rewild

verb

1. To return an area to a more wild state, especially to repopulate it with wild animals that have become extirpated.

   “Told in the form of a personal journey, Paul Martin's book covers his own boyhood bird-watching, graduate work in evolutionary biology, and a distinguished academic career; it culminates in a daring plan to truly rewild North America.”

   “Some scientists and others now argue that we should be bringing some of those ghosts back, part of a controversial movement to “rewild” parts of Europe and North America, whether by reintroducing extant species, reviving extinct ones, or attempting to reconstruct ecosystems.”

   “She is not alone in her concerns. The push from local authorities to rewild spaces is causing consternation in villages, towns and cities across the country.”