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UPDATE: All four lynx have now been recaptured

UPDATE 10/1: Two further lynx were spotted in the area this morning. These additional lynx were also recaptured this evening.

UPDATE 9/1: The [original] two lynx have been successfully recaptured by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), who run the nearby Highland Wildlife Park.

Working alongside Police Scotland, experts from the wildlife conservation charity humanely trapped the cats overnight. They are now being cared for in quarantine facilities at Highland Wildlife Park before being transferred to Edinburgh Zoo. 

The charity has condemned the illegal release as “highly irresponsible” and said it is likely the lynx would have died in the wild. 

David Barclay, manager of the RZSS Saving Wildcats team, said, “We set live trail cameras near baited traps and it was a long night for our specialist keepers who were taking turns to monitor any activity. 

Lynx | Photo walkhighlands.co.uk

“It was amazing to see the lynx being captured safely and humanely, which makes the lack of sleep more than worth it. 

“Biosecurity laws mean the cats need to spend 30 days in suitable quarantine facilities, so we will transfer them from Highland Wildlife Park to Edinburgh Zoo, where we will further assess their health and welfare. 

“Long-term, they may return to Highland Wildlife Park, which is near where they were trapped, though it is too early to say for certain.” 

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, public the community and nature. 

“For now, we have named them ‘The KillieHuntly Two’ and thankfully they appear to be in good health. 

“We are extremely grateful to all the residents, estates, farmers and conservation partners locally that provided information to us and the police. The team were ably assisted by Wildland staff on the ground and close working between all parties allowed for a swift and positive resolution in this case.”  

Highland Wildlife Park is already home to two grown Northern Lynx, named Switch and Neon. The Northern Lynx is a subspecies of the Eurasian Lynx  

We are appealing for anyone with information on how they came to be in the area to contact Police Scotland. 

David Barclay, manager of the RZSS Saving Wildcats team, said, “We set live trail cameras near baited traps and it was a long night for our specialist keepers who were taking turns to monitor any activity.

“It was amazing to see the lynx being captured safely and humanely, which makes the lack of sleep more than worth it.

“Biosecurity laws mean the cats need to spend 30 days in suitable quarantine facilities, so we will transfer them from Highland Wildlife Park to Edinburgh Zoo, where we will further assess their health and welfare.

Original story:

Police Scotland had issued a warning to the public not to approach lynx, after a pair of the animals were sighted on Wednesday afternoon near Drumguish, a few kilometres from Kingussie in the Cairngorms National Park.

It is thought that a pair of lynx have been released illegally. Staff from the nearby Highland Wildlife Park have confirmed that the lynx are not their animals; they are, however, assisting the police to try to trace and capture the animals.

In a statement, the Cairngorms National Park Authority commented that “We condemn the illegal release of wild animals in the strongest possible terms and we are also concerned for the welfare of the lynx that have been released. Whilst they are shy animals and low risk to humans, we would ask anyone who does spot a lynx not to approach nor to attend the area.”

Lynx were once native to Scotland but are thought to have been extinct for at least 500 years. In recent years some conservationist groups have been calling for a reintroduction program, though some of these have today expressed their anger at this illegal release. Peter Cairns of Scotland: The Big Picture told the BBC: “We understand the frustration of all those who wish to see lynx restored to the Scottish landscape, but an illegal release is not the way to achieve that aim. This [release] is unwelcome and grossly irresponsible, and comes at the worst possible time, when stakeholders are engaging in good faith with productive discussions about the possibility of a responsibly managed and fully resourced legal reintroduction.”

It is thought that since these particular animals have been spotted several times, they may be too domesticated to survive in the wild.

Police Scotland are appealing for anyone with information to contact them on 101.

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