Extinct wildlife makes return
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The sight of a moose wandering through the Scottish Highlands has not been seen for more than 1,000 years.
But a BBC documentary to be aired this week shows the largest member of the deer family back in its historic grazing grounds, as part of a controversial plan to reintroduce extinct wildlife to Britain.
The multimillion-pound scheme by a Scottish landowner Paul Lister aims to bring back long-vanished species to his 23,000 acre Alladale estate, north of Inverness.
And Mr Lister's ideas do not end with the moose - he has established a breeding population of wild boar and wants to reintroduce brown bear, lynx and wolves.
He is also planting 80,000 native trees including Caledonian pine, juniper, hazel and round birch to recreate the traditional forest which once covered the hills.
Wild boar, which exist in feral populations in a number of spots in the UK having escaped from farms and wildlife parks, are useful in conservation because their burrowing and foraging loosens the soil and aids the growth of trees.
Mr Lister said he wants to reintroduce large predators including brown bear and wolves to control the growing population of red deer and stop the damage they do through overgrazing.
But the plans are - unsurprisingly - controversial.
Farmers are concerned about the welfare of their livestock and are demanding the animals be fenced in, while ramblers say such fencing would destroy their right to roam.
And a fence around the estate would mean that under the law the park could just count as a giant zoo - which would mean it was illegal to put predators and prey together.
Despite the difficulties he faces, Mr Lister is determined to recreate the wilderness that his estate would once have been.
"There's always going to be people out there that go: 'This isn't going to work. He's a crackpot, this, that and the other'," he said.
"But as long as the majority of people can see what we are trying to achieve here, then it will happen," he insisted.
:: The Natural World documentary, A Moose In The Glen, will be shown on BBC2 on Wednesday, April 16, at 8pm.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments