:06This is a very popular dart gun,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10so you'll most probably use this dart system at Alladale.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14- So, the dart is in there.- Oh, yes. - Quite simple.- Yeah, very.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20OK, if you get a nice view of the rhino...
0:11:20 > 0:11:22The one at the back now. Back left.
0:11:22 > 0:11:29Today, they are going to dart a young rhino so they can clip an identifying mark on her ear.
0:11:29 > 0:11:35In a few years' time, Paul could be darting moose or bear at Alladale.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39On the shoulder if you get...
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Perfect. And it went in.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47'Tony, they've just gone into the open now.'
0:11:47 > 0:11:49So far so good. Very slick operation.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Yeah, they've gone into the middle of a nice big open area.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00They only have a short time before the rhino is conscious again.
0:12:02 > 0:12:09The vet makes a painless notch in her ear and then injects a stimulant to bring the rhino round.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11No, it's fine.
0:12:22 > 0:12:23Wow. He was up quick.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30In every healthy ecosystem, grazers are only part of the story.
0:12:30 > 0:12:37Without predators, the grazers would overpopulate the reserve and eat out the vegetation all over again.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Shamwari needs big cats
0:12:42 > 0:12:46just as Alladale needs wolves, lynx and bear.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55People have a long-held mistrust of predators, so many locals
0:12:55 > 0:12:59were outraged when Gardiner welcomed lions and hyenas back.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06My neighbours here were absolutely up in arms.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10I can remember going to a meeting where one of the neighbours stood up
0:13:10 > 0:13:15and he said to me, "My grandfather shot the last brown hyena here."
0:13:15 > 0:13:19I said, "Well, I'm going to bring it back."
0:13:21 > 0:13:26To keep the neighbours happy and to protect his precious animals,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Gardiner has built a fence around his 60,000 acres.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Paul will do the same at Alladale but, even so,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Gardiner thinks he will face a lot of resistance to his plans.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42His challenges are going to be more than ours were.
0:13:42 > 0:13:49We had a lot of neighbours who didn't want to accept what we were gonna do, and there were struggles.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53But all struggles are worth fighting for.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56I really hope that I will see the bear and the wolf back.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Oh, you will, you will!
0:13:58 > 0:14:00For sure!
0:14:19 > 0:14:24Paul is convinced the Shamwari model will work in the Highlands.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27People say to me, "We're living in another part of the world."
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Yes, there are different parameters,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34but it's the same principle of taking over land
0:14:34 > 0:14:37which has been ravaged by man and investing in it
0:14:37 > 0:14:40and bringing back the species that belong there.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Paul is impatient to see wolves and bear on his reserve
0:14:44 > 0:14:49but, like Shamwari, he needs to start with the basics.
0:14:49 > 0:14:55He has native grazers, but red deer are the very core of the problem.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Scotland has way too many of them.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04Even Scottish Natural Heritage agrees that native trees and plants
0:15:04 > 0:15:08don't stand a chance while deer numbers remain so high.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12In any other setting, they'd be called a pest.
0:15:22 > 0:15:29With no native predators to control them, red deer numbers have increased steadily for decades.
0:15:30 > 0:15:38Despite a threefold increase in culling since the 1970s, deer numbers are still on the rise.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49In the interests of natural regeneration,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Alladale has halved its deer population over ten years.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59The process of lowering numbers goes on every year.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Throughout the season, they cull the lesser-valued hinds.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20The challenge is to get close enough for a shot.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39I'm not some bloodthirsty killer, like.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44It's a job that we have to do and that's it, you know?
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Just get on with it.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53Deer culling is something Innes and David have always had to do.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56But now they feel there's a goal at the end of it.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- It's quite a good plan, you know. - If we get the acreage,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03this thing can work and create a lot more employment,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07and it would be quite a unique concept, you know?
0:17:07 > 0:17:11We're watching the project develop, you know? We're making it happen.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13So bring it on.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Once the deer are under control,
0:17:46 > 0:17:53the 80,000 saplings which Paul has planted in the valley bottoms will have a chance of reaching maturity.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Paul already has some stands
0:18:03 > 0:18:06of old-growth Caledonian pine on the reserve.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11But to provide food and cover for forest animals, he needs more.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Pines need very specific growing conditions,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18so Paul has turned to a very specific animal.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25The arrival of a group of boar means his dream of regenerating
0:18:25 > 0:18:28this patch of the Highlands has already begun.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Boars are walking rotavators.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37As they root around, they break up the blanket of heather and bracken,
0:18:37 > 0:18:43turn over the soil and create a perfect seedbed for pine kernels.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48- Where's the big fellow?- Here he is.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51400 years ago, boar were common in Scotland.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54He is big, isn't he?
0:18:54 > 0:18:58This is the first time anyone has studied what their return would do to the landscape.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Paul's estate manager, Hugh Fullerton-Smith,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07is the man in charge of the operation.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12When this opportunity arose, it kind of really intrigued me that somebody
0:19:12 > 0:19:18could be trying to set up a genuine wilderness reserve in the UK.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28It's quite powerful stuff, really, this whole re-wilding concept,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31and I think it's long overdue,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35from what I've seen in 12 months. It's perfect.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38And after a while, I think you suddenly realise
0:19:38 > 0:19:41that you're quite privileged to be here.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45There's probably 100 years' work here.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Paul knows re-wilding takes time.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05But he's also a businessman who needs results.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09He wants to fast-forward to the next animal on his wish list -
0:20:09 > 0:20:15moose, or European elk, as they are officially known.
0:20:15 > 0:20:21Unlike red deer, these eight-foot giants won't decimate the ground vegetation.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23They browse on willows and birch.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32They've been absent from Scotland for over 2,000 years.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40But Paul thinks that if he had some at Alladale, they would start drawing the public in.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46But shopping for them is harder than he thought.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51I've found moose, but the Swedish government
0:20:51 > 0:20:57have banned the capture of wild moose, so we've had to go to parks.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00But they're terribly expensive.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03I think with all the vet testing
0:21:03 > 0:21:07and all the clearances to import them into Scotland,
0:21:07 > 0:21:11it will be about £17,000 for four animals.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22Paul decides to get on a plane and look for some himself.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31He wants young moose that will be able to grow up as wild as possible.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36At a moose breeder's, he tracks down two females who are about to give birth.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Helga, Scottish visitors!
0:21:43 > 0:21:44Er, English visitor.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48English? Oh, sorry!
0:21:48 > 0:21:50British visitor.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55They're amazing, aren't they? I've never been this close to a moose.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Here comes the boss. She is called Landa.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00This one here?
0:22:00 > 0:22:03She even beats up the bull if she has to,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06she just presses down the head and then she knees them.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10- Can you get in there with them? - We will go in, everyone.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- They are very, very tame.- We're gonna go in there?- Yes, of course.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19- This is the bigger bull. - They make horses look small.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22- Look at that!- There you go.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25There you go. You like that one, boy.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28I need two females and a male. Young ones.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33Well, let's have a contact and see what happens when their babies come.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Paul calls Alladale with the good news.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42I think I'd better do a deal with him.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Anyway, this might just be the niche.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47He's got a home for two of the babies,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49but not the other three or four.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Erm, and I suspect we just need three at the most.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Moose from Sweden would be a crowd puller.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13But Paul needs a mix of animals on the reserve.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Every animal has its part to play, and the more animals
0:23:17 > 0:23:21we bring back to Alladale, the less we'll have to manage things,
0:23:21 > 0:23:26the less we'll have to go round planting trees and shooting deer
0:23:26 > 0:23:29and we can let animals play their part.
0:23:36 > 0:23:43Encouraging small animals back to Alladale is as important as the large ones.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Small birds and mammals help to distribute seeds
0:23:47 > 0:23:52and would provide food for carnivores such as lynx and eagles.
0:23:55 > 0:24:01But the animal that's key to restoring the balance of the Highlands is the wolf.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08It's also the animal with the biggest reputation.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Even a huge national park like Yellowstone in the US
0:24:21 > 0:24:25courted controversy when they brought this particular carnivore back.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33Oh, it was very heated. I've had death threats, and I think people on the other side did too, probably.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37So it's a very emotional issue, very polarised.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40I've had hundreds of guys come up to me at meetings and tell me,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43"My dad, my grandad killed the last wolf in this valley,
0:24:43 > 0:24:48"this river system, this county, this state." They're very proud of that.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51And so, emotionally, it's a big deal out West,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55where the last wolves were killed only 70 or 80 years ago.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02For many people, that's not long enough to begin to love an animal
0:25:02 > 0:25:04that was once so hated.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Fear of wolves runs deep,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09but it's a fear that's unfounded.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Wolves have attacked people a few times in North America,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14but in the past 400 years,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18a wild wolf has never killed a person in North America.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Some day it might happen, but of all the things you have to worry about,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24wolves are probably just below ground squirrels.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Wolves are not a serious threat to people.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33What's more, wolves are useful.
