**Trees for Life Launches Missing Species Programme to Restore Scotland’s Highlands**
*Friday 14 November, 2025*
In a bold move to tackle Scotland’s nature and climate emergencies, Trees for Life has announced the launch of its Missing Species Programme. This pioneering initiative aims to reintroduce four keystone animals—the Eurasian lynx, beavers, red squirrels, and modern-day aurochs—to the Scottish Highlands.
According to the rewilding charity, the programme will not only restore biodiversity but also provide significant benefits to local communities through nature tourism.
### Ambitious Goals and Funding Needs
The project requires a budget of £3.6 million for its first five years. This funding will cover detailed habitat assessments and community engagement efforts necessary to meet Scotland’s strict licensing requirements. To kickstart the initiative, Trees for Life has launched a supporter appeal to raise an initial £25,000. The charity is also reaching out to major funders, including individuals, businesses, foundations, and grant-making bodies for support.
### The Importance of Keystone Species
Keystone species play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Unfortunately, many such species are currently missing from Scotland, one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries. Centuries of persecution and habitat destruction have led to their local extinction or drastic decline.
“We can restore nature at scale and breathe new life into the Highlands, so people and wildlife can thrive together,” said Steve Micklewright, Chief Executive of Trees for Life. “By bringing back the forest-planting red squirrel, flood-preventing beaver, deer-managing lynx, and landscape-shaping aurochs through their modern-day descendant the tauros, we can boost biodiversity, take action against climate change, and promote economic growth. The Highlands can become a beacon of hope in the fight against extinction and wildlife loss.”
### Prioritizing Coexistence with Local Communities
Ensuring successful coexistence between wildlife and people is a top priority for Trees for Life. This involves thorough community discussions, effective management measures, and guaranteeing that local residents can enjoy the social and economic benefits of rewilding.
### Meeting Licensing Standards
Successful reintroduction of species in Scotland requires extensive technical work, including habitat assessments and stakeholder engagement, to meet the standards set by NatureScot, Scotland’s nature agency. This process ensures nature can recover while promoting coexistence between people and wildlife, allowing each species to reclaim its rightful place.
### Species Spotlight
**Beavers**
Beavers create wetlands that support diverse wildlife, purify water, and reduce flooding. While they can occasionally cause issues for farmland, such impacts are usually manageable. Officially reintroduced to Scotland in 2009 after being hunted to extinction 400 years ago, beavers have so far been restored to only a few sites. Much suitable habitat remains unoccupied.
In October, a partnership between Trees for Life and Forestry and Land Scotland led to the historic reintroduction of beavers to Glen Affric. The charity is also in talks with the Beaver Trust about reintroducing beavers to the Loch Ness area.
**Eurasian Lynx**
The elusive Eurasian lynx poses no threat to humans but plays a vital role in managing deer populations by preying on them. This, in turn, allows more young trees to survive and woodlands to regenerate. Lynx were hunted to extinction in Scotland during the Middle Ages and remain absent from the landscape despite research indicating the Highlands could support a breeding population of around 250.
Through the Lynx to Scotland partnership, Trees for Life has spent five years working with diverse stakeholders to assess what an official reintroduction might entail, from addressing concerns over sheep predation to exploring eco-tourism benefits. Further local discussions are planned for 2026.
**Tauros (Modern-day Aurochs)**
Tauros are classified as domestic cattle but have been “back-bred” by scientists in the Netherlands to closely resemble the ancient aurochs—the wild ancestor of all domestic cattle. Aurochs played a vital role in shaping landscapes and enhancing biodiversity across Europe, including Scotland, for millennia.
At the 4,000-hectare Dundreggan estate near Loch Ness, Trees for Life is conducting assessments for what would be the UK’s first introduction of a tauros herd, effectively reintroducing the aurochs four centuries after its extinction.
European research shows that tauros, being larger and more active than typical cattle, help create richer habitats through their powerful grazing, size, and behavior. Bulls can reach up to 180 cm and cows 150 cm at the shoulder. If introduced at Dundreggan, their ecological impact will be scientifically studied.
**Red Squirrels**
Once brought to the edge of extinction in the UK due to historic habitat loss and human persecution, red squirrel numbers today are estimated between 160,000 and 287,000. Their recovery remains at risk due to competition from non-native grey squirrels and a deadly virus spread by greys.
Red squirrels remain missing from much of the Highlands, one of their last strongholds. Trees for Life has relocated red squirrels to northern Highland woodlands they cannot reach naturally, successfully establishing 13 new, flourishing populations so far. The charity continues to explore further opportunities for reintroduction.
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Trees for Life’s Missing Species Programme represents a comprehensive step towards restoring Scotland’s natural heritage while fostering environmental and economic resilience. To support this landmark initiative, individuals and organisations are encouraged to contribute and get involved.
For more information and to donate, visit [Trees for Life’s website](https://treesforlife.org.uk).
https://www.businessmole.com/scottish-highlands-to-be-home-to-new-missing-species-programme-by-rewilding-charity/