Concerns raised over impact of quad bikes on wildlife

Concerns have emerged regarding the ecological impact of quad bike usage on wildlife within a wooded area situated near Muff, County Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland.

Margaret Peoples, a resident of Carnamoyle, reported that individuals operating quad bikes have been frequenting Lisnagra Woods throughout the summer months. Peoples stated that the quad bikes are inflicting substantial damage upon the woodland, rendering the area challenging for families and dog walkers to navigate. Furthermore, the vehicles are tearing up the forest floor, adversely affecting plant life and wildlife.

She highlighted that the noise and destruction caused by these heavy vehicles are particularly troubling for a local colony of red squirrels, especially as they are currently engaged in gathering and storing food in preparation for winter. Margaret Peoples emphasized the importance of protecting the numerous animals that inhabit the woodland.

"These quads have been cutting the place up every weekend," Peoples informed BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme on Thursday. "It's been happening all summer, and it's making the place nearly unusable for people coming with their kids, or for a walk with the dog or whatever, because it's very badly cut up and mucky at the minute."

She continued, "Plus, it's also doing a lot of damage to the forest floor, which is bad for the survival of the woods, for the food chain in the woods, for the seeds and the birds. It's not the place for quads. It really isn't."

Margaret Peoples urged quad bike riders to relocate their activities to a more suitable area. "The damage that they're doing to the forest floor and the undergrowth, where the small mammals – your squirrels, your rabbits, your pine martens – are at this time of year gathering up for the winter, they're wrecking that," she explained. "And the noise disturbance is clearly going to be an issue for any bird life. Even now, there's not as much birdsong in the morning or afternoon as there would have been before all this started."

Councillor Terry Crossan noted that several sections of the woodland have become like a quagmire. Peoples added, "We have a colony of red squirrels here who are having to deal with all this disturbance, you know, these things need peace and quiet to thrive. It's their home. We're only visitors there, and we need to respect that if they're going to survive and thrive."

Sinn Féin councillor Terry Crossan confirmed that he has brought the issue of quad bikes to the attention of Coillte Ireland, the forestry company responsible for managing 440,000 hectares of predominantly forested land across the Republic of Ireland, as well as An Garda Síochána (the Irish police service).

Crossan expressed concerns about potential dangers to families walking in the woods due to vehicles traveling at high speeds. "This has been going on for quite some time and is happening on a regular basis," he stated. "This activity in the Lisnagra area is causing severe loss of habitat and is having a detrimental impact on wildlife, especially the red squirrels and pine martens."

He further elaborated, "Any noise pollution or damage to habitat or vegetation all has a very serious impact, with a lot of areas in the wood being turned into an absolute quagmire. I have contacted Coillte and Gardaí over these repeated incidents of quad bikes being ridden in the woodland, and hopefully we will see some action in the immediate future."