Warning after two lynxes were released in the Highlands

Warning after two lynxes were released in the Highlands

Police are investigating the release of two lynx in the Highlands and have urged the public not to approach the feral cats.

The alarm was raised at around 16:20 when they were spotted in the Drumguish area, near Kingussie.

Specially trained staff from Highland Wildlife Park are assisting authorities in locating the animals.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority said they were shy and posed a “low risk” to humans, but added that they should not be approached.

A spokesperson said: “We condemn in the strongest terms the illegal release of animals into the wild and we are also concerned for the welfare of the released lynxes.”

The authority also said people should not visit the area and appealed to anyone with information about the links to do so contact the police,

Feral cats were once native to Britain, but were driven to extinction between 500 and 1,000 years ago.

But some conservation groups are campaigning to reintroduce feral cats to Scotland.

Lynx to Scotland, a three-charity partnership working to restore the lynx in the Scottish Highlands, said it had been made aware of the release.

Peter Cairns, executive director of Scotland: The Big Picture, one of the charities involved, said: “The Links to Scotland project requires no information about the origins of these two links, their history, health condition, or anything about who might have left them. Don’t know.

“We understand the frustration of everyone who wants to see the lynx restored to the Scottish landscape, but illegal release is not the way to achieve that goal.”

Mr Cairns said the project had never endorsed or condemned illegal releases.

He added: “This is unwarranted and completely irresponsible, but it comes at the worst possible time, when stakeholders are in good faith with productive discussions about the possibility of a responsibly managed and fully resourced legal reintroduction.” Engaged in.”

Farmers’ union NFU Scotland has previously expressed concerns about the impact of lynx on livestock.

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