Elk could be back in UK after 3,000 years

Elk could return to the UK as part of a rewilding project

After being extinct in the wild in the UK for 3,000 years, Elk could be making a return.

Wildlife Trusts are hoping to reintroduce the species into Britain again as part of a rewilding project.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust wants to introduce elk into two existing beaver enclosures in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

The hope is then that the animals will be able to be released to roam free in the wild.

What is an elk?

Elk are part of the deer family, in fact they are the second largest species within the family.

They are much, much larger than most deer, and can exceed more than 500kg in weight - that's about the same as a small car like a Fiat 500!

Elk thrive in wetlands, and also help the environment there through grazing and trampling.

The animals are regarded as "keystone" species which means they help to create and maintain habitats for other species.

How will reintroducing them work?

The plan is to reintroduce Elk in a similar process to how beavers were

As when beavers were first brought back into the UK, the plan is for the elk to be first be released into enclosures in wildlife areas.

Janice Bradley, from Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust said:

"Initially our elk and beavers would be in the same enclosure, bringing them back together in the UK for the first time in 3,000 years.

But because elk prefer big, complex wetland habitats, eventually we would be looking at elk along the Trent valley."

"They would very much stay in those habitats, they wouldn't be roaming across roads like deer, but that's a very long way away yet."

When did elk go extinct in the UK and why?

Today Elk are widely distributed across Europe and Asia

Elk became extinct in the UK about 3,000 years ago due to over-hunting and also the loss of the forest environments where they thrive.

Not only did they go extinct here but they also were nearly wiped out across Europe.

However today Elk are widely distributed across Asia and in Europe they are already found in Poland and the Scandinavian countries, but are expanding westward.