It’s the spring of 2026. You’re walking through a woodland ride in southern England when a large orange butterfly alights in a patch of sunlight at your feet. Its pattern appears familiar, like a small tortoiseshell’s. But this butterfly seems bigger. What is it?
Good news! You may have just spotted a large tortoiseshell, the small tortoiseshell’s bigger cousin. This species was declared extinct in the UK in the 1980s, yet early 2026 has seen multiple sightings across southern England, from Kent to Cornwall. Today – for the first time in its 58-year history – Butterfly Conservation is listing the large tortoiseshell as a British species.
Scientists attribute the large tortoiseshell’s disappearance to a combination of habitat loss and cold winters. Today, however, a warming climate is encouraging the species to migrate north across the channel, with some hibernating to breed the following spring. Covert releases from butterfly enthusiasts may also be providing a boost. Either way, it joins a growing list of creatures once lost from our shores that are now once again finding a home here.
Beaver
These big, aquatic rodents disappeared from our islands in the late 16th century, hunted to extinction for their fur, meat and scent glands. Now we need them back – largely because they play a vital role in the natural management of rivers and wetlands, their dams and canals helping improve water quality and preventing flooding downstream.
In 2009, beavers were released into the wild in Scotland. They have since been reintroduced to several countries across England, starting in Devon with the 2015–2020 River Otter Beaver Project. Beavers are shy and largely nocturnal, so sightings are tricky. Look out for a head above the water and listen for that telltale slap of a flat, leathery tail. For a dedicated beaver safari in Scotland, try perthshirewildlife.co.uk.
Pine marten
This bushy-tailed, cat-sized relative of weasels was once abundant across Britain. But the loss of native woodland, plus systematic persecution, saw it effectively eradicated from England and Wales by 1915, clinging on only in the Scottish Highlands.
Today it is returning to former haunts, including Cumbria, central Wales, the Forest of Dean and the New Forest, courtesy of a gradual reintroduction programme. Evidence that pine martens help control destructive grey squirrels (an alien species) is also winning them friends. Scotland remains the best place to see one. For sightings further south, the Vincent Wildlife Trust has lots of suggestions.
Wild boar
The hairy ancestor of the domestic hog once rootled through woodlands across Britain, but by the late 1200s, deforestation and hunting had spelt its demise. It began to reappear in the 1980s, courtesy of escapees from captive boar farms. Today, an estimated 400–500 roam the UK, with England’s Forest of Dean and Scotland’s Great Glen being the hotspots.
The damage boars cause and the prospect of running into one have generated some public concern, but conservationists stress that these shy animals avoid people and are vital to woodland ecology, helping rare plants germinate. Besides, they thrive almost everywhere else in Europe, so why not here? Wildlife tours of the Forest of Dean offer possible sightings; you’ll certainly spot where the animals have been.
Common crane
This tall, elegant bird disappeared from Britain around 400 years ago, the victim of hunting and wetland drainage. In 1979 a trio of migrating birds, blown off course, turned up in Norfolk, where they stayed and bred. The population has slowly increased in East Anglia, and in 2000 the species was reintroduced to the Somerset Levels.
Today, there are over 200 wild cranes in Britain. Top spots include Gloucestershire’s WWT Slimbridge and Norfolk’s Hickling Broad. From a winter watch-point at the latter you can see small flocks flying to their evening roost, bugling as they go.
White-tailed eagle
The 2.3m wingspan of this massive raptor – Britain’s largest – tops even that of the golden eagle. The species prefers coastal habitats and was once widespread around the UK. Heavy persecution saw the last pair lost in Scotland by 1916.
Reintroduction began in the 1970s, and by 1985 this impressive bird was once again breeding on the Isle of Mull. White-tailed eagles are now widely re-established in Scotland, and 2019 saw their reintroduction to the Isle of Wight, from where they have started to colonise England’s south coast for the first time in 280 years.
Mull remains your best bet for sightings. Look out overhead for that massive “kitchen table” silhouette – or take a boat trip for close-ups.
Red kite
Today, the red kite is one of our most familiar birds, its leisurely flight and twisting, forked tail instantly distinguishing it from other raptors. Indeed, with a UK breeding population estimated at 4,400–6,000 pairs, it’s hard to believe that by 1900 this magnificent bird had been hunted to extinction in England and Scotland, leaving just a handful clinging on in one hidden Welsh valley.
Reintroduction started in 1989 and has been an astonishing success. You can now see red kites across much of Britain, with a drive along the M40 often revealing dozens over the motorway. To see the birds up close and in action, try Gigrin Farm in central Wales, where hundreds gather in front of viewing hides for their afternoon feed.
Large blue butterfly
Scientists know the large blue butterfly for its remarkable lifestyle, in which the larvae mature inside the nests of red ants. Always rare in Britain, the species became extinct by 1979, having lost much of its precious limestone grassland to grazing.
Reintroduction started in 1983, and today large blues breed at 33 special sites in south-west England. Adults are on the wing in June/July and are distinguished from the similar common blue by the small black spots on their forewings. For sightings, try a self-guided trail at Collard Hill in Gloucestershire.
White stork
Today, a spring visit to Knepp Estate in West Sussex will reveal a sound not heard in Britain since the 1400s: the staccato rattle of white storks performing their courtship “bill-clatter” display. These big black-and-white birds are now breeding in the county, courtesy of a reintroduction programme that began in 2016 and produced its first chicks in 2020.
Over 100 youngsters have now fledged – with some already undertaking their migratory journeys south – and plans are under way to extend the programme into London in 2026. Visit Knepp to see the white storks and plentiful other wildlife flourishing on this far-sighted rewilding project.
European bison
This massive, woolly-coated herbivore is Europe’s heaviest land mammal, with bulls weighing over a tonne. By the 1920s, the bison had been hunted to extinction in the wild, but a captive breeding programme and reintroduction in Poland saved the species. Subsequent reintroductions across Europe culminated in the 2022 arrival of a small population in Blean Wood, Kent. This herd is now breeding successfully within a large, fenced area, and in March a few were introduced to Cumbria.
European bison are not native to the UK but effectively replace the now-extinct forest bison, which roamed here thousands of years ago. Bison play a vital ecological role as ecosystem engineers, keeping woodlands healthy. You can book a Blean bison safari with Kent Wildwood.
Great bustard
The stately walk of this impressive creature – at up to 18kg, arguably the heaviest flying bird in the world – disappeared from Britain when the last individual was shot in 1832. In 1998, however, the Great Bustard Group (GBG) embarked on an ambitious plan to return the species to Salisbury Plain, taking advantage of the army training ranges to ensure that the birds could settle in open country without disturbance.
With the help of farmers, the project has now generated a self-sustaining population of over 100 wild birds. Dedicated tours and viewing hides – including watching the bustards perform their spectacular spring courtship displays – are available through the GBG.