0:25:33 > 0:25:39They've done a sterling job in Yellowstone of keeping destructive grazing animals in check,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43so much so that top British scientists have studied
0:25:43 > 0:25:47whether wolves could do the same for the spiralling number of Highland deer.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52The science we need to know is
0:25:52 > 0:25:55what are the likely consequences if we take a species like a wolf
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and reintroduce it into parts of Scotland?
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Our predictions were that, eventually, after about 60 years,
0:26:03 > 0:26:08deer numbers would come down to probably somewhere between a quarter or a third on where they are now
0:26:08 > 0:26:11and the wolf population would plateau in the Highlands
0:26:11 > 0:26:14at somewhere between 300-500 wolves.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Eventually, predator and prey find a natural balance,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25and that can only be good for the whole landscape.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Paul's ideas are based on sound science,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35but there haven't been wolves in Britain since the 1740s,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39and the mere mention of them creates panic.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Paul thinks the media are just scaremongering.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51I was in Sweden the other week. There are 300 or 400 wolves.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56You don't read horror stories of people being eaten by wolves and bears in Europe.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01It's just nonsense, and it's about time people woke up to that fact.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06It's about time stories like Little Red Riding Hood were put into context
0:27:06 > 0:27:12and people understood that wolves are absolutely terrified of man.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Hill farmers still worry that their livestock might be at risk.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25To allay local concerns, Lister has always made it clear
0:27:25 > 0:27:29that he intends to build a fence around his entire property.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34The scare stories are a constant frustration.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40It is a misrepresentation to imagine
0:27:40 > 0:27:45that creating a large, fenced, park-like wilderness area
0:27:45 > 0:27:49is the same thing as liberating, unfenced, these animals
0:27:49 > 0:27:52into the freedom of the countryside.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55I've seen press coverage which has suggested a confusion
0:27:55 > 0:27:58between those two, which is a pretty silly confusion.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01I mean, most people can understand "fence".
0:28:04 > 0:28:08There's already a 500-acre enclosure for the boar,
0:28:08 > 0:28:12and there are plenty of safety measures to protect people from what's inside.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18We've got a dangerous wild animal licence now,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22so it's our job to protect the public from these animals
0:28:22 > 0:28:27and to protect the animals from the public, as well!
0:28:30 > 0:28:33But Hugh finds himself in a legal paradox.
0:28:35 > 0:28:41The laws protecting the public are at odds with the laws guaranteeing public access in Scotland.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Something really strange has happened
0:28:45 > 0:28:48from the same office that issued the dangerous wild animals licence.
0:28:48 > 0:28:54The Highland Access Officer now insists that the public can have access to this enclosure.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58So we've got a pretty strange thing going on here.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Worryingly, the legal farce surrounding the pig pen
0:29:03 > 0:29:07has huge implications for the whole project.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15The 50-mile fence which Paul had planned to build around Alladale,
0:29:15 > 0:29:20three metres high, specially designed and costing £2 million,
0:29:20 > 0:29:25would effectively seal off his estate from the rest of the Highlands.
0:29:28 > 0:29:34This has enraged people who fought for one of the very first Acts of the new Scottish Parliament -
0:29:34 > 0:29:36an enforceable right to roam.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40Ramblers and climbers aren't up in arms over the wolves.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43It's the fence.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46To keep these animals in place, if you like,
0:29:46 > 0:29:50he wants to build a fence, electrified,
0:29:50 > 0:29:52to create a massive enclosure
0:29:52 > 0:29:53for these animals.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Now, one, that's not re-wilding,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59that's creating a zoo. And two,
0:29:59 > 0:30:03People like myself and many, many others have fought for generations
0:30:03 > 0:30:08for this Land Reform Act, the legislation that we now have in Scotland.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11And for somebody to helicopter into an area like Alladale and say,
0:30:11 > 0:30:16"I'm gonna build this great big fence and to hell with your Land Reform Act, I don't care about your access,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19"I want to keep people out and my animals in."
