THE idea of bringing up to 250 fierce killers to an area reaching within 30 miles of Glasgow might cause residents of Scotland’s largest city to quail. The vexed debate over reintroducing creatures like lynx usually concerns far-off places – where the wild things are. Now it’s a case of: “In my backyard?”

However, 30 miles is still some way to the backyard. The Lynx UK Trust says up to 250 Eurasian lynx – which are no threat to humans – could inhabit 10,000 square miles of land from Loch Lomond and the Trossachs into the West Highlands. But critics say lynx may attack livestock and other valuable or valued creatures.

Not so, says the trust. Lynx are beasts of forests not fields. Their prey is nearly all deer, and predating these would regenerate forests. Regenerating forests would help woodland birds while, on the forest floor, lynx would protect the capercaillie population by scaring off pine martens.

But, say opponents, the beasts would be a threat where fields adjoin forests. And feral, or any, cats are hardly known for discriminatory predation. Sheep have been killed in Norway, they say, and as for song and game birds, lynx would as soon eat as protect them.

As matters stand, the burden of persuasion – as always – lies with those advocating change. But one thing is certain: before unleashing 250 lynx, more clarification and consultation is required.