“Rogue rewilders” could be behind the release of four lynxes in the Highlands, it has been suggested. Police Scotland are currently investigating after the wildcats were spotted roaming about the Cairngorms National Park before being captured by animal conservationists.
Plans are being worked on to reintroduce the lynx to Scotland but these are yet to be finalised or submitted to the Scottish Government. And one animal organisation believes that a frustrated activist could be the culprit.
The Mammal Society, which supports the reintroduction of the big cats, suggested that “rogue rewilders” were culpable for freeing the lynxes in the Highlands. It told the Scotsman that it would love to see a stable and healthy population of the animal living in the UK, and that they could redress ecosystem imbalance and restore biodiversity to our depleted landscapes”.
It added that it understood the “frustration” which could lead to illegal releases, but that there were “no shortcuts” to achieving its goal. It said: “Illegal releases are irresponsible and not the answer.” This claim has led to warnings against “rogue rewilding” which could damage the cause more than help it.
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David Field, Chief Executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said that while the lynx is “wonderfully full of character” as an animal, it should still be considered a wildcat. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Sadly there are rogue rewilders out there who bypass all the established international best practice and bypass all professional organisations which are discussing lynx coming back to Scotland.
“They are impatient and then proceed in a way which is this rebellious rogue rewilding. That’s really sad and that’s a real, real risk.” He did add that the incident could also simply be the abandonment of animals which someone no longer wished to look after. The RZSS has said the captured lynx are tame and used to humans.
Various organisations have condemned the illegal release.
(Image: RZSS / SWNS)
Lynxes are roughly the size of a labrador and are usually shy and solitary creatures, with attacks on humans virtually unheard of. Police are searching for answers after two pairs of them were captured near the Dell of Killiehuntly in the past few days.
Staff from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) were able to bait the duo into humane traps and the animals are in good health. The latest pair were taken to the Highland Wildlife Park before going to Edinburgh Zoo for a period in quarantine. Highlands Scottish Tory MSP Edward Mountain said the second capture of lynx “would suggest a concerted approach to illegally reintroduce lynx”.
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He said: “These animals cannot magically appear, and the authorities should be tackling this wildlife crime with an absolute focus of finding out who is responsible.” Police Scotland said inquiries into how the lynx ended up in the area are continuing, and officers and wildlife experts will continue to examine the area where the animals were found.
In 2021 a group of charities launched a consultation on assessing people’s views about the potential of reintroducing Eurasian lynx to Scotland. Earlier this week Peter Cairns, director of one of the charities involved, condemned the illegal release. He added: “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.”
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