0:30:19 > 0:30:22That attitude I find morally repugnant.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27The fence has become very divisive.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31What Paul thought would be the solution
0:30:31 > 0:30:35to people's fear of wild animals is becoming his biggest problem.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40There are some people who don't want to see any fences,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43and there are other people who don't want a fence
0:30:43 > 0:30:47because they don't want to be stopped walking on that side.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51I worry that because of the access legislation,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53it may be impossible
0:30:53 > 0:30:57to do this experiment, and I would be very sad about that.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00I think that we need places for nature.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02I don't see why humans have to go everywhere.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Even though Alladale is becoming embroiled in access issues,
0:31:07 > 0:31:12they still have to get on with managing the animals that are already penned up here.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15At least Hugh is making progress with the boar.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37Yesterday, we put radio tracking collars on seven of the boar.
0:31:37 > 0:31:43It's really going along nicely, so the pigs are going really well.
0:31:43 > 0:31:49The radio collars will help Chris, who's in charge of the boar research, to work out
0:31:49 > 0:31:52how much land each pig needs.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58This becomes particularly important when, in early summer,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01the enclosure welcomes new arrivals.
0:32:05 > 0:32:12These are the first animals to be born at Alladale and the first that will be brought up in the wild.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Now that the boar seem well established,
0:32:20 > 0:32:24it's time for Hugh to organise the next stage of the project.
0:32:27 > 0:32:33We're definitely going ahead with an import of elk on September 15th.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37Just going to bring a bull and two young females.
0:32:37 > 0:32:38So that's pretty exciting.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44The re-wilding will happen here, no doubt about that.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49It's just the timing of us establishing this big reserve,
0:32:49 > 0:32:54because the complexities of doing it have probably escaped Paul a little.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00Paul has overlooked a fundamental issue.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05In the eyes of the law, a fence around his reserve
0:33:05 > 0:33:08would change the nature of the Alladale project.
0:33:13 > 0:33:18We in Scottish Natural Heritage are remitted and interested in wildlife when it's in the wild.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21When you put a fence around an area,
0:33:21 > 0:33:26technically and legally, it's not then in the wild.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30I think the development at Alladale would need then to be covered by the zoo legislation.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34As I understand it, there would be issues about animal welfare,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37the survival and wellbeing of individual animals
0:33:37 > 0:33:40as part of what happens inside this enclosed area.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45Alladale is huge but, if it's classed as a zoo,
0:33:45 > 0:33:52it would then be illegal to put a predator and its prey in the same enclosed space.
0:33:53 > 0:33:59And THIS would completely undermine Paul's grand plan.
0:33:59 > 0:34:05If the Highlands are to be properly restored, he thinks it's vital for all the animals to live together.
0:34:07 > 0:34:12It's the wolves that will keep the deer away from the valley bottoms,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15where the rivers are, where we need vegetation.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18We don't have that any more up here.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21It's important spawning grounds for the salmon.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25For the whole cycle of life, it's very important to have as many
0:34:25 > 0:34:28of the creatures back that were once here.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Although this is encouraged by EU legislation,
0:34:31 > 0:34:37national laws are threatening to stop his ambitious re-wilding scheme in its tracks.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41There's a clash of legislation here.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Article 22 of the EU Habitats Directive
0:34:44 > 0:34:48encourages people to go through species and habitat restoration,
0:34:48 > 0:34:53That means that you have an ambition to get wolves and bear and lynx back into Scotland.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56The Zoo Act basically prevents that happening
0:34:56 > 0:34:59by saying you cannot have predator and prey in the same enclosure,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02which basically flies in the face of this whole proposal.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08We have managed to surround ourselves in so much red tape
0:35:08 > 0:35:12with regard to things that you can and cannot do.
0:35:12 > 0:35:18We're not a zoo, we're not a Longleat, we're not a private collection of animals. What are we?
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Well, we are a wilderness reserve.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24We are like a nature reserve with a fence around it.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26So there isn't a box for us.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35Perhaps the only way forward is to challenge the legislation
0:35:35 > 0:35:39and make his reserve much, much larger.
0:35:41 > 0:35:48No-one quite knows how big it should be, but everyone agrees that its current size is too limiting.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52It's undoubtedly too small.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57The original thought was it needed 50,000 acres.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59If you had less than 50,000 acres,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02then you would say that the...
