Four Eurasian lynx were illegally released into the Cairngorms National Park in January, which has sparked a police investigation and public outcry.
Police Scotland received reports of two lynx on 8 January. The two lynx were caught using baited humane traps and brought to quarantine facilities by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) members.
On 10 January, RZSS wildlife cameras spotted two more lynx in the same forest. Although they were captured, one lynx died during its transfer to Edinburgh Zoo despite careful quarantine and safety measures.
Witnesses described the animals in Kingussie as shy and poorly adapted to the wild. These animals were semi-tame and “highly habituated to people” yet had been released in deep winter, with recent temperatures reaching -14ºC, in an area heavily used by logging machinery.
The incident quickly drew local and national attention. Lynx were once native to Britain but have been extinct for 1000 years.
Though it is legal for citizens of the UK to breed and keep wild animals such as lynx privately, they must apply for a permit from their local council, and their release or abandonment is prohibited.
Some suspect a frustrated activist or rogue rewilder may have released the lynx, hoping to reintroduce the species to the Highlands. Others suspect a private owner may have given up the animals.
The unregulated nature of this act has been condemned by charities and conservation organisations. Experts warn that uncoordinated rewilding efforts are highly irresponsible and run the risk of being counterproductive, proving harmful to the species in question and the ecosystem into which they are released.
Edinburgh Zoo was contacted for a comment on the status of the lynx and the broader implications of this event, but the institution has not responded at the time of writing.
The investigation as to who released the animals is ongoing.
“View to Cairngorms National Park” by Zugrocker is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.