FARMERS have criticised plans to bring back lynx to parts of Scotland and England as “brazen and presumptuous.”
Kielder Forest in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland has been chosen to reintroduce the wild cats to the UK for the first time in 1,300 years.
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They have been extinct in Britain for more than 1,300 years, but the Lynx UK Trust, which is behind the plans, has held months of consultation as they seek to aid the endangered species.
The conservationists have now chosen Kielder Forest, which spans the Scottish Borders and Northumberland, to reintroduce 10 Eurasian Lynx back into the wild.
Sites in Aberdeenshire and Argyll in Scotland, as well as the Lake District and Norfolk in England, were also under consideration from the Trust before being deemed unsuitable
But Borders livestock farmer and NFU Scotland Vice President Rob Livesey said: “This most recent statement from the Lynx UK Trust is the latest in a line of brazen and presumptuous announcements from this organisation.
“The process for securing permission for the trial release of lynx is long and complex and any application would be subject to considerable analysis and debate.
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“NFU Scotland is confident that any application by the Lynx UK Trust will receive robust scrutiny, and that the Trust’s expectation of a ‘speedy and positive’ response from Scottish Natural Heritage is misplaced and misjudged.
“Farmers and crofters should be confident that NFU Scotland, as a member of the National Species Reintroduction Forum, will represent their best interests and ensure this application is thoroughly scrutinised.
"If the interests of farming and crofting could be put at risk, NFU Scotland will take all necessary steps to stop this happening.”
Paul O’Donoghue, chief scientific adviser of the Lynx UK Trust, insists the cross-border site is ideal due to its low human population density, limited roads and large deer populations.
Local consultation over the move with farmers and tourist operators around Kielder Forest is set to begin this week, with the process expected to last two to three months.
Sheep farmers have previously raised concerns about the reintroduction of the cat to livestock and wildlife.
Following the consultation, the Lynx UK Trust will submit its licence application to Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage in the autumn.
Mr O’Donoghue said: “Balancing up the many factors, Kielder has continually stood out as a place where the lynx can flourish and bring huge benefits to the local community.”
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The cats became extinct in the UK in 700AD due to hunting and deforestation, leaving just 700 around Europe by the 1940s.
Reintroduction programmes in countries such as Germany, France and Switzerland has seen the numbers of Eurasian Lynx grow to around 10,000.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust has previously argued there is a “moral and ecological” case for the return of the lynx to Scotland.
It believes the reintroduction of predators such as the lynx would help restore balance in Scotland’s natural ecosystems.
The lynx is the third largest predator in Europe, behind the brown bear and the wolf.
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