0:36:02 > 0:36:05deer are too much at a disadvantage
0:36:05 > 0:36:09against fence lines for the wolves.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11So you can't do that.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13It has to be big.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Even the trial boar enclosure may be too small.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25The pigs are doing a great job breaking up the bracken and heather,
0:36:25 > 0:36:29but the roots of one of the old-growth pine trees
0:36:29 > 0:36:31have been damaged in the process,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34proof that there's still lots to learn
0:36:34 > 0:36:38about even the basics of Highland restoration.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48In August, there's an unexpected setback.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51An outbreak of foot-and-mouth has been confirmed in England,
0:36:51 > 0:36:55and the Government, nervous of an epidemic, has put a blanket ban
0:36:55 > 0:36:58on all movements of livestock.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02I'll call the Swedish Trades Council.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Hugh has to cancel the import of the moose.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07They're going to really stick this one out,
0:37:07 > 0:37:11cos they got so much egg on their face last time letting any movements take place at all.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13They're absolutely paranoid.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17Good old foot-and-mouth has erupted again.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21Looks like the second case will be confirmed today.
0:37:21 > 0:37:26There's no real ban on importing stock, you just can't move them once they get to England.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31So we have to wait for the ban to be lifted before we can begin the import.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Nothing like Alladale has been attempted in Britain before,
0:37:40 > 0:37:47so right from the start, Paul's had to come to terms with setbacks as well as missed opportunities.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51At the very beginning, he had a chance to buy the next-door estate.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54That was more money, but my view is,
0:37:54 > 0:37:58if you're very wealthy and you buy an estate, you're not losing money.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01You can always sell it again sometime.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05If that other estate had been bought then, that would have made it easier.
0:38:07 > 0:38:12Paul now has to either wait for adjoining land to come on the market
0:38:12 > 0:38:15or encourage his neighbours, who all run sporting estates,
0:38:15 > 0:38:16to come on board.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22A group of Highland estates with the same vision would create enough space for re-wilding.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27But there's a lot of persuading to do.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31I wouldn't want the fences.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33It's not possible without the fences.
0:38:33 > 0:38:34But I wouldn't want it here.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37But I admire him for having a go.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39My own opinion is it needs nearer a
0:38:39 > 0:38:42quarter-million acres than 25,000,
0:38:42 > 0:38:46and then I think he might be getting somewhere.
0:38:47 > 0:38:52There are some problems, not least with the fencing...
0:38:54 > 0:38:57..both in extremely bad weather in the winter,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00and also on the human side,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03with the antis and vandals cutting in.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07And then, if you have a lot of wolves or bears escape, well, erm,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10it would make life interesting!
0:39:10 > 0:39:13You know, before he came along,
0:39:13 > 0:39:17there was just the traditional sporting estate and the crofters.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21To keep people in the Highlands,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24you've got to keep trying new things.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28As Jonny has said, good on you for having a go.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31It's creating a lot of jobs, and it might be right.
0:39:35 > 0:39:41Like a lot of people who have a vision, it's never simple, is it?
0:39:41 > 0:39:45How many people have had ideas that have really required a lot of energy,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48effort, communication and support?
0:39:49 > 0:39:53What has to happen is that people have to start to appreciate
0:39:53 > 0:39:55and believe and trust
0:39:55 > 0:39:57in what we're trying to achieve.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02By September, with the moose importation still on hold,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Paul flies to the other side of the world
0:40:05 > 0:40:09for a much-needed dose of inspiration and support.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19This is part of the biggest re-wilding project on the planet,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22100 times larger than Alladale.
0:40:22 > 0:40:29Just like the Highlands, this part of Argentina was once in a mess,
0:40:29 > 0:40:33former cattle ranches that were badly overgrazed.
0:40:34 > 0:40:41Paul has come to see Kris and Doug Tompkins, who have sunk their time, energy and considerable fortune
0:40:41 > 0:40:46into allowing large areas within Argentina and Chile to regenerate.
0:40:48 > 0:40:54The first in a long line of native species they hope to reintroduce is the giant anteater.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59We have a whole quarantine centre
0:40:59 > 0:41:03that we've built on the other side of the wetlands.
0:41:03 > 0:41:09Now we have a male in this pen and a female in the other one.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11In three weeks' time, we're gonna let them go -
0:41:11 > 0:41:13they'll be released as a pair.
0:41:15 > 0:41:20Our goal was to release seven this year. So it's slow going, you know?
0:41:20 > 0:41:24You'd love to release 50, but this is the first formal reintroduction
0:41:24 > 0:41:26of a species in Argentina,
0:41:26 > 0:41:29so we wanted to act as a model
0:41:29 > 0:41:31for this kind of work for the future.
