# Ep. 054: The Psychology of Species Reintroductions with Pete Cairns

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/wilder-podcast-6446398/ep-054-the-psychology-of-species-reintroductions-with-pete-cairns
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/wilder-podcast-6446398/ep-054-the-psychology-of-species-reintroductions-with-pete-cairns.md
Podcast: [Wilder Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/wilder-podcast-6446398)
Published: 2026-05-26T10:15:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.grangeproject.co.uk/wilder-podcast
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/fe187570-e1ab-4221-9118-bdeee9598f09.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/wilder-podcast-6446398/episodes/ep-054-the-psychology-of-species-reintroductions-with-pete-cairns
Duration seconds: 3698

## Resource

Episode summary We see Pete Cairns as rewilding royalty. Thirty years in the conservation conversation, co-founder and former CEO of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, and now host of the new podcast At the Edge. In this episode Tom and Chloe sit down with Pete to dig into the one thing every species reintroduction in the UK has in common, and it is not the species. Wildcats, sea eagles, red kites, beavers, lynx. The practical side of bringing animals back is largely solved. What is not solved is the human side. The consultation, the fear, the bureaucracy, the politics, and the deep emotional and economic stakes for the rural communities living on the front line. We talk about the 11 million domestic cats in the UK and the 100 million wild animals they kill each year. The mysterious lynx release in the Cairngorms in January 2025. Whether "beaver bombers" should be celebrated or condemned. And what Pete would do if he had a magic wand to fix the system. The post-interview chat between Tom and Chloe gets properly unpacked on the moral case for reintroductions, the sheep farmer's perspective, and whether logic or culture should lead. About the guest Pete Cairns has spent thirty years working on rewilding communications and engagement, with a particular focus on the human-wildlife fault line. He co-founded SCOTLAND: The Big Picture and served as its CEO until 2025. He now works independently and hosts the podcast At the Edge , a deep dive into our relationship with wild nature and each other. Find Pete on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/petercairnsphoto Listen to At the Edge : attheedge.org.uk Chapters 00:00 - Welcome and what is the Wilder Podcast 01:55 - Project update: the community day 04:22 - Thanks to Katya and Hannah in the market garden 05:09 - Pigs escaping again 06:38 - Why we…

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## Transcript

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