Captive Eurasian Brown Bear, Bear Wood, Bristol Zoo Project
Precisely when Brown Bears became extinct in the wild in the UK is not known for certain, at one time the species would have been common in Great Britain and Ireland, it's likely that they had become entirely extinct in the wild by 1,000 years ago, but possibly as long ago as 3,000 years ago. Establishing an exact date is complicated by the fact, that the Romans are believed to have imported live bears from mainland Europe for use in their arenas, bears may also have been brought in later, for bear baiting which was popular in London and other parts of the UK up until the 19th century.
The idea of reintroducing Brown Bears to the wild in the UK has been discussed, but it is very unlikely that this will ever happen, instead Brown Bears in the UK will remain confined to captivity, like these bears in the Bristol Zoo Project's Bear Wood. The bears live in a large enclosure within an ancient woodland and share their enclosure with a pack of Eurasian Grey Wolves.
Captive Eurasian Brown Bear, Bear Wood, Bristol Zoo Project
Precisely when Brown Bears became extinct in the wild in the UK is not known for certain, at one time the species would have been common in Great Britain and Ireland, it's likely that they had become entirely extinct in the wild by 1,000 years ago, but possibly as long ago as 3,000 years ago. Establishing an exact date is complicated by the fact, that the Romans are believed to have imported live bears from mainland Europe for use in their arenas, bears may also have been brought in later, for bear baiting which was popular in London and other parts of the UK up until the 19th century.
The idea of reintroducing Brown Bears to the wild in the UK has been discussed, but it is very unlikely that this will ever happen, instead Brown Bears in the UK will remain confined to captivity, like these bears in the Bristol Zoo Project's Bear Wood. The bears live in a large enclosure within an ancient woodland and share their enclosure with a pack of Eurasian Grey Wolves.