Animal rescuers have issued a £15-a-day plea to help care for three Lynx abandoned in the Highlands.
Four of the big cats – which no longer exist in the wild in Scotland – were spotted by members of the public near Kingussie on Wednesday, January 8. A major search of the area went underway before the four animals were humanely captured in pairs in Dell on Friday, January 10.
But sadly, one of the lynx died shortly after its capture. Its cause of death currently remains unknown.
A police investigation into how the animals came to be in the Highlands is ongoing.
One of the lynx sadly died
(Image: PA)
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said the three surviving lynx have been left “traumatised” by their ordeal as they recover in quarantine at Edinburgh Zoo.
Wildlife experts have now issued a public plea for funds, with £15 per day able to pay for a meal for the big cats, while £150 per day would provide veterinary care.
A statement on the fundraising page reads: “Abandoned in a freezing forest in the Scottish Highlands, four lynx have just been rescued by dedicated RZSS keepers. Sadly, one did not survive their ordeal. Now at Edinburgh Zoo, the remaining three lynx need a safe, warm home and veterinary care so they can recover.
“Please help them with your gift today. Your gift today could help to give these three traumatised animals the chance to regain their health. With your support to help them, our dedicated keepers can give each animal the best of care.”
(Image: PA)
The RZSS said it was “reasonably confident” there were no other lynx on the loose. It comes after experts warned that the illegal release of the cats “could be the start of a “rogue rewilding campaign” in Scotland.
Conservationist Peter Cairns, who is part of efforts to try to reintroduce the species by legal means, said the unsanctioned release was “irresponsible” and “unhelpful”. But he said nature agencies in Scotland and England should be prepared for it to happen again amid frustration by so-called “guerrilla rewilders” who may “take the law into their own hands”.
Cairns told the Record: “The timing of this particular release is unhelpful from that point of view, because it potentially undermines some of the trust and dialogue that’s been built up during that process. It came out of the blue – nobody saw it coming. I and those that I know in this community don’t know where they came from, have no idea about their history, and don’t know who released them.
“But it was apparent they were ill-equipped to survive in the wild… they were habituated [used to the presence of humans] so they’ve been in a captive situation. They will have been used to being routinely fed, and to throw them out into the wild and expect them to adapt and survive is irresponsible.”
The lynx are said to be “traumatised” by the ordeal
(Image: PA)
He added: “If you want lynx back, you might look at that and think, ‘Okay, on the one hand, there’s a legal process. It takes a hell of a long time, a huge amount of money, and with no guarantee of success’ – the success being defined as government approval. Or you’ve got the back door route which was successful, irrespective of the legality of it, with beavers.
“There are people out there that would be prepared to try the same thing with lynx.”
The release of the animals was slammed as “illegal and irresponsible” by Rewilding Britain.
Director Kevin Cumming said: “Illegal and irresponsible animal abandonment such as this is wrong, and such unlicensed releases are counter-productive to the careful and considered hard work we have been supporting on a properly managed reintroduction of lynx to Britain. We do not know who illegally abandoned the lynx or why, but we strongly oppose this reckless behaviour and are saddened that this has led to the death of one of the lynx.
“This situation is not rewilding, any reintroduction needs to be properly managed and with the required approvals in place. We don’t yet know the cause of the death and we hope the other three lynx are safe and well, thanks to the outstanding efforts of the experts who managed to capture and care for them.”
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