0:41:34 > 0:41:39Like Paul, the Tompkins have had to learn by trial and error.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44They've had setbacks, but they've soldiered on, firm in the belief
0:41:44 > 0:41:48that turning the land wild is the best thing to do.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Look at this southern screamer with its chicks.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01I think people tend to protect those things they love
0:42:01 > 0:42:05and the things that are meaningful to them,
0:42:05 > 0:42:09and that, in this case, is wildness for us.
0:42:14 > 0:42:19Doug and Kris made their money from the outdoor-clothing companies
0:42:19 > 0:42:22Esprit, Patagonia and North Face.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26It allowed them to buy 2.2 million acres of degraded land.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31But once the re-wilding is complete,
0:42:31 > 0:42:37they intend to gift large areas of land back to the government so that they can be run as national parks.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44If you're in conservation work, it's an endless job.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46It'll never be finished.
0:42:46 > 0:42:51You would like to live for ever and keep doing it cos it's fascinating
0:42:51 > 0:42:54and very satisfying,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57especially restoration work, which we do a lot of,
0:42:57 > 0:42:59damaged landscapes.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03I think you have to get possessive.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Paul maybe is possessed by this too,
0:43:06 > 0:43:09that wildness is the thing to go for.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15It's inspirational, really, for me to come down here and meet the Tompkins.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17What they're doing is great.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21It's places like this that I get inspiration from.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25But the real challenge now is to get more neighbours and landowners
0:43:25 > 0:43:30and acquire more land and ultimately get the large carnivores back.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34That's the real challenge - to get the land, and I'm hopeful.
0:43:37 > 0:43:44In the autumn, Paul hears rumours that a neighbouring estate of 37,000 acres is up for sale.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48If he can secure a deal,
0:43:48 > 0:43:51he would have enough land to realise his dreams.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56There's more good news in November.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59The two young moose are finally on their way from Sweden.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06We planned to import these animals in September.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10Along came foot-and-mouth disease, which put a spanner in the works,
0:44:10 > 0:44:13followed hot on the heels by bluetongue.
0:44:13 > 0:44:19That meant that we couldn't come into the port that we chose, near Grimsby, and so we've been waiting
0:44:19 > 0:44:21for them to remove the restrictions,
0:44:21 > 0:44:24which they haven't done on the bluetongue.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28So we managed to solve everything by chartering a plane in Inverness,
0:44:28 > 0:44:31and we can fly direct to Umea
0:44:31 > 0:44:35and straight back to Inverness, which is just going to be amazing.
0:45:12 > 0:45:13Beautiful, aren't they?
0:45:22 > 0:45:27Moose have been absent from the Highlands for over 2,000 years.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30But these two appear to fit right back in.
0:45:35 > 0:45:40Every animal plays a part, and it's just like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
0:45:40 > 0:45:46Having two elk back, it's just another piece back in the jigsaw.
0:45:49 > 0:45:55For the time being, they're in an enclosure but, eventually, they'll have the run of the reserve.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08It's taken four years and millions of pounds
0:46:08 > 0:46:12just to get boar and moose back onto his land.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17Many have criticised Paul's approach, but he's the only person
0:46:17 > 0:46:20bold enough to take on the problems,
0:46:20 > 0:46:23the doubters and the red tape.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27And despite all the odds, he remains determined to create
0:46:27 > 0:46:29the first wilderness reserve in Britain.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39Maybe it takes a maverick to move the boundaries
0:46:39 > 0:46:44and wake people up to the urgency and importance of re-wilding.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48I believe we should encourage the likes of Paul Lister.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50What he's trying to do is ambitious.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53I don't know whether it will succeed,
0:46:53 > 0:46:57but I think it contributes substantially to the debate.
0:46:57 > 0:47:02So if people are trying to re-wild areas within an enclosed area
0:47:02 > 0:47:06and we collect scientific information about the way the ecosystem changes,
0:47:06 > 0:47:11that's a very valuable contribution to this debate about the use of our countryside
0:47:11 > 0:47:14and about ways in which we can help conserve some of these species.
0:47:20 > 0:47:25However, there are many people who still think Paul is misguided.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28Paul has seen what's happened in Africa.
0:47:28 > 0:47:32He's thought this could happen in Scotland. I would say it can't.
0:47:36 > 0:47:42Although I fully understand the view that says this simply can't happen,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45it's too big an ask, I don't believe it.
0:47:49 > 0:47:54There's always going to be people out there that go, "This isn't gonna work.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57"He's a crackpot."
0:47:57 > 0:48:02But as long as the majority of people can see what we're trying to achieve,
0:48:02 > 0:48:06then it will happen. Totally, it will happen.