WILDLIFE organisations have called on politicians to “step up” on nature restoration, warning the Scottish government’s rewilding targets are set to be hit six decades late.

The Scottish Rewilding Alliance (SRA), comprising more than 20 groups, said almost 200 rewilding projects are currently under way across 2.5 per cent or 195,615 hectares of the country, up 32,985 on last year’s figure of 2.1 per cent.

At the current rate of progress however, the Scottish government’s target of restoring the natural environment in 30 per cent of Scotland won’t be hit until 2090 — 60 years after the intended date of 2030.