Two remaining ‘deliberately abandoned’ lynx roaming the Scottish Highlands captured safely

LAST UPDATE | 3 hrs ago

THE TWO “DELIBERATELY abandoned” lynx at large in the Scottish Highlands have been captured safe and sound.

Staff from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said they were able to bait the duo into humane traps in the Cairngorms, after they were spotted overnight on Thursday.

A joint effort from Police Scotland and rangers from the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) led to their capture at 6.30pm this evening, near the Dell of Killiehuntly, where two other illegally released lynx had been captured yesterday.

Dr Helen Senn, RZSS head of conservation said: “I’m sure that everyone in the community will be happy and relieved to know that the second pair of lynx have been safely captured.”

“Early reports are that they appear to be in good health, which is the most important thing.

“It’s been a rollercoaster 48 hours, with people working throughout the day and night, in some extremely challenging conditions, but I’ve been so impressed by the efforts of our own staff as well as partners, and members of the local community to ensure that the outcome is a positive one.

“The lynx will now be moved to Highland Wildlife Park before being moved to Edinburgh Zoo to quarantine for 30 days.

“Although we don’t think that there are any more lynx out there, we will continue to monitor the release site under the direction of Police Scotland.”

Highland Wildlife Park, situated within the Kingussie region of the Cairngorms, said in a statement of Facebook that the animals had been deserted on purpose, but reiterated RZSS’s assurance that they are in good health.

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The statement says: “Two additional lynx who appear to have been deliberately abandoned in the Cairngorms have been safely captured this evening.”

Police Scotland said inquiries into how the lynx ended up in the area are continuing, and officers and wildlife experts will continue to examine the area where the incident took place.

The “illegal release” of the animals into the wild has been condemned by wildlife groups, who said it is very unlikely the animals can survive.

Speaking after the capture of the two lynx on Thursday, Field said: “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.”

Lynx to Scotland, a project working to return the species to the Highlands, also condemned the illegal release.

Peter Cairns, executive director of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, one of the three charities involved in the project, said it was “excellent news” the first two lynx had been captured quickly and are safe.

He added: “The Lynx to Scotland project is working to secure the return of Lynx to the Scottish Highlands, but irresponsible and illegal releases such as this are simply counter-productive.”

The lynx captured on Thursday were taken by RZSS to quarantine facilities at the Highland Wildlife Park in the Cairngorms, with the animals due to be transferred to Edinburgh Zoo, where their health and welfare will be assessed.

David Barclay, manager of the RZSS Saving Wildcats team, said that long term the creatures may be rehomed in Highland Wildlife Park, which is already home to two northern lynx named Switch and Neon.