Rewilding: Can Britain’s long lost tree frogs bounce back?

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But despite this, Mr Gow believes tree frogs can still thrive without extensive wetlands, though he suggests they could help kick start the “aspiration to change the landscape”. “There already are colonies of tree frogs in the New Forest, in Torquay and other locations which are doing, as far as anyone’s aware, perfectly well.” “So to stick your head in the sand and say ‘oh we can’t do this’, well, it’s already happening, but it’s a case of whether you want to do it properly and for good ecological reasons, or whether you want to stand moaning with your hands in your pockets and let it drift on past you.” “It’s a bloody frog for god’s sake, at the end of the day we’re not asking people to accept raging herds of elephants from Berkshire to Devon. We’re just asking to reintroduce a frog.” Professor Alastair Driver, director of Rewilding Britain told The Independent: “In nature-depleted Britain, we’ve lost a wide array of native species. “The eventual return of the common tree frog would repair one more hole in our shredded ecosystems, make nature that little bit less broken, and return some of the wonder that's now sadly missing from our natural world.” A Defra spokesperson told The Independent: “As part of the 25 Year Environment Plan the government will provide opportunities for the reintroduction of formerly native species, where there are clear environmental and socio-economic benefits.