Caught in the light of a torch, a spotted cat with a short black tail and tufts on its ear tips carefully picks its way towards the camera through the snowy branches of a fallen tree. Its size is hard to judge, but this is not a domestic moggy.
This phone footage captured the moment when a pair of Eurasian lynx were trapped in a Scottish woodland where they had been illegally released by persons unknown.
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The discovery and recapture of four lynx in the Kingussie area of the Highlands this January highlighted the debate on bringing these wild cat predators back to the UK. Advocates for lynx restoration maintain that our ecosystems would benefit greatly. Loss of woodland habitat over hundreds of years has affected our biodiversity; our remaining forests have an overpopulation of grazing deer – lynx’s natural prey – which hampers young tree development and the creation of new forests. Lynx would help balance populations of roe deer, rabbits and smaller carnivores, such as foxes; unchecked numbers of these impact the abundance of small prey on which many other species depend.
Lynx also change the behaviour of animals that are not directly their prey. Droppings and tree scraping leave scent marks advertising a predator presence which keeps animals such as red deer on the move, preventing overgrazing.
What are the criticisms of lynx reintroduction?
Detractors of lynx reintroduction say the UK landscape has changed too much, and the disadvantages in terms of losses of farm livestock and public safety far outweigh any advantages. Experience with an escaped zoo lynx in Wales in 2017, and the loss of several sheep, seem to bear out this argument. Although rewilding is seen by many as the solution to problems in our natural environment, the degree to which this should happen is disputed, particularly when it comes to large predators.
What has the reaction been?
Following the Scottish incident, campaigners in favour of lynx reintroduction have been vocal in their criticism of the action. While some believe the publicity of the unexpected release has shone an unfavourable light on plans by legitimate organisations to return the cats, others feel it has helped make the case for an official release programme.
Peter Cairns, head of Rewilding for Scotland: The Big Picture, says: “The motivation for releasing these lynx remains unclear, but for those of us working to return lynx to Scotland through a legal and carefully managed reintroduction, unlicensed releases are unhelpful. While condemning the action, we also recognise frustrations at Scotland being one of only a tiny handful of countries currently unwilling to accommodate any of its large native carnivores.”
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Do we know why the lynx were released?
Projects to return lynx across most of Europe have been in progress for many years. But obtaining government licences and buy-in is a slow and careful process. This latest illegal release may indicate that in the UK, for some, it is too slow and careful. But whether it can indeed be blamed on frustration at a lack of rewilding progress or was actually just a hobby owner who got tired of the animals, can only be a matter of speculation until the police find those responsible.
Whatever the case, this January, night temperatures in the Cairngorms had dropped as low as -14° and the lynx were ill-equipped to fend for themselves in conditions where prey is scarce. Chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) David Field says: “Lynx are perfectly able to live outside in the wild in Scotland, but these individuals are used to heated, warm environments and food being prepared, and humans.”
The video taken by RZSS when two of the lynx were caught shows how familiar the animals were with people. They approached the photographer without fear, showing only curiosity and perhaps relief at encountering something familiar. That makes their secret release not only a criminal act but also a cruel one, borne out by the subsequent death of one of the lynx.
What is the history of the lynx in the UK?
Long ago, Eurasian lynx inhabited woodlands all over the UK. They are the largest of the world’s four lynx species, with a weight and height similar to a Rottweiler dog. They are secretive and shy – more prone to running from people than confronting them. Their gradual disappearance can be attributed to human activity. Extensive areas of forest were felled for farming and timber, while deer and other prey species dwindled due to habitat loss and hunting.
Lynx were also persecuted by hunters and farmers; the former for their pelts, the latter to safeguard livestock. All in all, this was an insupportable combination of pressures for the big cats. Being an island, there was no chance of top-up migration from mainland Europe, so extinction was inevitable.
Lynx bones found in a cave in North Yorkshire and radiocarbon dated in 2005 suggest the cats were present there as late as the fifth or sixth century CE. Although this is the last verifiable evidence of British lynx, there is an intriguing account from 1760 that was highlighted in 2021 by Lee Raye, author of The Atlas of Early Modern Wildlife. The writer was Richard Pococke, Bishop of Ossory and Fellow of the Royal Society, who travelled extensively noting aspects of historical, architectural and natural interest. While in the southern uplands of Scotland he described a mammal three times as big as a common cat and yellow-red in colour with a white breast and sides. These large cats had litters of two kittens, bred in trees and preyed on poultry and lambs. If the travelling Bishop’s record is reliable, it means lynx survived in Scotland much later than previously thought.
What about the lynx in Europe?
Eurasian and Iberian lynx are seen as keystone European species, alongside wolves, bison and beavers, helping control the dominance of other species and changing habitats to benefit biodiversity. They are also increasingly a financial asset in terms of wildlife tourism. Beginning in the 1970s, translocated Eurasian lynx from populations in Romania, Bulgaria and Swedish Lapland were gradually reintroduced to Switzerland, Slovenia, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Poland and Austria.
The Harz National Park in Germany imported lynx in 2000. A 2016 survey there by the Lynx UK Trust (in support of its proposal for a trial release in Kielder Forest in Northumberland) found that over half of visitors stated that lynx were an important factor in deciding to go to Harz. Tourism to the area is estimated to contribute up to £13 million each year.
In 2001 in Spain and Portugal, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimated Iberian lynx numbers had dwindled to just 62 individuals. An all-out effort began to restore Mediterranean scrub and forest habitats, open up wildlife corridors, create safe road crossings and raise local awareness about the importance of lynx conservation. By 2024 suitable habitat had increased from 19 square miles to at least 1,282 square miles and the population was estimated to be more than 2,000.
Just one example comes from the town of Mértola in southern Portugal. Formerly a popular hunting area, the town suffered much lost revenue when the appetite for hunting waned. In collaboration with hunting estates, conservationists and the town council set their sights on boosting wildlife tourism. From two captive-bred lynx released in 2014 the population had grown to 291 by 2023. The town now welcomes worldwide visitors to enjoy its wildflower meadows, birdlife, wild boar and, of course, Iberian lynx.
What's next for the Scottish lynx?
Lynx to Scotland – a partnership between Scotland: The Big Picture, Lifescape and Trees for Life – is working to assess the suitability of a lynx reintroduction and gain a licence for a trial. Conservation initiatives of this kind are complex and lengthy. The reintroduction of Eurasian beavers to Scotland began with a feasibility investigation by NatureScot in 1995, but it was only in November 2016 that the go-ahead was given for beavers to remain in this country. Over the past three decades other species have also been successfully returned to their native haunts – white-tailed eagles, pine martens, wild boar, red kites and chequered skipper butterflies, to name a few – but all took time and care.
So lynx are not likely to be seen on these islands for some time yet, but optimism remains high. To facilitate the discussion, Lynx to Scotland has set up the Lynx Focus Group; this impartial cross-section of stakeholders will assess the benefits and challenges of a reintroduction and examine whether the potential barriers can be overcome.
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Main image: a lynx cub in captivity at Highland Wildlife Park, Kincraig, Scotland, in 2015/Getty