Elk could return to UK after 3,000 years in rewilding project

Reintroducing elk into the UK after 3000 years of extinction is a historic initiative by the Wildlife Trusts. By repurposing existing beaver enclosures in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, they aim to assess elk's viability in floodplain landscapes, promoting biodiversity and community engagement. While efforts like this have been successful with beavers—first legally released into the wild this year—they face challenges due to the UK's lack of suitable wetland habitats for both species to coexist. Historically, extinction in the UK was driven by overhunting and habitat loss, underscoring the reintroduction's difficulty but highlighting potential success elsewhere, such as in Scandinavia.