Elk could return to UK after 3,000 years in new rewilding plan
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The ‘lost species’ hunted to extinction set to return to the UK
- Elk could be reintroduced to the UK after a 3,000-year absence, following a rewilding plan in the East Midlands.
- Rewilding Britain granted £15,000 to Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Wildlife Trusts for feasibility studies.
- Elk, hunted to extinction in the Neolithic era, were once widespread in the UK. Janice Bradley, from Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust (NWT), told the BBC: "They are one of our lost species.
- The project aims to reintroduce Elk to their natural habitat, using the successful reintroduction of beavers as a model.
- Public acceptance and habitat suitability are key challenges, with initial plans involving cohabitation with beavers in enclosures before eventual release into the Trent valley.