Wild UK: Britain’s big five

Wild boar
Extinct in Britain for over 700 yeas, wild boar (Sus Scrofa) were reintroduced thanks to an upsurge in wild boar farming, which resulted in a number of escapes. One of the UK’s most dangerous native species, wild boars can do serious damage if provoked, with adult males reaching weights of up to 175kg. Sows give birth in spring, with the majority of piglets born in April. While boars can be found all over the UK, most inhabit southern woodland areas. If you don’t fancy hiking through the woods for hours, the Wild Boar Park near Preston offers an easier way to see them.
See it: Kent, home to the original wild boar farms, and the Forest of Dean have more wild boars than anywhere else in the UK

Red deer
The red deer (Cervus Elaphus) is Britain’s largest land mammal and a male deer can weigh up to 190kg, depending on its age. Common to wilderness areas, red deer can be found in several parts of the UK, including the Scottish Highlands and the Lake District as well as on Dartmoor. The red deer rutting period, during which the stags show off their enormous antlers in an attempt to impress the does, runs from October and November. If you want to see it, the Wildlife Trust recommends taking a trip to Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, which is famous for its large numbers of red deer.
See it: Red deer are a common sight in the Scottish Highlands, Dartmoor, Exmoor and the Lake District
 
Grey seal
Larger than the common seal, grey seals (Halichoerus Grypus) can be seen on every part of the UK coastline and can measure over two metres in length. Grey seals can also dive to depths of 70 metres during their quest for food, which normally takes the form of fish. Seal pups are born during the autumn period covered in the fluffy white down characteristic of all seal species. Top spots for sightings include the North Cornwall coast and Cumbria’s South Walney nature reserve. 
See it: Large colonies can be found at Donna Nook in Lincolnshire, on the Farne Islands, Orkney and North Rona in northern Scotland and Ramsey Island off the coast of Pembrokeshire.

Osprey
Britain has a spectacular range of birdlife, including golden eagles, the white-tailed sea eagle and the fish-hunting osprey. The osprey (Pandion Haliaetus) is smaller but a more common sight than the others and has a wingspan up to six foot wide. An annual visitor to these shores, the birds migrate to west Africa before returning to the UK to breed. As male ospreys tend to return to the area in which they fledged, the same birds can be observed year after year – a boon for ornithologists. 
See it: The best places to see an osprey are at the Loch of the Lowes nature reserve in Scotland, the Lyndon Nature Reserve in Rutland and the Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve in Montgomeryshire. All three have osprey viewing points.

Basking shark
The world’s second largest fish, adult basking sharks (Cetorhinus Maximus) can exceed 10 metres in length. From mid May until early autumn, they can be seen feeding just off the Devon and Cornwall coast and making the most of the summer plankton bloom. The basking sharks are known to be sociable, so you’re likely to come across large groups during the summer months. Now a protected species, basking shark populations are still relatively low (around 8,200 adults), thanks to a combination of over-fishing and collisions with boats.
See it: By far the best way to see them is by hanging over the railings during a ferry trip from Penzance to the Isles of Scilly during July. The waters off the Isle of Man also play host to large numbers of the sharks during the summer.

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