Plan to bring elk back to county for first time in 3,000 years

MARSHY NATURE RESERVES COULD PROVIDE 'PERFECT HABITAT'

- By JOEL MOORE

ELK could return to Nottinghamshire as early as 2028, around 3,000 years after being hunted to extinction in the UK, a wildlife expert says.

Last year, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Wildlife Trusts were given £15,000 by Rewilding Britain to look into the possibility of reintroducing European elk.

The large mammals - which can weigh up to 700kg and stand at nearly 8ft tall - would first be placed in large enclosures at Idle Valley Nature Reserve and Willington Wetlands, where beavers were reintroduced in 2021 after a centuries-long absence.

Janice Bradley, head of nature recovery (north) at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, said elk could return within a couple of years if the funding and logistics fall into place.

"It could be relatively quick but it’s just subject to all those factors.

"As a trust we've got to be just absolutely sure it’s the right decision," she said.

She said the trust had seen “phenomenal interest” from the public since the project was announced last year.

“Everything has been really, really positive.