March 22nd 2024 ‘The Lost History of Wolves in Britain’ Evening Author Supper with Derek Gow

Knepp is delighted to welcome renowned conservationist Derek Gow, who has a dream: that one day we will see the return of the wolf to Britain.

Wolf rewilding projects have been successfully completed across the world – so what is holding us back in the UK? Is it an ancient and misplaced fear of apex predators on our shores that is stopping us?

Hunt for the Shadow Wolf is Derek’s quest to uncover the true nature of this magnificent creature. He began researching stories of the wolf, piecing together fragments of history, myths and artifacts to reveal a shadowy creature that first walked proud through these lands, but was hunted to extinction as coexistence turned to hatred, fear – and domination.

Derek examines the underlying motives behind this fervour, discovering that the reasons were sadly prosaic and, like most persecutions, driven by power and profit. He reveals how we turned the wolf into a savage beast and painted its extermination as a ‘civilising mission.’

But the wolf survived far longer than many thought, and Derek shares historical sightings of the wolf through folklore and mythology, the records of grand estates and parish churches as well as wolf heads, both real and recreated.

As we look to heal our landscapes, Derek makes clear why we must reconcile our relationship with the wolf and fully understand our shared history before we can begin to bring it back to these lands.

In addition to his talk at Knepp, Derek Gow is also hosting a conference at his rewilding farm with expert speakers looking in depth at the wolf and rewilding. For more details, please visit his website here.

Derek Gow is a farmer, nature conservationist and the author of Birds, Beasts and Bedlam and Bringing Back the Beaver.

Tickets are £55. The price includes a drink on arrival, three course meal, and a talk with the author in conversation with Isabella Tree.