Two lynx spotted 'on the loose' in Scottish Highlands successfully captured

Two lynx, which had been released illegally into the Scottish Highlands, have been successfully recaptured. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), along with assistance from Police Scotland, managed to "humanely" trap the animals overnight amidst warnings that the creatures could have perished if they had stayed in the wild.

The RZSS has heavily criticised the act of setting them free as "highly irresponsible". On Wednesday evening, it was reported by the Cairngorms National Park Authority that the lynx were loose in the area, and Police Scotland had warned the public against approaching them.

Now safely caught, these lynx, dubbed by the RZSS as the 'Killiehuntly Two', are being looked after at quarantine facilities within Highland Wildlife Park in Cairngorms ahead of a move to Edinburgh Zoo for health checks.

David Field, RZSS chief executive, stated: "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.”

Mr Field expressed his gratitude to all those who provided information on the lynx, highlighting that the collaboration between RZSS experts and local staff led to a "swift and positive resolution in this case".

David Barclay, the manager of the RZSS Saving Wildcats team, discussed the potential future for the animals, suggesting they may find a home at the Highland Wildlife Park.

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He told how the lynx had been captured, saying: “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.”

Mr Barclay continued: “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.”

The Highland Wildlife Park is already home to two northern lynx, named Switch and Neon.

Meanwhile RZSS is continuing to urge anyone with information about how the two lynx came to be in the area to contact Police Scotland.