These wild animals could be reintroduced in the UK - from beavers to bears
Wolves, bears and lynx are among the species that would have once roamed the UK’s countryside in significant numbers, before being forced out through culls and over hunting by an ever growing human population.
But experts now believe that, by reintroducing some of these species, we can benefit not just from the opportunity to see these animals in the wild, but also from the ecological and environmental impact they could have.
Here’s a list of some of the species that conservation groups want to see reintroduced to the UK.
Here’s a list of some of the species that conservation groups want to see reintroduced to the UK.
5. Pine marten
Small, elusive and a highly effective predator, the reintroduction of the pine marten into certain ecosystems could be a ‘two for one’, as they are likely to help control the invasive grey squirrel population and help native red squirrels re-establish. Photo: (Photo: Shutterstock)
6. Brown bear
Don’t worry, you’re not going to bump into one on your next country-walk, but rewilding advocates are keen to eventually see a population of Brown bears living in the wild here in the UK. A project in Bristol has brought bears and wolves together in the same environment, to see how they can coexist. Photo: (Photo: Shutterstock)
7. Bison
Though we tend to think of them as an American species, the European Bison would at one point have been found throughout the continent, including the UK. A new project in Kent hopes to make this a reality once again, at the Wilder Blean project. Photo: (Photo: Shutterstock)
8. Lynx
Efforts to see lynx reintroduced to the UK countryside have not been successful as yet, though many campaigners want to see these elusive hunters return to the Scottish Highlands as well as the forests of northern England, for their potential to help woodland regeneration by managing deer populations. Photo: (Photo: Shutterstock)