Rewilding: How species are being successfully reintroduced to Britain

Rewilding - the process of reintroducing missing species to the sort of habitat where they once lived – often hits the headlines when it goes wrong.

When four lynx were illegally released into the Scottish Highlands in January 2025, it raised concerns about safety - mainly for the animals, who were not properly prepared to live independently in the wild.

Bitesize spoke to a rewilding expert to find out how species have been reintroduced successfully and why rewilding has to be carefully managed.

Why is rewilding important?

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the whole world, according to the State of Nature Report 2023 - research put together from data provided by scientists and volunteers monitoring biodiversity.

It found that species across the UK have declined by an average of 19% since 1970, and that almost one in six species are threatened with extinction.

“So out of the 240 countries in the world, the UK is 228th, literally one of the worst countries in the world for how much of our biodiversity is left,” says Kevin Cumming, Rewilding Director at charity Rewilding Britain.

“We're in a climate and nature emergency. We have an amount of time to try and resolve it. One of the ways to do that is to try to restore our ecosystems and natural processes by reinstating the species that have the biggest impact. So if you're talking about beavers, for example, it’s about how water works in our landscape and the fact that beavers can naturally put damming in place to stop water flowing and slow it down.”

Bison roaming free for the first time in 6,000 years

Species rely on each other in ways that may not be immediately obvious. Near Canterbury, Rewilding Britain ed Kent Wildlife Trust to reintroduce bison thousands of years after their ancestors roamed free in the UK. Their natural behaviour, including grazing, dust bathing, felling trees and eating bark, enables other creatures to survive.

“They're walking through and they're distributing droppings and that's almost like seed bombs getting dropped everywhere and re-fertilising the landscape,” says Kevin.

“They create open areas in dense woodlands by having the mass to push over trees or they ring bark trees - peel bark off to chew to the point where the tree dies - and create dead wood for bats, woodpeckers and ants.”

Before reintroducing a species there are lots of people to consult

A vital step in rewilding is discussing the plans with anyone who may be affected by them. That includes people living in local communities, nearby landowners and organisations with an interest in the habitat.

As well as holding public meetings, it’s important to find accessible and interesting ways to ensure people understand what the plans will involve. The Missing Lynx Project, a partnership investigating the possibility of reintroducing lynx to England, has held an interactive road show in the North of England and South of Scotland to teach people about the wild cats’ behaviour, size and even what they smell like.

Not everyone has to agree before you go ahead, says Kevin: “I don't think that means getting 100% consensus on it, but it means hearing the different points of view, understanding where there are real concerns and issues, trying ways to mitigate and address those as best that can be done.”

Then comes the legal bit

To reintroduce a species, an organisation needs a licence, which is usually awarded by a nature agency such as Natural England. This involves presenting a comprehensive plan that considers everything from where the species is coming from - including quarantine laws if it’s being brought in from another country - to whether it will be able to live in the suggested habitat. It can take several years for a licence to be granted.

What can go wrong?

Whatever it is that is being reintroduced could be at risk if its reintroduction hasn’t been properly assessed.

“If it's an animal, they might struggle with having enough cover or enough food in winter,” says Kevin.

And if it’s a plant, such as the montane scrub that was restored at Ben Lawers in Scotland, after being grazed to virtual extinction in the UK, there is no point reintroducing it unless you have ensured it won’t be eaten again.

What you can do to help increase the UK’s biodiversity

Young people are as much as part of the “community of interest” - people that may be affected by a rewilding - as anyone else so it’s important to get their , says Kevin.

He suggests starting with “keeping your eyes on the social media sites of conservation organisations such as Rewilding Britain to be informed of what is happening, and responding to consultations”.

You can also get involved in organisations such as Citizen Zoo in London, which is run by young people interested in urban rewilding, including the reintroduction of white storks.

This article was published in April 2025