Two dangerous animals captured in Scotland after illegal release
Two lynx which were illegally released into a Scottish Highlands have been captured.
Despite being up to 3ft long, the large cats are known for ambush hunting prey on animals more than twice their size.
This includes red deer living in the Cairngorms National Park near Inverness and Aberdeen.
Now, the pair of lynx are being cared for in quarantine facilities at the Highland Wildlife Park in the Cairngorms before being transferred to Edinburgh Zoo, where their health and welfare will be assessed.
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, the public, the community and nature. For now, we have named them the Killiehuntly Two and thankfully they appear to be in good health.’
Weighing up to 27kg, lynx hunt deer, mountain hares and other small mammals (Picture: Vaclav Sebek/Shutterstock)
The cats can be found in the wild in parts of Europe, Siberia and Central Asia (Picture: cookelma/iStockphoto/Getty Images)
Europe’s third largest predator, after brown bears and wolves, the spotted cats have been extinct in the wild in Britain for 1,300 years due to hunting and habitat loss.
Lynx has become a focus for rewilding campaigners who say they can keep deer populations in check, reducing damage to woodlands and allowing trees to grow.
A population of around 400 could feasibly survive in the Scottish Highlands at present, with this figure rising as woodland increases, Rewilding Britain claims.
But this release of two lynx into the wild is believed to be illegal.
