Two lynx captured and two on the loose in Scottish Highlands
10th January 2025
Two lynx that were illegally released into the Highlands have been successfully captured by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), with two other wild cats still on the loose.
Two lynx were first spotted on Wednesday, 8th January, in the Drumguish area, near Kingussie.
Working alongside Police Scotland, experts from the wildlife conservation charity confirmed that they humanely trapped the wild cats on Thursday.
They are now being cared for in quarantine facilities at Highland Wildlife Park before being transferred to Edinburgh Zoo.
The charity said that the illegal release was “highly irresponsible” and the lynx would likely have died in the wild.
According to the BBC, two more lynx have been spotted in the same area where the other pair was captured.
Police Scotland is warning members of the public not to approach the animals and said officers are working with specially-trained personnel to capture them.
Safely captured
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.”
Mr Barclay added that lynx may return to Highland Wildlife Park, which is near where they were trapped, though it is too early to say for certain.
Reckless abandonment
RZSS chief executive David Field added: “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.
The charity is also appealing for anyone with information on how lynx came to be in the area to contact Police Scotland.
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