Have I got moose for you: birth is first in Scotland for 1,000 years

The European elk - popularly known as the "moose" - became extinct in Scotland in the tenth century.

But an elk calf has now been successfully reared at the Alla-dale Wilderness Reserve near Ardgay in Sutherland, four years after a breeding pair of European elk were imported to the estate from north Sweden.

The baby moose has still to get a name because reserve staff have not been able to get close enough to determine whether it is a boy or a girl.

Hugh Fullerton-Smith, the general manager at the wilderness reserve, said staff were absolutely delighted with the new addition to the growing animal population on the estate, owned by Paul Lister, whose father founded the MFI furniture store empire.

Mr Fullerton-Smith, who is also director the European Nature Trust, described the birth of the calf as "profound".

"The elk disappeared from Scotland around 900AD," he said.

"There have been quite few finds of fossil remains of elk as far north as Caithness, and the National Museum of Scotland has collections of fossil remains from about 14 sites altogether.

"They disappeared through the pressure of human activity, such as hunting, and the loss of their habitat, including the Caledonian pine forest.

"But their main predator would have been the brown bear.

"It's the only animal which would have been able to take the elk on, as they are known as the 'kings of the forest' throughout Europe."