A £5MILLION plan has been unveiled to return bears to ancient woods in South Gloucestershire for the first time in thousands of years.

The ambitious scheme, called Bear Wood, will be developed at Wild Place Project near Cribbs Causeway and will see European brown bears, lynx, wolves and wolverine back in the woodlands as they were in times gone by.

Five European grey wolves, already at Wild Place Project, will be moved to a new home in Bear Wood, covering seven-and-a-half acres, which they will share with the European brown bears.

Woods, similar to those at Wild Place Project, covered Britain in the first millennium AD but have been steadily cut down for building, housing, fuel, growing crops and making paper. Today such woods cover only two per cent of the country. 

The scheme, which will also include a café, classroom and interpretation space, is due to go before South Gloucestershire Council planners later this month.

Work is expected to begin in the summer with an aim to open by next Easter.

Nigel Simpson, head of operations at Wild Place Project, said: “We are literally making history with this amazing project and giving our visitors a chance to step back in time.

“We will transport people back in time to when the woodland was inhabited by bears, lynx, wolves and wolverine and take people through time showing the effects of woodland loss on our native animals.

“Bear Wood is about conservation of woodland. It is a story of what was, where we are now and what is still at stake.”

Bristol Zoological Society has already received donations from generous benefactors and sponsors towards the cost of the scheme but still needs £2million, with the project having launched an appeal to raise the funds.

Christoph Schwitzer, director of conservation at Bristol Zoological Society, said: “We are hoping that people will be really excited by Bear Wood and want to support us.

"Bear Wood will provide an experience like no other in Britain. For the first time in generations people will be able to see brown bears in England in what would have been their natural habitat.

“It will highlight the consequences of woodland habitat loss, showcasing animals that are no longer found within British woodlands.

“It will also raise awareness of important conservation projects close to home and inspire people to get involved with local conservation and change their behaviour in order to protect our woodlands.”

Anyone interested in making a donation to the Bear Wood appeal or to become a Bear Wood Guardian, contact Richard Rollings at  rrollings@bzsociety.org.uk or Kate Smith at kate.smith@bzsociety.org.uk