The charity partnership behind bids to restore Lynx to the Scottish Highlands has praised the work done to rescue two who were illegally released in the Cairngorms National Park.
Two Lynx were let free to roam the park on Wednesday night and had been described as shy, with suggestions they wouldn’t have survived because of that mixed with the weather conditions.
The pair were then recaptured by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Saving Wildcats team and are now being looked after.
Now, Lynx to Scotland, a three-charity partnership who are looking to bring Lynx back to the country permanently, has praised the team for being able to do so humanely and warned anyone considering similar action that they are harming the chances of them being restored to the wild safely.
They have described it as ‘counter-productive’ and believe it would harm their bid to bring them back.
“The Lynx to Scotland Project is working to secure the return of Lynx to the Scottish Highlands, but irresponsible and illegal releases such as this are simply counter-productive.”
The native Eurasion lynx was made extinct in Scotland through hunting and habitat loss more than 500 years ago.
They play a vital role in maintaining healthy living systems, though, and the partnership says biodiversity is negatively effective.
They claim lynx are shy creatures who pose no danger to people and the Highlands could sustainably support around 400 of the species, which has also been reintroduced to countries such as Germany, France and Switzerland.
Steve Micklewright, Chief Executive of Trees for Life, added: “The Lynx to Scotland project is working towards a carefully planned reintroduction of lynx that respects the views of farmers and other stakeholders – so that Scotland would once again benefit from having lynx in the natural environment.
“Scotland is one of a handful of European countries still lacking a large terrestrial mammal predator. If we are serious about tackling the nature and climate emergencies, we need lynx back. A lynx reintroduction would require Scottish Government approval, with habitat assessments and full public consultation.”
It is also claimed the reintroduction could help Scotland’s forests because lynx would prey on roe deer, who currently overgraze and leave the country’s forests diminished.
There is growing public and political support for a managed lynx reintroduction with polls showing widespread backing. In April 2023, lynx reintroduction was discussed in the Scottish Parliament for the first time.
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After helping rescue the lynx, David Barclay, manager of the RZSS Saving Wildcats team, said: “We set live trail cameras near baited traps and it was a long night for our specialist keepers who were taking turns to monitor any activity.
“It was amazing to see the lynx being captured safely and humanely, which makes the lack of sleep more than worth it.
“Biosecurity laws mean the cats need to spend 30 days in suitable quarantine facilities, so we will transfer them from Highland Wildlife Park to Edinburgh Zoo, where we will further assess their health and welfare.
“Long-term, they may return to Highland Wildlife Park, which is near where they were trapped, though it is too early to say for certain.”
RZSS Chief Executive David Field said: “We condemn the illegal release of these lynx in the strongest possible terms.
“It was a highly irresponsible act and it is very unlikely they would have survived in the wild due to a lack of adequate preparation.
“Their abandonment was reckless to the animals, public the community and nature.
“For now, we have named them ‘The KillieHuntly Two’ and thankfully they appear to be in good health.
“We are extremely grateful to all the residents, estates, farmers and conservation partners locally that provided information to us and the police. The team were ably assisted by Wildland staff on the ground and close working between all parties allowed for a swift and positive resolution in this case.”
Ross Macleod, Head of Policy Scotland, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust. “Irrespective of differing views across the stakeholder spectrum involved in the debate, and whether or not an application for reintroduction proceeds in future years, the willingness to consider all the challenges by the participants has been testament to an open dialogue.
"That is what makes the illegal release of these wild animals so incredibly frustrating, quite apart from the welfare risks to the lynx themselves.
“In this respect we are relieved that the animals have been recaptured by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS). Like other groups, we condemn this illegal release of wild animals in the strongest possible terms.”
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