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

An elk in the taiga in Värmland, Sweden. The species thrives in wetlands, where its grazing helps promote the natural regeneration of woodland. Photograph: Arterra Picture Library/Alamy

Elk could return to the UK after 3,000 years under plans by the Wildlife Trusts to reintroduce the “keystone” species into Britain’s landscapes.

The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust wants to introduce elk into two existing beaver enclosures in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, with the hope of demonstrating that the large semiaquatic deer should be released to roam free in the wild.