Wildlife experts are "very excited" about the prospect of bringing back elks to the East Midlands and the UK. The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Wildlife Trusts have secured £15,000 in funding from Rewilding Britain for feasibility studies.
Importance of Elk
Elk are considered keystone species that create and maintain habitats for other species. Janice Bradley, who heads up nature recovery north at Notts WT, emphasizes the need to prepare the public for the return of elk, which were hunted to extinction by Neolithic humans nearly three millennia ago.
Bradley states, "It’s not just a question of saying you want them back – there has got to be a reason why they should come back."
Community Consultation
The trust plans to conduct extensive consultations with local communities before any reintroduction takes place. Bradley cites their previous work with beavers as a model:
- "We consulted with 2,000 households when we introduced beavers – we would intend to do exactly that with elk too."
Challenges Ahead
One major challenge facing the project is disease risk assessment. The trust must determine whether reintroduced elk could bring infections into existing livestock or vice versa. They have been awarded funding specifically for this work under their grant from Rewilding Britain.
The trust aims for an initial trial run within two years if everything goes according to plan. However, they acknowledge that this timeline may need adjusting depending on progress made.
Support from Rewilding Britain
Rewilding Britain expressed delight at the funding news. Dr. Lizzie Croosey-Hillier stated, "We’re very excited about this project. It’s fantastic news because it shows how much interest there is in rewilding in our region."
She highlighted the importance of local community involvement in rewilding projects, saying, "It’s not just about putting animals out into wild spaces; it’s also about working together as a community and understanding what needs doing."
Dr. Croosey-Hillier also noted the need for education to alleviate concerns among local residents regarding the return of animals like elk after thousands of years. "That can sometimes cause concern among local residents," she said, "but we believe education can help alleviate those concerns."
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